There’s a lot of time and energy wasted by small businesses on the whole concept of brand building and little on reputation. So much of this noise can be traced back to the explosion of Social Media and if the truth be told, that’s all most of it is, noise.
To be honest branding any kind of service business has always been a challenge and is best suited to products. The exception to this is when a service business reaches a size and scope that no longer qualifies it as a small business. The primary factor is that most small businesses have difficulty defining what business they’re actually in and any attempt to develop a brand is a lesson in futility.
Personal Relationships
Think about how you react to certain businesses. There are many large organizations whereby you don’t have a personal relationship with anyone, yet you have come to trust their products or services. That’s because they have consistently lived up to or exceeded your expectation and you’re more likely to try a new offering from them.
Contrast that now with a small business. Typically, you’ve met the owner and/or received a referral from someone who has. The distance from the top of the organization to you, is very short. It’s a personal relationship, their reputation.
What most successful entrepreneurs focus on is not creating a brand but of creating a great experience for their customers. Doing so, has built a reputation that is far more powerful than any manufactured brand.
Delivering a consistent service that customer are willing to tell their friends about is something that can’t be created. It has to be earned and is far more enduring and profitable as people will be willing to be put on a waiting list in order to deal with a company with a good reputation. For those who aren’t willing, they are probably not our target anyways.
The Smaller The Company, The Less Your Brand Matters-It’s About Your Reputation
Focusing on your reputation is a far better use of your time and effort than trying to create a brand. By simply making sure you treat the customer fairly, do what you say you’re going to do and fix any problems immediately. Doing so, goes a long way to building a great reputation.
I don’t know about you but I would much prefer to deal with a small business that has a great reputation over a great brand.
Copyright © Greg Weatherdon 2017
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Get More LIFE Out of Your Business
You shouldn’t be the hardest working person in your company.
Many small business owners find that even after the struggling start-up years, they’re working too many hours and still managing every aspect of their businesses.
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