There’s a lot of talk and emphasis on branding, personal marketing, and social marketing to help in establishing a consumer following and situating yourself as a professional salesperson, builder, supplier, or business owner.
These techniques and strategies are sound – with one provision. You must be consistent.
Let me explain. Start with color. If all of your ads, logos, website content, blogs, signs, collaterals, business cards, and other printed matter are done in black and white, that color format is associated with you and your business.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with black and white – it can be very striking. This can very strategic – indicating a no-nonsense approach to business. It also can mean a lack of confidence about adding color.
Conversely, if you experiment with colors and keep changing them, or go for just the very bold colors, or have so many in use that it would be difficult to associate two or three colors as your corporate colors, you are not being consistent. Actually, you are being consistently off-message because your consumer isn’t able to associate any particular colors with you and your message.
Fonts are the same thing. Are you using ornate fonts for headlines and changing them often just because they are bold or artistic, or are you keeping to a set style that is easily identifiable as coming from you?
That’s what consistency is all about. It’s more than just having a consistent product. It begins with your advertising and branding message, and it doesn’t change from day-to-day. How many different styles of “M” do you see in use for McDonald’s on their packaging and in their ads?
If you’re not happy with what you’ve been using – colors, fonts, paper stock, ad layouts, business card design, website format, email templates, truck decals or paint schemes, or anything else that carries your message – you certainly can change, but find something you like and stick with it until there is a good reason to change.
There are many other parts to your sales and marketing message that cry out for consistency. This includes the way your sales presentation is organized and delivered, the way you call people back or return emails, whether you do what you promise, how well you keep to schedules, and the quality of your work.
In general, can people expect a consistent performance from you and is your public message consistent with what you’re really all about?
* For more information about my consulting and coaching services visit my website stevehoffacker.com.
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