You’ve designed your logo. You’ve decided your colors. You even have a catchy slogan for radio and newspaper ads. You’ve got this whole branding thing in the bag! Or so you thought.
Many businesses overlook the fact that branding – and marketing in general – is more than just a snazzy logo, a slogan, or a uniform. Sure, those are the obvious cornerstones of your brand’s identity, but that won’t keep customers from leaving bad reviews about you online.
Every time a customer comes into contact with your company (called “touch points”) you are either building your brand, or destroying it.
There are lots of touch points in your business. Every single one of them is an opportunity to boost your customer experience and strengthen your brand, while encouraging word-of-mouth referrals and repeat business.
So what are the 7 most frequent touch points?
- The receptionist who answers your telephones: Is he/she answering with the same greeting every time? Is he/she polite and efficient, or is she huffing and puffing? Is he/she fully onboard with your company values, or does he/she just see this as “another job”?
- Telephone conversations with a salesperson or customer service person: Do your sales and customer service staff share your company’s vision? Do they all wear a uniform? Do they know what your slogan is, or what it means and could they relay that information to a customer? Do they highlight the same benefits and unique selling points (USPs) that make your company stand out?
- Your website and advertising: Do they consistently share the same value proposition and USP? Do they use the same colors and slogans? Do they speak the right tone of voice to match your brand? Are they error free and well designed?
- The delivery of the product or service: Is your packaging neat and secure? Does it use your brand colors and logos each time? Do you include a ‘thank you’ note inside the box to connect and engage with your new customers?
- The checkout page: Do you use your logo and colors on the checkout page on your website to maintain trust?
- Your storefront: Are your brand’s colors and logo properly displayed? Does the storefront look neat and tidy? Are your staff welcoming?
- The presentation of your product in the showroom: Does your product look inviting and exiting? Is your branding clearly visible from a distance?
These are just some of the touch points that your prospects and customers will experience before, during, and after a transaction.
As we all know, people are quick to leave negative reviews online. It only takes one weak link to tarnish your brand. Don’t let it happen.
That’s why each touch point must deliver an exceptional experience – from your sales reps, to your receptionist, to your customer service staff, to your product packaging. Each of these touch points is an opportunity to wow customers, and really drive home your brand.
To do that, each touch point must be consistent with your brand and that’s not always something that business owners can clearly see and assess. That’s why it’s important to have a creative agency behind you that can monitor consistency. Your business elements must all be “singing from the same song sheet”—sometimes you need a choir director to work out the kinks. That’s where Visual Caffeine can come in and help. We believe that when you’re in sync, people begin to truly understand what your brand is about, and more importantly, believe in it.