By Mike English
There are four actions you can take to dress up your business immediately. The first is your company name. Is it easy to pronounce and does it uniquely represent your business and the value you bring to your customers? "Merchant Services" and "bankcard service" may be somewhat overused.
The second very important action you can take is to develop a look for your business's communications to your prospects, employees, "influencers", and customers. A consistent format throughout your business removes any confusion and misrepresentation. It also makes your business shine. The message needs to be consistent not only in the words you use, but in how it looks: color, fonts, etc. If you need to seek assistance from a printing company, do it. It will pay handsome rewards.
Create a logo if you do not have one. Logos and a strong consistent message are good for building brand awareness. Even for small companies branding is important. Although it will not show dividends immediately, people will begin to think of the value and services you bring to them, unconsciously, when they see your logo. This is one way that many Fortune 500 companies use to promote their company. Your logo will appeal to both sides of a customer's brain. Remember that many people are visual in nature. You can take advantage of that.
The last and perhaps most important, is the professionalism and neatness of your sales force. I've seen salespeople go out on the road that looked as if they just completed a red-eye flight. For men a jacket, tie, and polished shoes are crucial. People spend money with salespeople who look polished. Many larger, well-established firms have a dress code for employees that come in contact with customers and prospects.
Mike English is a marketing and business development consultant. Formally he was with NCR Corporation for 17 years in sales and marketing management and most recently served as the VP of Marketing at Dassault AT for two years. He can be reached at mweng@mindspring.com or at (770) 232-2738.
