Important Tips For Building A Better Business

In my experience as the owner of a branding agency, there are two kinds of clients that are the highest risk to take on: the ones that do so much and can be everything to everyone and everybody, and the ones that boast, “No one is a competitor because what we do is wholly one of a kind.”

When someone does the latter, 9 out of 10 times there is a direct competitor. What people don’t know is that I’m more comforted by the founders who don’t have this awareness — it means they are so engrossed in their creation that if they are part of the 9 out of 10, their creation is probably going to be easier to market because there’s usually a twist on it that makes their brand more relatable.

Branding can seem superficial, but without it you won’t build loyalty. That means positioning your offering so it is innovative but relatable. Your prospect has to find enough familiarity in your offering to give it a chance.

It’s not just convenience you’re selling. In fact, you likely won’t even get the sales meeting until you’ve made your personal “journey to business owner” story a compelling one. This is why we find our B2B enterprise clients so much easier to rebrand. With the right corporate identity, businesses no longer have to weed out prospects — they should attract only the right eyeballs. Do not be innovative for innovation’s sake. Do not try to be “disruptive” if you fall in love with your own yet-to-be-proven market share.

To be an expert, communicate with confidence. When selling an intangible product — let’s say a mobile banking application — most of the time business owners forget they are still selling to a person who has been raised as a consumer. The procurement officer you are courting is likely going to Costco after work, just like you. Remember, your prospects are trained to purchase products off the shelf.

Read more: forbes