| Friend,
We're in the middle of a newsletter series on brand and image. If you're new to the newsletter and just tuning in, last week I wrote about the internal reasons why you might resist elevating your brand and image.
Then I spoke about how improving your brand and image is the best way to reach more people with your services. And yesterday, I started getting into the nuts and bolts of building a stronger brand and image.
One of the things I mentioned was that branding a local business is different from branding a large international corporation. We don't have tons of money to throw at branding, so we rely heavily on customer experience and reputation.
However, image still counts, which is why I tell my coaching clients to follow this formula when evaluating and building their brand:
Customer Experience + Public Image + Professional Reputation = Your Brand
I wrote about customer experience yesterday, and how it fits into branding your dojo. Today, I'm going to talk about your reputation.
Exploding Washers and Self-Immolating Phones...
Recently, Samsung has taken a couple of major blows to their brand's image. The first blow was when the latest version of their popular Note smartphone started catching on fire.
On. Fire. No bueno.
Then, they had a massive recall on Samsung washing machines, because apparently if certain of their machines are loaded improperly they will explode during the spin cycle.
Yes, you read that right. The washing machine will explode.
It so happens that I own both of these Samsung products. I have an earlier generation of the Note, and we have one of the recalled Samsung washing machines in our home.
The fact is, I've been quite happy with both products. The phone performs flawlessly, and we've had zero issues with our Samsung washer.
Yet, I will never buy another Samsung product again.
Why? Because their reputation has been damaged, and this has directly impacted my opinion of the build quality of their products. This has made me hesitant to risk my money on newer versions of their products.
Is Your Reputation Hurting Your Brand?
Likewise, your reputation can greatly impact the way your customers view your brand. You may have students who are loyal members of your dojo right now, and who would never think of leaving your "brand" for another (meaning, your competitors).
But that's not set in stone. Not by a long shot.
For better or for worse, martial arts instructors tend to view brand loyalty and customer loyalty with a certain sense of ownership toward our clients. Namely because we tend to see "clients" as students first, and customers second.
And we also tend to believe all that happy horseshit about the master-student relationship. That students should be eternally grateful that we allowed them the opportunity to study the mystical secrets of the martial arts at the feet of the master...
Like I said, horseshit.
Unfortunately, this attitude can blind martial arts instructors to factors that are hurting their brand, which in turn can cause their clients to lose brand loyalty.*
Factors That Impact Your Reputation
If you haven't noticed yet, each of the three elements that make up a local brand (customer experience, reputation, and public image) informs and impacts the others.
Yes, it's all interconnected, and what elevates or damages one of these elements will impact the others as well.
Regarding your reputation in the community, there are several factors that will impact what people will say about you in your local community and online. Factors such as: - Stickiness - "Stickiness" relates to how memorable your brand is. People won't talk about things they don't remember. But when they have a unique and positive experience, they'll share it with everyone.
- Brand evangelists - "Brand evangelists" are people who promote your brand for you in the local community. Generally, these are customers who are raving fans. The more brand evangelists you have, the greater your brand's reach is in your local area.
- Press - Getting in the local press helps add weight and authority to your brand. It's one thing for you to say positive things about your business, but it's quite another to have the press saying good things about you. Good press helps tons, but bad press can ruin a business.
- Social proof - "Social proof" relates both to personal referrals and to testimonials that you have recorded and used in your marketing materials. I'll talk about this more when I cover image. Just know that social proof can influence what people say about your brand.
The Dark Flipside of Your Rep
Seems like a lot to think about, right? It is.
However, every one of these factors boils down to the customer experience you provide. And because of that, each one of these factors has a negative flipside that can hurt your rep.
Consider that if a customer has a negative experience, they are much more likely to share it than if they had a positive experience at your dojo. This hurts your reputation, and it makes it harder to elevate your brand in your community.
For example, your brand can be sticky because of bad press... just like Samsung. That's the last thing you want for your business.
Or, if a customer has an extremely negative experience, they can become a brand hitman instead of a brand evangelist, and use every platform and opportunity they can find to share their negative experience with the world.
These are just a few examples, but the bottom line is that your reputation hinges on every customer experience you provide in your dojo.
Nail it and you'll gain a longtime customer and perhaps even a brand evangelist for life. But blow it and you might have created a brand hitman who'll expend incredible amounts of energy sabotaging your reputation.
It Boils Down To What We Claim To Teach
That's why it's so important to take every opportunity to treat your clients well. Not just the way you would like to be treated, but the way they want to be treated.
And it all goes back to caring about people. Moreover, it speaks to the qualities we claim to teach in the martial arts.
Honesty. Integrity. Respect. Honor. Courtesy.
If you've really internalized those values and qualities, and if you're living them by showing them to your clients, then you should have no trouble whatsoever with creating a positive customer experience and building your reputation.
So, it's time to look at your image. And tomorrow, we're going to do exactly that.
Until next time,
Mike Massie MartialArtsBusinessDaily.com
Quick-start Guide to My Books and Resources: - Looking for a list of books and resources I've written? Click here! - Need business coaching to grow your dojo? Click here…
P.S. - *It could be argued that just by having an attitude of ownership toward your students, you're hurting your brand. I'm not going to get into that right now, because it's an issue for another email series. But, if you look at your students like property, chances are good that you lack self-awareness and it's hurting your business... and your students.
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