“Our People Make The Difference” Is Not A Differentiator.

?Frankly – your greater than that!

In my Brand Consulting side of things, “Our people make the difference” is the by far the most common answer to my question – “Exactly what is it that makes you different from your competition?”
Let’s be honest every company’s employee pool has talent and they do a great job making their products great. You have to dig deeper and pull out something more compelling that makes you the leader. You’ve got to be the first to market with this powerful position and you have to deliver it is such a way that your target audience see’s your company as the only alternative.

Simple eh?

The fact is we can achieve this goal is several different ways. We can look long and hard and see how the delivery of the product can be facilitated whereby the client experience’s is an overwhelming difference from how it is typically delivered within your industry. Let’s say you are a burger joint. EVERYBODY follows the McDonald’s standard of a graphic menu board above and behind the counter. Is there another way that is bolder, better and ground-breaking? Look at your burger joint from a new perspective.

What if your product is a medical service? Lot’s of compliances right? Sure the public has to be safe. Well what if you went one better? What if you developed your own compliance? Name it and promote it as your own. Make sure that it’s progressive and bold. So bold that the competition probably thinks your crazy to adhere to it. Crazy genius I’m thinking.

I call these solutions Positioning Strategies and most companies don’t employ them. Most companies employ slogans. When was the last time a slogan compelled you to act? I’ll bet your thinking hard about that aren’t you? Remember when the iPhone came out? It was the only smart phone offering “apps”. That and the touch screen quickly made it a leading contender in what seemed a saturated cell phone market. A compelling reason to buy, actually created a brand-new category. This is not beyond what you are also capable of. You don’t need Apple’s deep pockets either – you only need the innovation of Apple’s entrepreneurial spirit.

In my consulting service I get the best results from decisive and bold thinkers. If this is you, then you are sitting on just what it takes to deliver a positioning strategy that not only compels your target audience but will re-invigorate your staff and other stake holders.

The only person that can truly make a difference is YOU – if you are willing to grab the gold within you.

Etiquette for Writing Business Emails to Companies and Co-Workers

A business email is a formal correspondence between company officials, sent via the Internet. It has taken the place of traditional business letters that are often hand delivered or sent via special mail because most of the time, matters discussed are of immediate concern.

Email EtiquetteWith the email or online fax, message is transmitted in a matter seconds, thus issues and concerns are immediately resolved. Just like a business letter, the style and tone of an email largely depends on the relationship between the officials concerned. One of the advantages of email is the convenience of sending as many messages as possible, allowing parties to be familiar with one another. More often than not, the corresponding parties end up being friends.

However since frequency breeds familiarity, business acquaintances can also become instant enemies, just by email alone. Technology has bridged gaps, however in the business arena it’s always proper to exercise a certain level of diplomacy even in business emails.

Purpose of Business Emails
There are various reasons why parties send correspondences. It could be a request for certain information, or immediate action regarding an existing issue. Emails are also sent for ordering supplies, asking for quotations, meeting requests and the like. Formal business messages are also sent to address certain issues, reply to request or an apology.

Business emails are useful, because it stands as a permanent record for transmitted messages. Various issues have been resolved via the presentation of email trails, letters and the other written evidences. Thus it is important that even online correspondences be given ample attention in order to elicit quick response.

The Proper Business Email

Etiquette for business letters requires clear and concise messaging, straightforward and precise content when dealing with relevant subject matters. These qualities also hold true for business emails.

- These messages are meant for busy people and so the information must use the least number of words, without missing out to important details. All pertinent points must be briefly explained and should immediately follow the introduction. If it’s an urgent message, then it should be written in the subject panel.

- If a response is needed within the day, then it should also be clearly conveyed. For recipients, just in case an immediate response is not possible, send a reply emphasizing that the issue will be addressed at the soonest possible time.

- The subject panel is one of the important parts of a business email; because it immediately indicates the purpose of the correspondence. A clear subject separates the message from junk mails and spam. Most senders think having an attention grabbing subject, convinces recipient to immediately open the letter. While this may be true, and beneficial for promotional emails, the practice is not acceptable for formal business correspondences.

- Apart from the concise wording, the font type and size must be carefully chosen. Avoid using large fonts; it’s an indirect of expressing strong feelings. If it’s an email to a friend then go ahead and use colorful letters in bold or italic. However this should be avoided with business emails. For business letters, typing the words in all caps is very rude; it indicates that the recipient could not clearly grasp the message.

- Use the active voice, and pay close attention to grammar usage. Proof read thoroughly, if you do posses a keen eye for spelling and punctuations then ask someone to read it first before sending it. An error filled message can affect your organization’s reputation.

Emails to Co-Workers
The same approach follows even if you are sending a message to someone within your organization. Always start with a polite greeting, starting with “dear’ followed by the recipients full name or surname is most acceptable. Or if the recipient is unknown start with ‘to whom it may concern”. If it’s someone you haven’t met then you address the letter with “dear sir or madam”. The email should end with signature, which indicates the sender’s full name and position.

The “NEW” Business Card

whatsnewcard

Use traditional 3.5″ X 2″ business cards to promote new services, products, specials or whatever is new at your business. They would still have your contact information. Use them to drive business to your website or location. Treat them as promo cards with a personal circulation. A clever new way to celebrate your brand. When [...]

Continue reading...

What are you nuts? We can’t do that!

Or can we? In helping companies to position themselves, half of the challenge is inspiring them and the other half is encouraging them to embrace what may seem at first to be impossible. Much of what I do is listen to how your company works. What is it that your customers love about you? What [...]

Continue reading...

Gawd Brand It!! Do As I Say Not As I Do!

14990550_s

I came across an interesting article today that smacks the face of good branding. It speaks to authenticity. Colby Sambrotto, the founder of ‘for sale by owner’ recently sold his home through a real estate owner. He even paid full commission. What does that say about his authenticity? The negative press will certainly hurt the [...]

Continue reading...

Is Your Brand Image Up To The Challenges To Come?

pimp

Your brand image is the face of your brand. It is the first thing your target audience sees when first introduced to you. What do you suppose goes through their mind when they see your brand image? Are the colors and imagery resonating by correctly representing your brand values and personality? How about consistency, are [...]

Continue reading...

How to Benefit From A Cohesive Brand Strategy

An interesting brand strategy to me has always been putting the owner’s persona front and center. Make them the face and voice of the brand. Everything we read today speaks to the relationships we build with customers. Make ‘em smile when they see you coming. Volunteering for local charities. Networking. A good number of small [...]

Continue reading...