When people talk about brands, they usually think of huge brands with multi-billion companies behind them, such as Coca Cola or Apple. In reality, every business can become a brand in the less strict sense of the word. It can become a certain set of ideas and practices that people will think of when they hear about this particular business. This works for all kinds of businesses, from fast food trucks to small manufacturing companies that manufacture machinery or something like that.
The question is where the business leader comes in here and what he or she can do to ensure that the brand is reputable, which is always one of the most important aspects of a brand. No brand is strong unless it is reputable and one of the roles of the leader is to ensure this reputability.
Ensuring Consistency
One of the characteristics of a truly reputable brand is the consistency in their products and their services. No one would buy Apple phones unless they were certain they were getting the same quality no matter where and when they buy them. The best fast food businesses succeed because people can rely on the joint to deliver the same tasty burger every single time.
Consistency also means that the same quality of products and services will survive over time, despite possible personnel changes or changes in the industry itself. Of course, this does not mean that you will stay bogged down in the same old practices once they have become outdated or obsolete. Which brings us to our next point…
Embracing Innovation
If you want to stay on top, it is very, very likely that you will need to come up with new stuff to offer to your customers/clients. It is important to point out that this does not mean you will be inventing new products every few days or that you will come up with a new way to, let’s say handle someone’s divorce if you are a divorce lawyer. This means that you will be thinking of ways in which you can enhance your business’ practices even by a bit.
Innovation is also a great way to get people to hear about your business. For example, let’s say that you manufacture machinery parts of some kind and you come up with a new way to incorporate certain materials in time-tested designs. Your innovation will quickly spread through your industry and new business opportunities will open. A great leader knows how to cultivate creativity and innovation in the company and they will know what warrants attention and what does not.
Honoring All Deals
When reputation is in question, there is nothing that can harm it quite as much as not honoring every single deal in every aspect. We will take an example of the machinery part manufacturing business again. Let’s say that you have an offer from a buyer to deliver two large orders and you are not certain that you can deliver in time, be honest about that and tell them this. Never promise something that you cannot deliver on.
Also, it is essential that the product and the service is delivered safely. For instance, if the machinery parts are extremely heavy, you should use heavy-duty steel cages that will endure the weight and that will not break and potentially lead to damaged goods.
Caring for Employees and Community
A great leader can also make sure that the employees that work for his or her business will be safe and secured while working at the company. If the business manufactures something, it is essential that all health and safety regulations are met and that all of the workers are 100% safe against injury or anything like that. If the business is more office-like, proper furniture and pleasant working conditions are a must.
In addition to caring for employees, a great leader will also know how to be involved with the local community, supporting charities, perhaps providing scholarships for local students, organizing events that will show the community that the business cares about the people that surround it.
In Short
The quality of services/products that you offer, your innovative spirit and the care that you show to your employees and the local community are all things that a leader can influence and that can boost the reputability of the brand. Down the road, this will lead to more business and increased profits, which is the ultimate goal.
Photo credit: Sebastiaan ter Burg
