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Whether you’re a salesperson or a soldier, your image says everything about you.
At a cocktail party a few days ago, the conversation turned to the Marines situated at U.S. embassies. We were observing how they all are very tall and incredibly muscular, and carry huge guns that – without saying a word – tell anyone who is at the embassy to “not try anything stupid.” One gentleman, a former Marine, said that those soldiers are specifically selected to work at the embassies because of their intimidation factor. They resemble superheros, with tiny waists, huge chests and bulging biceps; they look as if a button on their shirts will pop if they gain a pound. We chuckled in agreement because that’s exactly what they look like.
Finally, the former Marine said what I had been thinking: image is everything.
Your image, and your company’s image, can be the reasons for your success or your failure. As you know from watching the news, a company’s image can be destroyed overnight. One bad public relations move or an inappropriate comment or action by your CEO (or even by an employee) can take your company from a leader in its industry to the bottom of the heap. And it will take a lot of digging to get out.
Therefore, it is critical to determine what you want your image to say about you and your company. There are four components of communication that drive that:
1. How You See Yourself
2. How Others See You
3. How You Communicate Your Image in Person
4. How You Communicate Your Image Online
How You See Yourself
Your self-confidence is likely the number one factor in your ability to sell yourself, your company, and your product or service. It’s visible from the moment you walk into a room. If you walk with purpose, have good posture and exhibit a sincere smile, people will approach you. Not only will others approach you; you’ll have the nerve to approach them. What’s the worst they can do? Walk away? Tell you that they don’t want to talk? Say no? These are all unlikely. What is more likely is that you will find your next customer or someone who can refer you to that person.
We hear it all the time among athletes and others who compete: it’s a mental game. The minute you lose in your head, you lose in reality.
How Others See You
The first impression is the one that matters most. If it’s negative, it will take a long time to change the other person’s opinion, assuming that that is even possible.
Take a few minutes to honestly assess how others see you and your company. Does that image go hand-in-hand with your vision? If you’re not sure, ask a colleague or a friend who will tell you the truth. It may hurt your feelings, but it can help your company.
Next, analyze how your competitors are viewed. Are they seen as more trustworthy, professional, and confident? If any of these is true, then you must evaluate how you can change your image by finding the one thing that makes you unique and then doing that better than anyone else.
If, after completing a competitive analysis, you determine that you’re at the top of your industry, then ask yourself and your employees if you have a clear idea of what your company provides. For example: Apple doesn’t just provide mobile devices and computers, it provides convenience. That’s where branding comes into play.
Without a clear idea of what it is that you do, then you can’t build a brand.
Communication is the number one factor in creating and maintaining your brand. Written, verbal and non-verbal means of communication tell your company’s story. However, there are times when you don’t know what that story is, how to convey it, and to whom it should be told.
Communications Strategy
To “brand” yourself and your company, you’ll need to follow – at the minimum – these few steps:
Communication has many components, and you need to ensure that all those components work together to advance the image of your brand. If you’re a young and hip company with a “cool” product, make sure that that message is loud and clear. However, structure the message so that it’s written in the right “language” for the right audience.
Communicating Your Image In Person
It’s confusing to receive several marketing materials from the same company and not have a single one look like the other. Consistency is essential if you want to present a professional image. Once you know who you are, create a logo, choose some company colors, find a typeface that goes well with your brand, and use them consistently in everything. Letters, marketing materials, blogs, websites…you get the idea!
A consistent, well-written and professional message is also imperative. Check for spelling errors (and don’t rely solely on the spell check feature!), make sure that there are no obvious grammar mistakes, and write cohesively.
A professional appearance is just as important. Dress appropriately and ensure that your employees are doing the same. ALWAYS present a professional image, whether you’re at a business function or at the grocery store: clients are everywhere.
Sloppiness and laziness in your written, verbal and nonverbal communication is inevitably associated with the same qualities in your work. Consider this scenario: If Company A didn’t take time to edit the proposal it sent me, then how careful will it be with my very important project? I’ll hire Company B, whose proposal was professionally presented, well written and showed a level of competency that I’m confident will transcend into how it handles my project.
Whether those conclusions are valid or not, that’s how the client thinks. Next time you see your brochure, ad or other piece of written communication, really think about whether or not you would hire your company for the job.
Communicating Your Image Online
This is where communication gets really risky. With so many online communication channels, both personal and professional, it is difficult to monitor what is out there regarding you and your company. It’s challenging to control your image when others can affect it at any moment…without your knowledge!
The goal, of course, is to be proactive and develop a social media policy for your company. Here is a helpful article from BurrellesLuce, http://www.burrellesluce.com/newsletter/2010/september_2010.
However, many sole proprietors or startup companies don’t have the time or resources to develop an “official” policy. Many use common sense: don’t post pictures that can be misinterpreted, don’t include personal information, don’t slander anyone, don’t mention the competition...the list goes on. Right?
Oh, “no,” you say. You don’t follow these unwritten rules. Well, then maybe it’s time to consult with a social media brand strategist who can teach you how to develop an identity online that is consistent with the one that you have developed in the “real” world.
DISCLAIMER: A SOCIAL MEDIA BRAND STRATEGIST CAN’T DEVELOP AN “OFFICIAL” SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY (UNLESS HE/SHE IS AN ATTORNEY WHO SPECIALIZES IN SOCIAL MEDIA ISSUES).
A social media brand strategist can help you do the following:
A lot to think about? You bet! However, if image is indeed, “everything,” then think of what you’ll lose if you don’t.
Take time to communicate within your organization and you'll reap the rewards of your efforts.
“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Sin City. The Hangover. With the exception of a failed ad campaign about a decade ago that touted it as a “family destination,” Vegas has worked effortlessly to build its brand as the place where adults go to play.
Interestingly, I’ve just returned from a trip to Las Vegas that seemed more like a trip to Disney World; ironically, I flew out of Orlando, where there were less children running around than there were in my hotel on the Strip.
Every year, my husband and I take a few days off from parenthood to vacation alone. Like many couples, it’s our chance to get away from it all, have some peace and quiet and do things (like eat dinner at a fancy restaurant at 10 pm and then go dancing) that you just can’t – or shouldn’t – do with young children.
Therefore, we choose to go to Vegas because it’s the perfect destination for us. We stay at a high-end, modern-looking hotel at the end of the Strip. It’s located inside a resort that has the best pool in town and has all the amenities and conveniences that we could possibly ask for during a grown-up vacation. What we never had seen, and what we certainly didn’t count on, were the hoards of crying babies, scampering toddlers, hyper kids and tweens that seemed to have invaded the resort.
Whatever became of: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” Perhaps these kids DID “happen” in Vegas and mom and dad were taking them back to visit. Kidding aside, it just didn’t make sense. We’ve been going to that hotel for the past five years and had never encountered the issue. Other than “The Lion King,” which has been playing at that venue for a couple of years, there were no other events scheduled for kids. In fact, most other events were definitely Vegas-like in nature, meaning that kids were not the target audience.
So what could it be? We were perplexed and a little annoyed. Our kid-less vacation had taken a turn we didn’t expect.
In Vegas, you expect to see 20-somethings passed out in the elevators, not 20-month-olds passed out from a day chock-full-of activities. You expect to find some interesting items floating in the pool, but the Silly Bandz I found threw me for a loop. I couldn’t understand the child phenomenon, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it.
I finally got my answer when I went to the spa, where I was the only customer. Now, this particular spa used to be one of the finest in Vegas. In fact, two years ago I would have had to make an appointment weeks in advance just to get in for a pedicure. This time, the appointment book was empty. Apparently, busy moms on vacation didn’t have the time or money to pamper themselves.
So I asked the spa employees about the child situation and they mentioned that during the summer (now that the economy is in the dumps), locals are booking low-cost rooms at the hotel just so that they can use the many water park-like facilities. Wow! The “staycation” phenomenon has even affected one of the largest tourist destinations in the country. And with a city like Vegas, where the heat is oppressive and there isn’t a water park in sight, booking the cheapest hotel room at the resort with the best pools is practically a deal for the locals. I suppose that they know the REAL Vegas and, as locals, can ignore the seductive marketing campaigns and take advantage of the many attractions that the city has to offer.
As a communications and branding exec, I thought about this and I realized that the Vegas board of tourism is experiencing what other companies are probably experiencing, too: the loss of their brand during harsh economic times. In an effort to drive business any way they can, they’re focusing less on their typical customers and taking business from wherever they can get it. This, while perhaps important or necessary in the short-term, is a destructive move that will not only kill the brand that they’ve worked so hard to create, but it may kill the city’s economy altogether.
If it’s the locals with children who are being wooed to the hotels, then the gambling, hard partying, bachelor/bachelorette and DINK (dual-income, no kids) crowds are being ignored. And even if they’re not being ignored, then they’re certainly being turned off by the gaggle of kids awaiting them as they step through the doors.
Naturally, it’s challenging to think of the long-term financial effects when in the short-term the bottom line needs to be met. However, in the case of Vegas – or this one resort, in particular – what will happen when the kids are back in school and the casino’s target market has been turned off by the ambiance? Plus, does the resort understand the damage that having so many kids is doing to the building itself? Kids run around, ding and scratch walls, break stuff and get things dirty (yes, I realize that not all kids do this, but the ones that I had the pleasure of seeing during this trip do). That ruins the resort, both physically and from an image perspective. That increases maintenance costs. That damages the upscale reputation of a hotel known for its coolness; George Clooney and Brad Pitt graced its halls during Ocean’s Thirteen.
I won’t be staying at this resort during my next trip to Vegas, but I hope to once again be able to visit and see that its reputation has been restored to match the image it created. However, given the economy and the damage that it’s inflicted to its own brand, I don’t know how quickly it will recover. I wonder what its marketing department is doing to ensure that the brand won’t suffer too much in the long-term? I also wonder if the marketing department is even aware of the damage that the loss of control of its brand has had for the hotel.
They took a risk and bet on the short-term gains that an upsurge in families would do to increase their bottom line and keep them in the black for the year. Let’s hope the house wins on this one.
One of my current projects involves revamping the website of a well-known event producer; ideally, we want his revamped site to illustrate his creative vision, the tremendous scope of his projects, and his high-end clientele. To do this, of course, I'll have to generate great content to describe the events. But most of all, the site designer will need fantastic photos to showcase the events themselves. This is where we've run into a problem. And, it's a problem that I encounter with clients on a regular basis: the case of the missing photos. 
My daughter, a Girl Scout, was gearing up for their yearly cookie sale. Her goal was to sell 200 boxes. It was an ambitious – but attainable – goal. The door-to-door sales period started in mid-January and, before taking her around the neighborhood, I asked that she practice her sales pitch. After all, she wasn’t the only Girl Scout in the area; therefore, she needed a great pitch in order to beat the competition.
I told her to go work on what she was going to say when a potential customer opened the door. After about 20 minutes, I checked on her progress. Assuming that the pitch was good to go, I thought we’d head out the door that day and start the selling marathon. Boy, was I wrong.
To ensure that the pitch covered all the basics, I asked for a demonstration. Happily, my daughter began telling me all about herself, how cookies are delicious, how the potential customer should really buy a few boxes, and on and on and on. Stopping her after a few minutes of sweet, but totally useless information, I reminded her that she had left out the essential information: the five W’s and the H.
The what???
The 5 W’s and the H, I explained, are the basis for all sales pitches (and news articles, for that matter). The letters stand for who, what, when, where, why and how. In the case of the cookie sales pitch, my daughter needed to tell her potential customers the following – and only the following – information:
After a little coaching (and a lot of groans, moans and resistance), my daughter finally had answers to the 5 W’s and the H. Ironically, the pitch was only used a couple of times due to inclement weather during the pre-sale period, but at least she learned a couple of valuable sales lessons: don’t ever assume that you are going to make the sale and never assume that the customer knows what you know. Brief, thorough information is the key to a winning sales pitch.
The devil's in the details, as the White House found at last night's state dinner. The admission of a pair of party-crashers wasn't the only unplanned misstep Wednesday, apparently: The New York Times pointed to a string of typos in the evening's menu. Can you spot the errors below? (Answers after the jump)
–The Riesling was bottled in “Willamette Valley, Oregon” not “Wilamette Valley”; guests were actually offered a “2007 Grenache” (not a “2007 Granache”) and a “Thibaut-Janisson Brut” (not a “Thibaut Janisson Brut”)
–The meal featured “chick peas” (not “chickpeas”)
–The dessert “Gelees” were missing an accent on the final “e”
Here's the First Family portrait, released by the Photo Office this morning:
