Keeping Up Product Appearances (Action Wednesday/Physical Evidence)

Hello again, I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing, where business takes shape.  And today is Action Wednesday.  I’ll begin with the saying “another day, another dollar.”  I’m hoping that it’s another day, another video blog, and maybe, if you implement, lots more dollars for you.  Today’s topic is called “Keeping Up Product Appearances.”

What do we mean by keeping up product appearances?  It relates back to one of the “7Ps,” like everything we do here, which is physical evidence.  That is what your customers see.  Way-back-when I was attending a session held by consultant Nick Vitalari, a friend of mine.  He started talking about what are the coffee stains of your business.  What he meant by that is what do people see when they interact with your company? 

Literally there could be coffee stains on the rug.  What kind of impression, what kind of opinion would people have of your business if they see that stains are not cleaned up?  Perhaps they see a snubbed out cigarette by the front of the door.  Everything they see relates to physical evidence and everything relates to the perception of the brand in the mind of your customers.  So think about your organization and think about the interaction of your customer along the way and everything they see. 

What can you improve?  That’s your marching order for today on Action Wednesday.  What one thing can you change today that will improve the physical evidence or physical appearance of your business?  It might be something as simple as the sign on the front of your door.  Create a new logo.  Put flowers on the receptionist’s desk.  All of those things are part of the physical evidence that your customer sees.

Your job, should you decide to accept it, much like Mission Impossible, is to keep looking at the physical evidence, the physical appearance, the things that your customers see about your business and try to improve item by item by item over time.  You don’t have to rush out right now and do it all but think about it.  Think about those “coffee stains” and consider what you can improve because every single enhancement paints a more positive picture for your brand in the mind of your customer.  And that’s what you are trying to accomplish. 

I told you I’d keep it nice and short today.  When you are promising something to your customers you need to make sure you can deliver on that promise.  Hopefully you enjoyed our session on physical evidence and keeping up product appearances.  Tomorrow is Recon Thursday, with another exciting topic for you then.  I’m Jim Glover, That Branding Guy, for Once a Day Marketing, where business takes shape, and we will see you next time.