Operating a Business or managing a Brand?
Look, as a leader of a team you are constantly looking for improvements. You identify area of waste, focus on ensuring individuals in your team are competent, seek to streamline services you offer and standardise on your internal and customer-facing processes.
If it ever happens – you start to realise that you don’t just manage a team to operate a business, you are managing a brand.
There is a significant difference, your teams and businesses offer and sell products/services where as your consumers are attracted to brands.
I guess this is where is can get complex, organisations that offer services to consumers internally are also victims to this. Many of us have experienced internal teams and departments where we find ourselves involve a higher level of close-contact or due diligence to ensure they deliver on what they promise or we may end up keep them out of the loop and self-source what we need.
Team and organisation branding goes a long way, in some cases consumers will pay a premium for a better brand experience.
Don’t be fooled to think your brand is your logo, it’s an idea and a feeling consumers have about you, the products you offer and services you provide. It is this that consumers don’t need to think twice about – you are at the front of their minds.
You brand is what customers say it is, it is what new users enquire among colleagues or on advisor-websites about – it’s the safe pair of hands they are looking for.
You can’t control how your customers feel about your brand but you can influence them – ensuring it’s timely, accurate and honest – all the traits we look for, ensuring a good feel and fit.
Influence is by design, empathy plays a big part into getting into your consumer’s minds by making your service/product relevant and ensuring it adds value where ever it can, particularly at all the moments of truth (more about that later).
Remember any idiot can make something complicated, but it takes real talent to design something that’s simple which consumers are attracted to …