As a creative entrepreneur, there are many factors that keep your business afloat. To name a few, there are your products and services, your social media profiles, your website, your team of employees, and so on — each of these contributes to the success (or failure) of your company.
However, if you take a step back, you’ll see that there’s one thing that encompasses all of these factors: your brand. Your brand is what brings together all of the pieces in your business plan and creates a cohesive and consistent experience for clients, partners, and team members. It should capture your personality, the values that your company holds, and, most importantly, the ideals of your target audience.
When all of these things come together, you are left with a brand that is uniquely yours — and one that sets you apart from competitors who may be offering the same products or services.
When it comes to the game of sales, your brand is what will draw in leads and build the know-like-trust bond that is necessary to secure new clients while maximizing your revenue. Here are a few ways to refresh your brand and ramp up your sales game to bring in the money in 2020.
Get specific with your audience.
Unless you’re on par with mega-brands like Google and Apple, a broad scattershot approach is not an effective strategy when it comes to branding. When you try to appeal to everybody, you end up reaching nobody. Instead, you need to dig deep to determine the kind of client you really want to attract. A brand targeting outdoorsy millennials will look vastly different from one that is looking to reach designer-clad city slickers.
Consider who you enjoy working with most and reverse the roles. Take a step into their shoes and think about what would draw you to a brand? What colors speak the most to you? Should you employ a formal tone online, or can you come across as approachable and friendly? What kind of images fit into the style of your website? It all depends on who you’re really trying to reach.
Prioritize authenticity.
Many consumers seem to think that sales is all about leading people astray and trying to nickel-and-dime anyone who walks in the door, but there is actually far more to gain from being genuine from the start. At the end of the day, there is no sale where there is no trust. Therefore, you need to build trust with your client and show them that they can believe in you.
Be open about who you are, from your likes and dislikes to the story of how you got to where you are today. The more people feel that they know you, the closer you will be to closing the sale. Remember: Know, Like, Trust — the three steps you must achieve with each client to win them over.
Be true to your work standards.
When prospects are browsing the Internet or walking through a tradeshow floor, they’re looking out for certain factors that draw them to your brand. Ideally, when they learn more about your work, they discover that your products and/or services match up with your brand. Otherwise, you’ll find it hard to close the sale.
For example, if your brand is all about gilded luxury and glam design, the type of client you attract will be put off if they arrive for their consultation to find your office in a stuffy corner of a warehouse. Likewise, the quality of your work can be shrouded in poor, disjointed branding that attracts budget clients that are looking for the lowest price point available.
Evaluate your client experience.
Your online brand is key for drawing in new prospects, but it’s your in-person branding that provides each client with a consistently curated experience. Your sales efforts aren’t done once the ink is dry; instead, you need to continue working your brand into every step of the process. Remember that this goes for you and any member of your team that works with clients.
It says two different things if you plan all of your meetings at a coffee shop as opposed to greeting your clients onsite with a glass of wine. Neither is better or worse; they are simply different approaches to the client experience.
When it comes down to it, your brand should speak to the value that your clients will get out of working with you. Don’t forget those three important steps of the client journey: Know, Like, Trust. They will see you through to a profitable future and lots of happy client experiences.
