Image

The key to having an image you can grow with is to match it toyour target market. For starters, that involves knowing who yourtarget market is. Second, you have to carefully and consistentlybuild an image around that market.

Any mismatches between your image and your target market’s needsis likely to be pretty obvious. For instance, if you have aneconomical image but you’re marketing to an affluent customer whospends freely, you need to change that before you can achievesignificant growth. Here are some image selectionconsiderations:

• Develop an image that defines your company asnarrowly as possible. Few businesses fail from being overlyfocused. Many fail by trying to be too many things to too manypeople.
• Make sure you can describe what your image is in asingle, clear sentence. For instance, “Everything In Its Place Inc.is the senior executive’s personal organization service.” Beingable to describe your business in a consistent, memorable fashionis a great way to position your company in your prospects’minds.
• Define your image by selecting a coherent,interesting, engaging stationery design for business cards,letterhead and envelopes. You can echo the colors and typefacesfrom your stationery in any subsequent marketing materials.
• Hire a graphic designer to create a distinctivelogo. Then you can use that logo on all printed materials toexpress a catchy visual image.

Before you start thinking up names for your business to grow by,try to define the qualities you want your business to be identifiedwith. If you’re running a hearth-baked bread shop, for example, youmight want a name that conveys freshness, warmth and a homespunatmosphere. Immediately, you can see that names like “Kathy’s BreadShop” and “Arlington Breads” communicate none of these qualities.But consider the name “Open Hearth Breads.” The bread soundshomemade, hot and fresh from the oven. Moreover, if you diversifiedyour product line, you could alter the name to “Open HearthBakery.” This change would enable you to hold onto your suggestivename without totally mystifying your established clientele.

Establishing an image is an ongoing effort. Any time you air anadvertisement, mail printed materials, make a sales call, sponsoran event, hire a spokesperson, or even paint your building, you’recontributing to the image you project.

Creating the right image for your business will most likely bean evolution, occurring over months or years as you add layers toyour marketing materials and marketing message. Just be sure thateach time you make a new image-related decision, it staysconsistent with existing marketing materials. That way, you’llalways present the same image to your customers.