Perception is reality — there’s no escaping it.
You can make as many objection response sheets as you want to support the sales team, but if a potential client/customer has the wrong impression of your brand and offerings, your value pitch is dead in the water before it even starts.
A wrong impression can be generated through bad marketing practices or simply a lack of marketing in general.
Often, it seems that many companies adopt the “deal with it later” type of attitude when it comes to creating and maintaining the right perception of their brand.
Here are three mindsets to avoid when structuring your marketing to build brand perception.
It’s Old, But It Still Works!
Change for the sake of change is certainly not the best rule of thumb in marketing.
The inverse is also true: Maintain for the sake of maintaining is not the best rule of thumb either.
When it comes to your marketing, whether it be messaging and positioning, your brand’s look and feel, your website, or your sales support materials, it is important that you continuously take a serious look at what’s working and what’s not. Whether the current state of affairs has existed for one year or 20, take the time for an objective analysis of your marketing tactics.
Leaving things as they are because you are comfortable with routine can negatively affect the perception of your brand.
What matters is what the market perceives and what works to generate the desired impression. So, understand what works for your market and implement.
We Can Take Care of That When We’re Making the Sale
Believe it or not, this is an objection that comes up often.
In situations where the brand is, at best, simply misunderstood by the market, or at worst, has established a wrong or bad impression with the market, many executives actually believe that, when push comes to shove, the sales team can take care of any and all marketing problems as long as they get a conversation going with the prospect.
The problem with this mindset is that even the best salesperson in the world can’t correct a bad brand impression if a conversation never starts. And, if your prospects have a bad perception of your brand, starting a conversation with you is the number one thing they will avoid — no matter how persistent you are.
Does Anyone Really Care About That?
The answer is always yes.
Your company makes software, and your business cards look cheap. Does that really matter? Yes.
You’re a service firm, and your logo looks dated. Does it really matter? Yes.
The impression you’re making always matters.
The questions you should be asking yourself are “Are our business cards representing our company properly? Does our logo need a refresh?”
If the honest conclusion is that certain things can be left alone, then that’s completely acceptable — but always question and make the right decision for the perception you want to create, don’t explain things away.
Bottom line: If something isn’t sitting right with the way your brand is coming across to your target market, it needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. When it’s addressed, it needs to be an honest assessment. And if change is necessary, c’est la vie.
