Belief is about accepting that something actually exists. When you have a confidence in something or someone, that’s called believing. In business today, it’s important to have a brand that people can believe in. Generally speaking, we live in a culture of skeptics and doubters. It’s hard to get people to believe in things these days. No matter what the subject is, most people are in disbelief unless there is actual concrete proof or evidence shown up front.
You’ve heard people say things like:
“I’ll believe it when I see it.” – Typically said when someone doesn’t believe something.
“Don’t believe everything you see, (hear, read, etc).” – Typically said when someone is warning someone else not to be so gullible.
I’ll believe that when pigs fly?” – Typically said when something is simply unbelievable.
In a world where there are so many messages flying around at us all the time, it’s hard to decipher what to believe and what not to believe. That’s why it is CRUCIAL for your brand to be believable. Consumers despise false advertising. And whenever brands have been caught misrepresenting their products and/or services, the general public goes in for the kill….meaning bad press, lawsuits and decreased sales. Of course in worst case scenarios, when brands have been in real trouble for not being truthful, they tend to go belly up and out of business quick, fast and in a hurry.
In business, it’s important to have a brand that people can trust, rely on and frankly believe. As a professional, business owner or someone who wants to be successful, it’s important to be reputable or believable. So my question to you is simply, what do you want people to believe about you?
In business, your reputation is everything. If you are the brand, your reputation is all you have. In most cases, you’ve got one shot to make a great impression. It’s up to you to make your target market believe in you and what you bring to the table. I’d like to offer you a few tips to help you win over your prospects and get them to believe in you and your brand. Here goes…
1. Be 100% real.
Nobody likes a fake, fraud or phony. So whatever you say you will do, do it. Whatever your brand promise is, make sure you it measures up. If you are real, people will believe in you and want to do business with you. If your brand is 100% authentic, people will want to buy it or experience it again.It’s that simple. Be authentic. Be genuine. Be real. Need I say more?
2. Be a Valuable Resource.
Nobody likes to waste time, energy or effort. But everyone wants to be of value. Right? That said, make sure you honor the investments of other people’s time, money and energy by offering them something that will truly help them. If you do, you will be seen as a valuable resource. If you are not solving a problem or addressing a need, chances are people will not find much value in what you do or what you offer. That’s not a good look. So set yourself up for success, offer as much value as you possibly can, and your customers will keep coming back for more.
When people see value in you and or products or services, they are more willing to recommend you to others.
3. Be Engaging.
Nobody likes a bump on log. These days people get bored easily and lose interest. If you want to be memorable, you’ve got to entertain as well as educate which equals engagement. Make sure to get people interested in what you have to say by capturing their attention quickly.
Remember you’ve only got about 7-10 seconds before people start tuning out, so make it sizzle.
If you follow my advice, at the very least people will find you real, valuable and fun to be around. And in today’s business world, if you’ve got that going for you…chances are you’ll be sucessful.
4. Showcase Your Success
You’ve got to show that you have a tribe of people who are your raving fans and believers. These people are your loyal customers who have bought your products and services and have great things to say about it. When you showcase your success, it demonstrates to others that you’ve got something worthwhile that people need to take note of. A very simple way to show your success is to have a testimonials page on your website. Make sure that your testimonials are believable and list the name of the person who is actually giving you accolades. It’s not helpful to show a first name with no last name. If your customers are truly believers of your brand and support your business, they should be fine with allowing you to use their name and image to promote the offerings they purchased.
When you showcase your success, you are giving your brand instant credibilty. We all like to know that others have tried a particular product or service and was pleased. Quite simply is just human nature to be interested in what other people have to say. It’s one thing to tell how great your brand is, but it’s ten times better when someone else tells everyone how great your brand is.
Are you sure that you have a believable brand? If not, I want you to identify where there may be holes in your brand bucket.
Here’s your assignment:
- Review your brand identity. What are you putting out there about your brand? Determine if it still relevant.
- Get feedback from your customers. Nothing is better than hearing from the people who already believe in your brand enough to support it.
- Get feedback from your followers. Are you on social media? If so, your followers have an opinion about your brand. Ask them what they think
Take all of your information as just that. It’s information to help you to determine how beleivable your brand is. Remember your brand image is all about people’s perception of you, your business and your offerings. You get to control what they see and experience, so make sure you are giving them something to rave about.
Did this article help you? If so, leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
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Lori A. Manns is an award-winning, marketing, sales coach and business strategist who works with small business owners to help them elevate their brand, get more clients and grow revenue. Lori A. Manns is CEO of Quality Media Consultant Group and founder of the Trailblazer Business Academy™ where advancing entrepreneurs go to learn business growth strategies the soulful way. Lori is also the creator of Sponsorship Sales Secrets System; ™ that shows you how to get more sponsors and sales for your business, guaranteed. To purchase consulting services on marketing, advertising or sales and, learn how to increase your revenue and grow your business; please visit the small business solutions page on www.qualitymediaconsultants.com.