Is your marketing dressed for success?

The clothes we wear to a sales call make an impression, and so do the design and message we use to represent our business. You have a dress code for your staff, but do you have a dress code for your marketing?

Unfortunately, your marketing image is a bit more complicated to judge than a dress code infraction. So, how do you know if your business’s marketing image meets the code?

Most business owners have strong sales experience. Without sales, there’s no new business. The outcomes of sales are easy to measure in dollars and cents; it’s pretty concrete. But those same business owners might not grasp the less concrete nuances their marketing design and messaging are sending to potential prospects.

To illustrate the similarities between the sales call and your marketing image, I asked Tony Richards, senior partner of Clear Vision Development Group, to weigh in on how he trains businesses to be “interview ready” from a sales and leadership training perspective.

Richards explains that marketing and sales are similar because: “Many times leaders and executives struggle a little when trying to put together messages they want to communicate but not because they don’t have something to say. Frequently, it’s because they have so many ideas, they are having a hard time distilling it down into something they can communicate simply and powerfully.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. When developing your business image, there are so many ways to express who you are and even more ways to present your image and message to the public. How can you tell if you’re making the right first impression?

Keep it simple. Saying you do 100 things doesn’t mean someone will hire you to do them all; it might just make them think you don’t do any one thing well. Throughout all or your marketing, keep your message focused. Too much too fast can confuse a prospect, and confused prospects disengage.

Each piece of your marketing puzzle has a specific purpose, so use each medium for what it does best. Your logo is your logo. It’s not your sales pitch, a brochure or your website.

From a sales perspective, Richards agrees. “Your sales message doesn’t have to be complicated or complex to be powerful,” he says. “As a matter of fact, the simpler we can make the message, the more powerful the message is. Of course, details are important, and those should be shared as needed in small group meetings and interactive discussions.”

Do your homework. “I tell my clients your business is about the audience, not about you,” Richards says. “When you begin to let your mind start to think about yourself, you will begin to lose your edge. You have what they need; make sure the focus is on giving them what they need.”

You have to know whom you’re speaking to, what they need and why they need it. Research your competition, understand what a competitive business in your industry looks like, and if there are design trends, decide if you want to fit them or stand out. Do all this while keeping a client-centric mindset.

It needs to match. Mismatched marketing is like mismatched shoes: not what you want people to talk about when you leave the room. Your marketing should be cohesive with your business’s identity, with the tonality, imagery and colors of everything carrying throughout to create a recognizable look and feel.

Your visual marketing message should also be consistent with your company values. Authentically projecting your business eliminates mismatched prospect expectations and attracts prospects that are you ideal fit.

Richards finds that successful companies promote authenticity and consistency throughout the organization. “Businesses can improve their impact with alignment,” he says. “And when I say impact here, I mean authentic impact. They don’t have to manipulate. They cannot just have, but they can be impact. They can be more influential. All of the behaviors a business models send messages throughout the organization that create a culture of success.”

A simple, grounded and consistent marketing image not only creates a dress code for your business’s image, but it also leaves a correct and lasting first impression.