As a business owner, there are so many hats that you wear. One of the most crucial hats that a business owner must wear is marketing strategist.
It is not enough to market your business. A successful business owner must create a brand that evokes a specific feeling or desire from their potential and existing clients. A brand must not only attract a potential client but also maintain them. There are three key aspects to creating a brand: credibility, quality and satisfaction.
Creditability can be hard to establish with a potential client. However, there are a few ways to make this process easier. First, the color, imagery, words and language you utilize during a marketing campaign must match up with your beginning dialogue with a client. For example, if your brand communicates a luxury experience this must be the message your potential clients walk away with after a meeting with you or your team members. Second is consistency, once you secure a client you must keep your word, follow up in a prompt manner and meet all deadlines. As an Event designer, I must not only meet deadlines but also remain steps ahead of my client to guide them within the planning process.
As an Event Designer, quality and satisfaction are directly interconnected. Quality is not just a having a great product or service but having an excellent delivery process. Clients evaluate the quality of my service by how their event was executed and how well were they able to work with me. Did I fulfill every obligation to the client? As an event designer, I can offer a great service, but if I deliver it with an unprofessional attitude or am inconsistent with meeting deadlines that would negatively affects my brand’s reputation. Perfection is not attainable as everyone makes mistakes. When mistakes are made, how are they resolved? Did I do everything to correct any issues with professionalism that includes a positive attitude? Did I accept responsibility and not pass blame on anyone or anything else?
The ultimate indicator of an effective brand is customer reviews. When you read customer reviews, do the words they use match how you market your business? If you market a luxury brand by focusing on exceeding your clients’ expectations, do they mention this in their review? If not, use the customer’s review as a template for corrective action to ensure the next client experience matches the intent of your brand.
