First Impressions

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

First Impressions

From Wayne Ens, who wrote this for advertising sales people.

I bet you can apply it to your line of work too.

Packaging Your Brand

You’re fighting for your life, and you see two surgeons who each offer you totally different solutions.

The first one shows up at your door unannounced, in a Hawaiian shirt and ill-fitting track pants. He hands you a generic brochure about your illness along with his biography as he leaves to see the next patient.

The other surgeon makes an appointment, meets you dressed in a crisp white lab coat, and shows you computer scans of your problem on the latest high-tech equipment. He gives you a comprehensive written outline of the procedure he proposes to save your life and discusses any questions or concerns you might have.

Which solution would you have the most confidence in?

When you’re fighting for your life, the answer is clear, even though the guy in the Hawaiian shirt might have had a better solution.

Many businesses today are fighting for their lives too. Their marketing decisions are crucial to their survival. They’ve cut all of the expenses they can cut, and now they are desperate to increase their sales.

The image you project can make all the difference in whether the worried decision maker chooses your solution or your competitor’s. It’s all about your brand.

We know that you create a hard to change impression in the first three seconds a prospect sees you; BEFORE you open your mouth or present your solutions. Does your brand create confidence in your solution?

Do you make appointments like a professional, or drop in like a peddler?

We sell our ability to make businesses successful. Does your packaging, from your car to your clothes, make you look successful and instill confidence with would-be investors?

If your competitors show up in a golf shirt, you need to wear a sports jacket. If they show up in a sports jacket, you need to wear a suit. And if your competitors are wearing custom tailored three piece suits, buy a tux!!

The image you portray can give a worried advertiser the confidence to buy your solution even though it may not be better than the competition’s.

And last but not least, does your presentation talk about solving your client’s problems, or about how great your station is?

You are expected to be a branding expert…the best way to start is by looking after your own brand.

P.S. A funny thing happens when you sculpt a better brand for yourself. You not only look more professional, you feel and act more professional!