In Monday’s blog (http://www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com/blog/2011/10/the-four-building-blocks-of-a-talent-gravity-organization-starting-with-branding/) we wrote about Branding as the keystone of a talent gravity organization.

We have seen the impact of brand deterioration in Netflix, Yahoo and recently Bank of America. We’ve written about Netflix and Yahoo in previous blogs. Bank of America is a new entrant into the brand deterioration – irritate the customer – category. As many of you know, Bank of America announced a $5 charge per month for using a debit card.

The Bank of America blames the new debit card fee on the Dodd-Frank legislation, which caps the fees banks can charge when their customers use their debit card. So the customers are angry.

The issue with customer reaction to Netflix and Bank of America is the way the changes were done and the reasons used, which have now infiltrated and likely deteriorated their brand.

Contrast this with companies building their brands: companies such as Apple, Google, Zappos, Zynga, Southwest. These companies, at least so far as we can tell, are working to build their brand in the marketplace. And, at the same time, their well-aligned recruitment strategy helps them build a competitive position in the job market.

Companies with strong positive brand recognition can leverage that brand recognition into strong brand name job advertising: the stronger the market brand the stronger the brand name job advertising potential.

Interestingly, strong brand name job advertising is focused more on the internal qualities of the company and its work environment: its culture. HR Management Guide (http://www.simplehrguide.com/recruitment-strategy-and-competitive-position-on-the-job-market.html) reports that competitive position in recruitment is about:

• Building the impression of the unique approach to employees
• Strong corporate values
• Value of employees as human beings
• Quick decisions made
• Innovative solutions for employees to increase performance and productivity
• Success celebration.

Brand serves as an attractor – it gets the attention of future employees. But culture begins to draw them in.

In Monday’s blog we will discuss the second keystone of a talent gravity organization – Culture.

For more information on branding and our unique model for business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com

Copyright 2011 Kubica LaForest Consulting

Monday’s blog addressed how buyers make decisions based on emotion and not on facts alone. We left you with questions on how you are creating an emotional appeal for your buyer, and inquired as to how you are filling the space left open once the facts are consumed.

Today we suggest ideas on how you can create greater emotional appeal for your buyers.

1). Are you creating and presenting a “likeable and approachable” image to the market? Meaning, you may be smart as can be; but if you are not approachable, and likeable, you’re at a disadvantage. (This has to do with your brand – your image, message and delivery. People tend to buy from people they like). True, we see some contrarian behavior (that is people who are dismissive and can appear to some as rude)—but the successful ones do so in an emotive way. This takes careful balance between being personal (and interesting enough to pay attention to) and having the business sense and success that draws people to you for help.

2. Fundamentals are great; but do you have a handle on the up and coming? Are you knowledgeable of the economic and market changes, demographics, trends, technology? It is a beautifully diverse world these days—are you staying abreast of it so as to sufficiently calibrate your own business, and best respond to your customer’s needs? Otherwise said, are you helping them envision a better future with your product or service: a better future grounded in developing trends.

3. Don’t hide. If you do, you quickly become invisible and the “noise” of others takes over. Be visible, stand up in the crowd and be willing to speak for what you believe in; otherwise you won’t be noticed. This includes tooting your own horn when appropriate.

4.  Always, always, always have the buyer’s best interest in mind. Buyers buy based on emotion, but if the emotion was triggered through deceit, buyers remorse sets in and you become someone who won’t be trusted. And in this highly connected world – word spreads.

Copyright 2011 Kubica and LaForest

We’ve all heard about the Placebo Effect. It’s most often used to describe a perceived or actual improvement after treatment that in and of itself has no therapeutic value. It’s when a belief creates a result where no clear cause and effect relationship exists. One lesson the Placebo Effect teaches us is that our perceptions can drive our reality: for example, a “sugar pill” causing a reduction in blood pressure.

What we learn from the Placebo Effect is that there is more involved in creating results (i.e. effects) than the facts or the science. Facts, tangible/measurable events alone, do not create outcomes. There is an intangible, emotional factor that helps create outcomes. This lesson can be applied to your business.

Buyers make decisions based on emotion not on facts alone. Why do you choose the car you choose? Why do you decide to do business with one person and not another? Why does the luxury market exist – and thrive? Facts – unlikely. Do you need the facts? Most definitely. But research shows we make decisions emotionally.

How are you creating an emotional appeal for your buyer? How are you filling the space left open once the facts are consumed? Whether you do this, and how you do this, supports and grows your brand. If buyers believe, based on your brand, that you provide high quality, personalized and caring service, that’s how you will be perceived. That’s how your reputation will develop. The facts most definitely should support your brand, but the buying decision will be made on that intangible – perceived value.

In this week’s Quick Tips, we will provide some ideas and examples of how you can create an emotional appeal for your buyers.

Copyright 2011 Kubica and LaForest

Monday we presented the common challenge of brand ambiguity. Today we offer key strategies to take brand ambiguity to brand clarity.

Is it clear to your prospects, who you are, what you offer and your value? How your business is perceived in the market is a key factor in turning prospects into buyers. While this may seem intuitive, and even obvious, a brand can easily (and usually unintentionally) become abstruse.

The purpose of a brand is to be recognized for something in the marketplace: to draw people to you by creating a promise for their improved condition. And clarity of your target market is important to direct focus and hence, brand differentiation. So, establishing brand clarity begins with aligning who you are (what you do) with a viable market niche’. (Note – viable is the imperative word. Believe it or not, many overlook this and exuberantly jump into business based only on their passion and neglect understanding and calibrating for the “demand” piece.)

To help you build brand clarity, consider three cornerstone strategies:
1. A base analysis of your market: who you serve (primary customer), refined into your niche’ (what specifically do you offer to them); and, is there market demand (or at least a strong forecasted opportunity)?
a. Understand what the customers in that market value most- that will help you refine your niche’, value proposition and differentiate yourself (that is, be different or better than your competition.)
2. Ensure your brand messages and touch points (website, marketing materials, etc.) clearly articulate and represent your brand and value proposition.
3. And equally important, and thereafter – is your ability to consistently deliver on your brand promise (this is your operations); otherwise, you are creating a huge and common brand ambiguity – saying and doing, differently.

The old saying goes- you can’t be all things to all people, and this holds true in business too. If you do too many things (unless of course you are a large shop), it’s hard to excel and people may not be able to decipher what it is you do; and hence, will overlook you.

©2011 Kubica LaForest Consulting

How is your business perceived in the market? When you “show up” is it clear who you are and what you have to offer? We find many people just starting out in business; whether as a solopreneur or a small business partnership, have a tendency to want to do too much too soon. For example, if you provide consulting services to the healthcare industry and you tell prospects you can facilitate strategic planning, identify cost reduction opportunities, conduct employee satisfaction surveys, conduct departmental process improvement studies and coach executives, it will be difficult for the prospect to truly understand who you are. And this example doesn’t touch on where you would provide these services: hospitals, physician offices, outpatient facilities or freestanding surgical centers. Sure you can provide all of these services – but who are you and what do you really offer? What are you really good at and hold the most passion for? It’s the difference between going wide or going deep. And going wide is a harder sell.

We often see this in business start-ups (we used a healthcare example, but we find this in other product and service companies). They believe the can do many things and address many markets. And some have the attitude of “why should I deprive anyone of my great products or services.” You shouldn’t do this for three reasons:

1. You don’t have enough time to cover multiple markets

2. You don’t have the resources to cover multiple markets

3. You create brand ambiguity

The purpose of a brand is to be recognized for something in the marketplace: to draw people to you, to create a promise. And this is especially important in our interconnected world where we have the wild west of competition on the Internet. A market niche is important.

Now if you are a big enough business you can provide multiple services to multiple markets. Your brand then becomes a full service company with “one stop shopping”. (But it’s a harder sell if you alone are the full service company!). You could also be a successful generalist in consulting– as long as you are and that your buyers know you are a process consultant.

The temptation is great to go in multiple directions at once. Temptation or not, this is clearly not a good strategy to pursue.

In our Quick Tips this week, using the example of the healthcare consultant above, we will describe how it can be handled.

Copyright 2011 Kubica LaForest Consulting