With choices, Branding Matters

Years ago, I was in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. While exploring the area, two things stood out to me. 

One was how many power lines ran from buildings to posts and just how insanely overloaded they were. This fact is irrelevant to this post but just had to be said.

The second thing was business. I began to notice streets had "themes" ... one street might be all motorbike repair shops, the next is all textiles, the next is a series of housewares. None of them seemed to be selling anything different from its neighbors, and it made me wonder why someone would choose one business over the other. Price? Thats a race to the bottom especially when you can pit neighbor against neighbor ("the guy next door said 2 dong, can you go lower?") Customer service/relationships? That is great but what makes someone choose your business the first time? Differentiation? Maybe, but if you are trying to deliver what the people need, you'll probably have to cover the basics. 

The difference is how you put yourself out there, how you draw people in. Its branding. It is about standing for something. 

Metaphorically speaking, I see many companies now that do the exact same thing as their "neighbors." They buy search terms to beat out the competition, but that is another way of competing on price. It's part of the package, but it isn't the package itself. 

Businesses have to stand for something and make people want to come to them, otherwise it is an endless outflow of cash to just be even or slightly ahead of the people next door. 

Branding is simple, yet hard. It takes a commitment. It takes thought. But without it, you are just another line going into the trunk, and another of 10 textile shops in a row.

Storm Prep as a Guide

This past weekend I went SCUBA diving. Knowing it was hurricane season, we kept everything flexible until the last minute, attempting to ensure good weather. 

On the boat in Key West, we were chased back to the dock by the storm below. We did two dives and had hoped to get in two more but this ominous horizon suggested we wouldn't.

It occurred to me there is a business lesson in this moment. 

There will always be potential for storms, like there are challenges to getting your projects optimally completed. If you are flexible but understand all options, you are positioned to adapt to a changing horizon. 

For us, the storm hit, but with no lightning or major wind, so in the midst of the afternoon storm, we dove again. We assessed our options because we had prepared, and moved toward our objective. 

With an understanding of weather patterns in the Keys, and our experience in Key West under our belt, we decided to relocate to Key Largo - our original destination where the weather looked far worse. The diving there was great, better than the day before, and the sun was shining.

What we often forget in business is how preparation for many possible outcomes, puts us in a position to make the best option come to fruition. 

And we got to swim with sharks... which is a whole other metaphor for business.

Customer Service

I have been thinking about customer service lately (as one does) and how those who are good at it do one thing extremely well. 

They communicate.

Communication is not actually one thing, but parts combined to be one big thing. 

👂 Listening. Not just hearing, but understanding.

🩶 Showing empathy. Not just saying, "I regret you had to deal with that" but tapping into how you would feel if roles reversed.

🗣️ Speaking. Not just reciting, but providing clarity with respect.

🤝 Confirming. Not leaving the issue until both parties understand what has been done and what is expected.

Many people think because they hear and speak they are communicating, and yes, to some degree, that is correct. But people that excel in service roles do all things that equal one thing, and that is what communication really is.

I've recently had to take some issues and make them right. I applied the above and the outcome is that I am now a trusted partner. Same with someone I have been working with that is an outstanding communicator. No matter what happens in our business relationship, I trust he will provide me with all the information I need.

Ultimately, that is what communication leads to, trust. And people want to do business with people they trust.