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BRANDING YOUR BUSINESS

(March/April 2008)

By Bob Lawrence

When Jonathan Hood started his window cleaning business 14 years ago, he wasn’t necessarily thinking about building a brand name in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He just printed up some business cards and flyers and gave it a shot. Many small businesses start out the same way, and statistics show that most fail because they didn’t know what guys like Hood learned - a company's brand is its unique identity and personality. Further, “your brand is your promise to your customers. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.” So says John Williams, Entrepreneur.com's Image & Branding columnist.

The impetus for Hood to start building the Excellent Window Cleaning (EWC) brand was “the realization that ‘ma & pa’ businesses were slowly disappearing to the big box national franchise industry. That lit a fire under me to make our service a brand,” he says, adding that he learned how to do it by reading books, attending educational classes and industry seminars, and keeping an eye on the big brands. “I’ve always enjoyed the ‘marketing’ aspect of business and therefore, have perpetually been conscious of methods and means of the leading businesses,” he says.  “I try to look beyond the ad to see what they are conveying, to whom and why.  Having a marketing consciousness, I have been able to model successful business practices in our own company.” Hood also believes that in today’s economy, with fierce competition for customers, “you have to compete on the same level as the ‘big boys’ to be successful.” You also need to emulate them. “If you want to be a Fortune 500 company, you have to look and act like one even when you’re just starting out.”

In building a brand, Hood recommends that business owners do what he did. “Follow the local trends in advertising, determine exactly who your target customer is and what gets his/ her  attention.  Boil all of this together to develop a consistent plan to get your name and logo in front of your current and potential customers at least 8 to 12 times a year.  Make sure that all of your ads, including yellow pages, flyers, mailers, etc., look identical and say the same message.”

Successful branding will increases the perceived value to the customer and instill an assumed expectation of quality and security that influence the customer to stay loyal to and speak highly of your business, according to Hood. “By having a professional appearance,  you’ll improve customer confidence and be taken more seriously. They’ll perceive that you have your act together and will hire you.”

Stressing that consistency, professionalism and integrity are the forces behind the making of an outstanding brand, Hood, explains that the “marketing and advertising that goes into the branding process is the face of the company and are of utmost importance, but it has to have the aforementioned components behind them to last.” His company exemplifies all of that, from the top down.

BRANDING 101

In his industry convention seminars, image award winner Hood covers every element associated with brand building using his company’s own blueprint, one that has led to amazing growth and success in the nations 4th most affluent county.  Catering to a customer base consisting mostly of automotive industry executives and professional athletes, EWC services homes that, on average, are over 4000 square feet in size and valued at three-quarters of a million dollars each.  The company covers 12 cities with 5 full time crews servicing over 2600 customers, over 400 of which are monthly to quarterly contracts.

On the job, the service staff wear photo I-Ds and matching uniforms featuring the company logo. Jeans and shorts are taboo. Everyone is clean and clean cut, meaning no visible tattoos, face piercing or wacky hair. All are courteous, treating customers like guests in luxury accommodations. Only proper speech is allowed. Slang, foul language or inappropriate comments are forbidden. According to Hood, all of that results in fewer customer complaints and builds confidence and trust in the customer. “Sometimes if you wow them enough, they are less likely to complain or ‘nit pick’ your work,” he says. “Because they have trust and confidence in you and your company, they won’t hesitate to recommend you to others. Your professional appearance and attitude will eliminate the insecurity inherent in having a stranger in their home or place of business.”

Like the service staff, those in the office are keepers and builders of the brand, and even though they are seen less by customers, they are heard. In answering the phone, Hood emphasizes the importance of the greeting.”This is usually the very first personal impression you’ll give to the customer,” he explains. “You don’t want to sound like the dissatisfied drive- thru window order taker.” He emphasizes that the phone should always be answered during business hours rather than by voice mail because many callers won’t leave a message. “If they cannot contact you for a quote or scheduling, how will they be confident they can contact you for any other reasons? Knowing they can always get through and speak to a live voice also gives customers a sense of security if they have a complaint or need service immediately.” This can also lead to increased sales. As Hood explains it, “often times you’ll get the job just because you’re the only one they phoned who actually answered in person.”

When the phone is answered after hours by voice mail, the greeting should be brief but informative and to the point. Whether talking to customers on the phone or at the job site, employees must be knowledgeable about the company, according to Hood. “If you or your employees can’t answer every question the customer has, then the customer will see you as incompetent.”

Like everything else in branding your service, consistency is all important in advertising in terms of similarity in appearance, whether its in newspapers, radio, mailbox flyers, door hangers or direct mail. All should match your letterheads, business cards and envelopes featuring your logo, slogan, color, font, etc.. Frequency in advertising is equally important. “The more advertising you do, the better response you’re going to get, and that should lead to increased sales ,” Hood says.

Company vehicles featuring your name, logo and telephone number should be a major part of the advertising mix. The newer the vehicles the better, according to Hood, advising that magnetic signs are no substitute for professionally lettered ones. And by all means, vehicles should be clean in and out, not looking like a college kid’s dorm room. “When you see an old rusted out cargo van with a hand-painted signage and filthy inside and out, you’re not going to hire that guy. A new van with professional lettering conveys professionalism and you’re going to trust them,” says Hood. A spiffy looking truck is like billboard advertisement getting looks whether its moving or parked in a driveway or parking lot, according to Hood. “It gets lots of attention and gets you amazing response.”

Hood also suggests enhancing your professional image by only giving price quotes in person, never on the phone, and put them in writing where terms and conditions are spelled out. “It takes the grey area out so both parties know exactly what’s expected. There is no misunderstanding about cost or service And by having it in writing rather than verbal, it prevents them from calling you up after they get the invoice and claim that you quoted them $20 not $100.

And by doing this, there’s less haggling about price” He also suggests that price quotes be presented to the customer in person rather than leaving it on the front door or on a desk.

STAY IN CONTACT

Follow through is also a big part of branding. When your crew finishes and leaves the job, it’s not the end of it. He suggests calling customers to see if they were satisfied with the service because unhappy customers can destroy your brand in less time than it took to build it. “If something went wrong, find out what it was and work with the customer to make them happy. A lot of the time, you can turn that once unhappy customer into a life long one just by doing that. Do whatever you can to reconcile things or you’ll end up with negative publicity. By being accountable, they’ll be more likely to have you back.” Part of his follow up also involves surveys inquiring customers about their level of satisfaction and asking what can be done to improve the company’s service. Following up with post cards thanking them for having us in their homes and sending them reminder cards are other good things to do.” Being in touch with the customer that many times during the year “really helps build a brand image,” says Hood.

Sending invoices by mail rather than collecting on the spot can also help maintain a classy brand, according to Hood. “Mailing invoices shows a sense of trust with the customer and it’s more convenient because the customer doesn’t have to take time to be at home to write us a check when we come to clean their windows.” There is an inherent risk in doing that because you are trusting the customers to send it in, but having a professional looking invoice with a due date highlighted and a return envelope, reduces the no pays and collection efforts, according to Hood. Through this method, he’s found that customers also pay quicker and it saves thousands of dollars in time and productivity loss for his crews because they’re not spending time writing up invoices and standing around waiting for a check. Additionally, it “provides you with privacy.  Unless you are paying employees a percentage, they don’t need to know what the jobs cost,” he say. And by mailing invoices, the company has the option of  enclosing inserts announcing specials.

In closing, Hood says that successful branding is a culmination of everything a company does to enhance its image, not just one single thing. “Every aspect of your business that you can make look professional and consistent, will help build your brand.”

MORE ON BRANDING FROM SOME EXPERTS:

The following are Excerpts from “Branding” by Jay Davis, author and co-owner of thesniche.com, a website specializing in online marketing and advertising for small businesses:

“A company's brand could be described as its personality, character, and unique experience. If you are struggling to develop your own brand then start treating your company like a person. It needs its own unique identity and personality. By applying this idea you can also develop loyalty for your brand. You can do this by thinking about different positive and negative traits or characteristics possessed by people you know and then think of how your company can either adopt or avoid these different characteristics.”

“Most people are naturally drawn to those people who know who they are, what they stand for, and know where they are going. Too many companies have skipped this very important step in developing their brand. If someone asked you what your company does, would you be able to give a clear and concise answer in less than a minute? Before you can brand yourself you need to sit down and think about what you want your company to stand for and what its purpose will be. Otherwise everyone in the organization will have their own plan for where the company is headed. Write out a plan of what you want to achieve and how you will achieve it.”

“Great organizations are built by people with great character. People who are willing to do what is right no matter the cost. In building brand loyalty this same principle applies and so remember to be true to your customers no matter the cost. If you make a mistake, admit it and fix it. If the leaders of an organization will act with great character then the company will develop a strong character as well. People will be drawn to your honesty and fair treatment of customers.”

“When you are building brand loyalty be sure to think of your company as a living organism that will take on the characteristics that you want it to adopt. Choose to build qualities that will appeal to your customers. Building loyalty to your company is all about building stronger relationships with your customers. This will only happen if your company develops the characteristics that will encourage the development of those relationships.”

The following are Excerpts from “The Basics of Branding” by John Williams, Entrepreneur.com's "Image & Branding" columnist and the founder and president of LogoYes.com, a do-it-yourself logo design website.

“Are you the innovative maverick in your industry? Or the experienced, reliable one? Is your product the high-cost, high-quality option, or the low-cost, high-value option? You can't be both, and you can't be all things to all people. Who you are should be based to some extent on who your target customers want and need you to be.”

“The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials--all of which should integrate your logo--communicate your brand.”

“Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally are part of your brand strategy, too.”

“Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The most obvious example of this is Coke vs. a generic soda. Because Coca-Cola has built a powerful brand equity, it can charge more for its product--and customers will pay that higher price.”

“The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment. For example, Nike associates its products with star athletes, hoping customers will transfer their emotional attachment from the athlete to the product. For Nike, it's not just the shoe's features that sell the shoe.”

“Defining your brand is like a journey of business self-discovery. It can be difficult, time-consuming and uncomfortable. It requires, at the very least, that you answer the questions below:

• What is your company's mission?
• What are the benefits and features of your products or services?
• What do your customers and prospects already think of your company?
• What qualities do you want them to associate with your company?

Do your research. Learn the needs, habits and desires of your current and prospective customers. And don't rely on what you think they think. Know what they think.”

“Because defining your brand and developing a brand strategy can be complex, consider leveraging the expertise of a nonprofit small-business advisory group or a Small Business Development Center.”

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