Do You Match Your Message

Posted by Deborah Chaddock Brown on July 14, 2009 under Attitude, First Impressions, Greeting | Be the First to Comment

I was just attended a fair at which a number of people sat at a series of long tables advertising workshops and classes they were going to be teaching this week.  There were classes on philosophy,scrap-booking, yoga and sailing.  They ran the gambit of education to entertainment; crafting to communication.

My Mom and I walked slowly past the tables reading the mini-marketing signs, listening in on conversations and viewing samples.  We stopped at the table with notes cards and listened to Elaine talk animatedly about the class and the different types of stamping,embossing and glittery cards the participants would make. 

Mom was engaged in a conversation, considering taking the class (she did eventually sign up and is thoroughly enjoying the class) but I noticed that next to Elaine was a sign for THE HAPPINESS CLASS.  What a clever idea.  In this day of job loss and stock market challenges, we could all use a little happiness. 

Then I looked from the marketing sign to the teacher. 

(This isn’t the teacher, but she had a similar look. This is the food critic from the Disney movie Ratatouille)

I CRACKED UP!  I couldn’t help myself.  Later I said to my Mom – who is going to take a Happiness Class when the teacher looks like she ate a bowl of green apples? 

Then I got to thinking about our business.  In the eye glass business, do your associates wear the latest eye-wear?  In retail, do associates dress a cut above, sporting your best fashions? In health-care – are your associates healthy – or are they smoking out back? 

As customers we make assumptions BEFORE we are even greeted by the associate and if our first impression is in conflict with the branding/marketing message you wish to convey – you will be hard pressed to win them over as a customer.  Later in the afternoon, as we walked again by the tables of teachers, the Happiness teacher was the only one without a potential student asking questions.  I wonder if she realized why?

That’s the biggest hurdle.  Most often we don’t see the inconsistencies ourselves.  It takes an unbiased eye – someone not attached to our business to see the opportunities we have for presenting a professional, consistent image. 

Have you come across a similar inconsistency that kept you from becoming a customer?  Oh, please share it here!