Marketing for Dummies? Build in Quality Control

Marketing is the careful orchestration of initiatives aimed at building awareness that you exist, of what it is you do, and who should come to you for help.

As the art and science of marketing has evolved to incredible levels of sophistication, the power and importance of two things has been indisputably revealed:

1. Distinctiveness
2. Consistency

Distinctiveness means you have uniqueness. You are one-of-a-kind. Prospects want to know who you are and for what you stand. They want you to have a distinctive personality. But the term "personality" is what we use for individuals. We call it a "brand" when it's a business.

Consistency simply means prospects want you to exhibit your personality in everything you do. Once prospects develop a feel for who you are and what you stand, they want you to exhibit those qualities every time.

The simplest way to choose a brand is to descriptively identify the personality of you, the owner, and of the business. Are you "Mr. Details," "Mr. Fun" or "Mr. Find a Way"?  When you offer something distinctive, prospects will be able to quickly and easily ascertain the circumstance or need for which they should select you. If it's a challenging project they want delivered, they'll go for "Mr. Find a Way". If the prospect's paramount concern is accuracy and thoroughness, they'll go for "Mr. Details".

Unfortunately, the painful truth is that consistency is a real challenge. Only the very best businesses master the consistency imperative. After all, you have multiple people representing you, designing materials and making promises. It's natural that each employee has a different style, aptitudes, priorities and personality. But given the importance of consistency we have to find a way to deliver it if we are going to succeed.

The foundation of any branding strategy is clear identification of the brand. Next, all people in your organization must clearly understand the "personality" of your company. They must understand who you are as a group, for what you stand, how you are different from your competitors and how these characteristics will be woven into every product, service, policy, marketing piece, tag line and customer contact. Your people must become your brand personified. You can do this through the following four initiatives.

Identify Your Company's Core Brand Elements

Every company has the opportunity to make a strong brand statement via a novel policy communicated with gusto, such as FedEx's "When it absolutely positively needs to be there over night" or Burger King's "Have it your way".  Clearly, FedEx's employees need to both understand the promise and deliver on the promise. How would a customer react if she asked for "extra pickles" and the Burger King employee said "we can't do that"?

Every business should attempt to find a few core brand elements that sets them apart from the competition and helps build their identity. Then, every employee must understand, adopt and deliver on the policy.

Brand Role Models, Hiring and Employee Training

Employees begin to assimilate the company brand when they see it in action ... lived and delivered by the owners and managers. The owner sets the tone by personally demonstrating the brand - consistently and to perfection.

The hiring process should include an explanation of the brand. Employee candidates should understand the brand and be comfortable with it ... if not passionate.

Employees need formal brand training. Take time to periodically meet to discuss the brand, the importance of distinctiveness and consistency, and the various means for delivering on the brand promise. Each employee must understand how their moment by moment behavior IS the company image. Every behavior needs to be compatible with the group's core values.

For example, if your company takes the "total satisfaction" position, employees must be willing and able to make it so. In contrast, if your company promises to offer the lower cost products anywhere, it must be so. In this case, customers might not expect the greatest facilities or service, as long as you deliver on your low cost promise. Your employees also need to have a grasp of these trade-offs. They need to know that the only way to be able to deliver on the low cost promise is to run the business on minimal cost. In this way, the chosen brand goes beyond the customer and impacts the entire business model of the company.

Scripts and Tag Lines

For what you stand should be communicated regularly and consistently. One way is how the phone is answered. Consider having your phones answered in the same manner each time, possibly with a phrase that communicates for what you stand. Ditto with email.

Customer service representatives should be given a clear set of messages and well-defined procedures for how to handle specific situations. Scripts, if you will, for both incoming and outgoing telemarketing that ensures the delivery of a consistent message.

Every customer complaint should be logged and periodically reviewed for clues to weak links in the brand delivery program.

Be cognizant of explicit and implicit messages. Explicit messages are those actually written or spoken. Implicit messages are delivered in context, presentation or behavior. For example, you may be saying, "I'm happy to serve you" but your body language or tone may convey otherwise.

Finally, don't overlook far afield ways your brand may be shaped, bolstered or damaged. For example, how your employees represent you at a technical conference or training school.

Print and/or Creative Materials

With the ubiquitous nature of desktop publishing and the "do-it-yourself" nature of business communications today, the information your prospects are receiving is likely being created by a wide smattering of your employees. It is also likely that few have received basic training in effective design or writing.

Establish quality templates to use as an organization. Train your people on their use. Make them available on everyone's desktop. You'll drastically improve consistency and probably reduce time and cost.

Building in Quality Control

As you build in quality control, it's vital that you regularly monitor and adjust. You must assess, obtain feedback, and hold your people accountable. For example:

• Require that every created piece be reviewed by a "brand officer".
• Provide every new employee with a "brand mentor."
• Utilize "secret shoppers" - persons that contact your company and pretend to be a prospect or customer and then provide you with an objective assessment of how they are treated.
• Randomly talk to employees to check understanding of the brand promise and the various ways it is implemented.
• Develop a culture that welcomes and celebrates ideas for effectively implementing and protecting the brand promise.

When it gets down to it, people are not very complex. Reward a behavior and it is likely to be repeated. So, visibly recognize behaviors that are consistent with the brand promise that you adopt. Create and bestow awards. Give little gifts of recognition. Include brand championship as one of the criteria on which employee performance is evaluated. Similarly, reprimand employees that fall short of or damage the brand.

By solidly establishing your company brand and building in quality control, consistency in delivery is possible. Do this well and you will be in rare and successful company.