Customers deserve to feel valued. From initial enquiry through to project completion. Every interaction should reinforce the fact that they made the right decision in doing business with you. Let me share how professional, branded documents help to deliver a consistent message that differentiates your brand in a highly competitive market.
“Every contact we have with a customer influences whether or not they’ll come back. We have to be great every time or we’ll lose them.” – Kevin Stirtz
The importance of consistent branding
When a brand is consistently presented, it builds trust and familiarity that increased revenue. When there is a mismatch between the stated brand values and the customer experience, it creates suspicion and doubt.
What is branding?
When we think of branding, initial thoughts tend to be around visuals; the company logo brand colour and typography. Using these graphic elements consistently across the website, advertising, printed media and packaging helps to build brand awareness and familiarity.
In addition to visual impact, is the language and tone of voice used by your brand. Do your company communications have a formal, friendly or sparky tone? Is yours a voice of reason, or do early adopters seek you out to discover what’s on the horizon?
Visuals and tone are under your control, but another element of branding is company reputation. How do outsiders perceive your brand? This may be based on personal experience. More often, it is based on what others have said; reviews, recommendations and passing comments. This is more challenging to achieve, however, consistency in the quality of products and customer service will influence a positive association with your brand.
Personalising interactions
Delivering a great customer experience and positive brand association isn’t just about selling what someone wants to buy. There is an emotional element around how you make the customer feel. In a SEMRush survey, 65% of customers felt emotionally connected to a brand that made them feel that the company cared about them.
Understanding your target customer, their preferences and expectations are essential for getting the message right. You want to find a natural synergy between brand values and customer values. That way the message is genuine and this will be evident.
Without good service, the customer might get exactly what they were looking for, yet feel underwhelmed. Equally, they might feel elated by the friendly, efficient and helpful service, even if the desired item was out of stock.
With the shift towards online interactions and digital communications the ability to personalise interactions becomes even more of a challenge. Branded documents offer one way to maintain high standards, professionalism and personality at customer touchpoints.
Value your team
When 3DVA was approaching its 5th anniversary, I wanted to mark the occasion. I knew that my business success was due to my network of clients and associates, as well as my hard work and commitment. I worked with a specialist company to design and create a branded ‘Thank you’ card, containing a slice of cake. The cards were sent to key clients and associates, so we could all celebrate my company’s anniversary, even though we couldn’t meet in person.
The response was wonderful. People felt appreciated and this gesture brought a smile to many faces. I value them and a positive association with my brand was reinforced.
Branded documents for every interaction
Cake may not be a part of every customer interaction, however, professionally branded documents can be. Whether digital or paper copies, it is useful to have a bank of documents to use at customer touchpoints.
A good starting point is to personalise your enquiry sheet. A branded document, thanking them for the enquiry and introducing your company values and services gets things off to a professional start. This memorable overview shows the importance your business places on customers. It’s a simple, yet effective way to stand out against the standard emails received from competitors.
Would it be helpful to also have branded order confirmations, terms of service or welcome packs for new customers? Are branded documents included in your deliveries; thanking online buyers for their order and providing assembly instructions and returns information?
Could it help the customer to have a list of things to bring to a meeting or a document to clearly outline a process? These documents offer a great way to add value and make things easier for the client, all in your unique brand voice.
What about when clients leave? A goodbye document, thanking them for their custom, could aid departure on positive terms. This leaves the door open if they decide to return.
Hertfordshire’s branded document specialist
To support SME’s, I have created a template library filled with business documents. These are constantly updated and free for you to download, adapt and use. To help make them more memorable, I can customise them to your branding guidelines.
Download the Enquiry Sheet Template below, for an example of how to illustrate your professionalism and ensures your company stands out from the competition.
If you require a document that isn’t in my library, get in touch. I may have just what you are looking for!
Enquiry Sheet: Free Download
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