Make Small Business look Big

Your image will communicate a lot about who should purchase your products and/or services. While most individuals are willing to use  small business for smaller purchases, this is less-often the case in business-to-business transactions. Business clients are sometimes discerning, and will consider factors such as sustainability, financial health, capacity, and  longevity, when looking for a new vendor or entering a business-to-business relationship. Regardless of whether your company caters to business clients or individuals, managing your image is critical to the long-term success of your small business.

Branding

Branding is a strategy, not an objective. This means that before you design your first logo, print your first ad or business card, or even have another sales meeting, you stop think about the message you want to send to your clients. If you begin from day one with a clear vision of how you want to position yourself in the market, you will be able to focus all of your other marketing efforts on sustaining that image.

Keep in mind that branding encompasses all encounters that any current or future client has had or will have with your company. Whether or not you focus on branding, you are communicating a message about who you are, and you are being judged based on that message.  The key is to make sure that the message is one that you have crafted, an that you are aware of.

Consider an auto repair shop that has a sparkling clean floor, beautiful showroom, and very clean staff. The building is beautiful, the signs are top-quality, and were obviously printed by and for that specific company (possibly even by a parent company). Contrast that with the auto repair shop that has a small office that can only be accessed through the shop bays. Mechanics deal directly with clients, and most of the signs are by and for 3rd party parts suppliers. Which company is doing a better job of branding? The answer is neither. Each is sending out a message to potential clients. One says, “we get the job done. Everyone here knows how to turn a wrench. We’re cheap.” The other might say “We have a corporation backing us. We can give you exact estimates, warranties, and full service. We have a database of parts, many suppliers, and we can speak your language. We compete on service more than price.”



I would argue that these two mechanics are not even competitors, even if they are right next door to one another. They communicate to the public exactly who their clients are before anyone even speaks to an employee. To determine which shop you want to be, you first need to know who your customers are.

Allow for Change

Change comes second, because it is a mindset that will serve you well from the outset.  As you consider the tools you might use to make your company look bigger, you must keep listening for opportunities to grow.  Although you need to start with the end in mind, be aware that change happens.  Evolution is a very real phenomenon in business.  You may start out with one objective, only to have the market dictate otherwise.

Over time you’ll notice clients asking for similar products or services over and over.  Or they may begin asking the same questions repeatedly about your offerings.  Take these cues as very valuable feedback and act on the information.  In this way, customers are finding holes in your message.  Leverage those opportunities to change.  This might mean tweaking your message to be more clear, or it might mean taking on a new product line, or partnering with complimentary businesses who can cross sell for you.

I hate to sound so cliché, but the fact is that change really is constant.  Use it to your advantage.  Remember that a small business’ best competitive advantage can often be agility.  Large corporations take longer to change direction; your business should be flexible.

Consistency

Ok, now that we’ve covered your overall message and the fact that it can change, let’s talk about consistency (yes, I see the irony).  In this case, consistency means a consistent message.  One of the best things a small business can do to make itself look bigger is to send a consistent message.

Consistency has to do with all of those customer interactions that I mentioned earlier.  Each time the customer interfaces with your company on any level, they should be given a similar message.  In this way, your brand is further emphasized in their minds.  Also, a consistent message communicates stability, longevity, and professionalism.  Most importantly, it will begin to establish familiarity.  A feeling of familiarity in your customer’s mind will go a long way in establishing your image as a larger company.

Start with your logo.  Hire a graphic artist with business experience to design a professional logo that communicates the right message.  Then, use it everywhere.  Make sure it is on your business cards, your web site, your brochures, signs, vehicle wraps, invoices, estimates — everywhere.  Additionally, all of your marketing materials should be designed by graphic artists, not by your niece who took a class in high school.

Next, make sure that your marketing materials cover the same basic message that you are communicating to your audience.  Almost always, less is more.  This article is about sending a consistent message, not how to write your message, so maybe that will be a future post.

Lastly, I’ll just mention that you need to consider your message in every customer interaction.  This means on the phone, in person, and even in the way your office or physical facility is setup.  Remember the mechanic’s shop, and what it communicates about the business.  Your message is the only tool you have to choose your customers before you meet them, so use it wisely.

Once you have established your message and put it forward with consistency in print, on-line, in your sales pitch, and in your environment, you will have covered the critical bases in making your business appear larger many of your competitors.  Above all, don’t discount the value of a professional image consistently presented.  Over time it will pay off.

http://www.unixtricks.com/