Trust and Brand go Both Ways

I don’t mince words when I talk about Brand. (A one-minute video)

Too many people do.

First meetings are the time you can really make yourself memorable. What you say and how you present yourself can make all the difference.

Initially.

Brand morphs over time.

That feeling you generate at a first meeting is usually positive, particularly with those that lean toward your viewpoint but not all people will recall you positively. That is human nature. But since brand is an expression of Trust it is critical that you know and understand the audience that is hearing the words, seeing the actions, and perceiving the gestalt.

Trust is the significant variable.

The more someone is trusted, the more positive their brand is in the positive audience. When trust evaporates, brand diminishes. The audience is what makes the difference. Of all the people out there, how many are seeking a positive brand you can represent? How many want what you offer?

A rule of thumb

You can never get to a place where 100% of the people out there are aware of your brand. You can only reach a part of them at any time. Those that become aware of you, your product or service will not be all of them that fit your ideal client/customer profile. But depending on the brand being represented there will be some people that are not happy with you. They will be negative. They can become terrorists that want nothing more than to diminish you and put you out of business. It is easiest to see this in Politics.

That means that win or lose you have to play the game. If one side or the other refuse to engage it is over. Only one brand will continue. If one side does not stand up for what it believes the other will slowly become dominant. Both sides need to be heard. Both need to listen. And both need to consider their actions as well as their words.

The sales process rule of thumb

Years of research went into this simple rule of thumb. Regardless of how much awareness you or your product or service have (the percentage of folks in your ideal prospect profile that know of you) you will lose 20% of them when you move to preference. Another person product or service will be more desirable. You will lose another 20% even if they prefer you as some make the purchase. Unfortunately, the buyers will not all be satisfied. You’ll lose another 20% if you have a product, service or status that engenders repeat. You’ll lose another 20% in terms of people that will refer you.

Get real about the numbers

Jerry Fletcher is a sought-after International Speaker, a beBee ambassador, founder and Grand Poobah of www.BrandBrainTrust.com

His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and business development for independent professionals on and off-line.

Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com