A bad experience is powerful.
Whether we like it or not, whatever business you’re in, your brand is always being tested. Front line people within an organization are most at risk of what I call (BDS) – Brand Dilution Syndrome. Whether they’re on a trade show floor, in a sales meeting or simply trying to mail a package, for better or worse your company’s brand is in their hands at the moment of contact.
Case and Point…
A local office supply company claims I can press the “easy button” to solve my business needs. In fact, the only thing I wanted to press when I finally left their building was my face against their window and blow (I didn’t, by the way). The attitude of this “document professional” I encountered was as if I had interrupted her wedding night with my simple question about the cost of an overnight package to La Jolla. Her rolling-eye demeanor combined with her lack of problem solving skills left me wanting for the “where’s-the-beef” woman of yesteryear.
Needless to say the “easy button” brand doesn’t hold water with me. And because I’ve now experienced this on two separate occasions, I’ll be trying my luck with a package company who wears darker earth tones for my next mailing requirement.
The front line is where brand hits the public. Brand managers and business owners know this all too well. I know first hand the challenges of fitting and motivating the right people to the right positions. I also know sometimes it’s easier to look the other way with the “I’m too busy for this right now” excuse. Big mistake! I recommend addressing Brand Dilution Syndrome before it infects an entire department or small company. BDS quickly eats away internally and even more importantly, externally through direct contact with clients and vendors. The good news is most Brand infection is curable.
Building a brand is expensive. Now more than ever with lightning fast information tools, businesses need to make sure their brand message is consistently being held to the highest standard on their front lines… or be prepared to pay the consequences.