Why Building an Image Matters
Your image is not who you say you are but is who your prospects and customers believe you are. All the elements of your brand – logo, ads, newsletters, vehicle wraps, yard signs and more – are part of your image. Yet, so is the customer service that is delivered from that first email or phone call to the in-home service and installation through your follow-up Customer Retention program.
For that matter, even how your service truck navigates through traffic or parks in a neighborhood is part of your image. It is how impressions are formed, and it’s hard to change an initial impression.
Sometimes impressions are superficial – based, say, on tech uniforms or vehicle cleanliness. But presentation matters. Would you trust someone in a dirty uniform to install equipment in your home? Maybe, but maybe your customer takes note. Would you trust a company if your first phone call gets off to an unpleasant or rude start? Maybe, but isn’t it easier to trust a polite and helpful voice?
Your image is definable in that your acquisition and retention marketing promote the concept of who you are, and it is confirmed through interaction, presentation, delivery and follow-up. So if your marketing says you provide quality products, quality installation and quality service, your customers will be able to say, “We believe them because we saw it with our own eyes.” Your image is built not just on who you say you are but also on what you do.
As your image develops, you gain more than pride and self-respect. You gain repeat customers and referrals. You’re able to price based on value rather than chase low-price leads. Also, building your image helps you navigate misfires with customers as you work to resolve problems – and they trust that you will do so.