What does your Brand represent?
When looking at your Brand, accountability may be the furthest from your mind, however, whether we realize it or not, our accountability can gain or lose us business, thus impacting our Brand.
To whom are you accountable? Here are a few of my accountability partners:
• Me! I must discipline myself to be the best I can become.
• Others who work in my industry. Demonstrating Professional Respect for those in business.
• Your family. The income you provide ensures their well being.
• Clients. They are counting on you to care as if their needs are your needs.
• Employers if you are reporting to a Franchise structure with productivity goals.
• Prospective Clients. Those who don’t know you, form an opinion of you within the first 2 minutes.
In business everything you do matters. What you say, how you dress, how you work, how you treat others during business and outside of the office. This is known as your BRAND. If you are an entrepreneur, YOU are YOUR BRAND! If you work for a company, YOU ARE REPRESENTING that company’s brand.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best. “What you are doing speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”
In a society where casual is the new dress code and becoming the approach to customer service, we need to think carefully about what we want to be our BRAND. Our SIGNATURE statement when it comes to business. Think of the places you shop or exchange money with for services. What do they represent? Have they set a standard for themselves that attracts you and others? What is your standard?
I recently went to a coffee shop to order at the counter rather than on my phone. I know, “old School” by today’s standards. Call me crazy, I prefer a relationship with a person instead of a device always. YES, I do know how to “save time and order by phone if I choose to do so.” I stepped to the counter and behind it stood 1 supervisor and 3 baristas, huddled at the far end of the room. The Supervisor standing there asked the 3 employees, “Who has the register?”
Two of the employees were in an important conversation and didn’t want to be bothered, one said I am making a drink, implying that she couldn’t, while the supervisor asked at least 2 more times before one of the employees reluctantly came and took my order.
I am sure as I am relaying this story, you too have had similar experiences. These workers from the Supervisor down didn’t represent their company brand well at all. I left feeling like a nuisance instead of a treasured client. Note to self, avoid that particular coffee shop in the future.
One of the ways in Networking that you can stand out from today’s crowd, is accountability. When you do the extra things. When you reach out to build the relationship instead of just fill the order. When you go the extra mile for those you just met or those you are in partnership with, you will be considered a BRAND that people want to do business with. Be sure to set your standards and strive daily to be accountable to them. You will have a BRAND that attracts new business connections.
Kathy Hoover,
Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay, Inc.
Director Consultant Northern Indiana Region of BNI
Kathy’s Connection Hub: https://linktr.ee/kathyhoover
Email: Kathy@kathyhoover.com
Kathy has traveled the world to begin businesses for others. She is an experienced Sales Director with over 35 years of experience in Finance, Marketing, Business Management, Inventory Management and is a CEO of her Mary Kay Organization. She leads teams of women and men in both her Consultant Roles and coaches them to success. She is highly skilled in Interpersonal/ Public Communications, Teaching, Sales, Retail, Business Coaching, Skin Care, and Color Applications. She is also a sought after arts and design professional with numerous professional certifications and awards. Kathy enjoys giving back to the community. She has been instrumental in building an Adult Day Care program from the ground up that is still in operation today, serving as a volunteer, Board President and Fundraiser. She has worked with the Optimist Organization as well as mission trips.