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Heck of a Nice Guy

Written by: Ed Delia

Article Overview: Whenever my father would meet someone he really liked in business, he would often remark, "Heck of a nice guy!" I never thought much of the expression, until I realized that lately, I've been using it myself. When it comes to branding, there's an absolute tie-in.

Heck of a Nice Guy

As in many businesses, at the end of the day, winning or losing a contract comes down to the personality synergies of the parties involved. We naturally tend to gravitate towards providers that we perceive to be, well, likeable. In many ways, a "heck of a nice guy/girl" equals a "heck of a nice brand."

The point is, we can make all the fancy visuals, statements and taglines we want. But if the people charged with representing the brand to the marketplace are not living and abiding by the company's brand values in daily practice, it's all a wasted effort.

Think about some of the best sales people you know. They’re personable, likable individuals, the types that just seem to draw you in. They’ve got character, and many of them even are characters.

The same thinking can be applied to corporate brands. A brand is a claim of distinction, but it can also be considered a company’s personality. Whether it’s a product or service, we buy the brands we like the best, the ones whose personality best matches our own.

That's why branding starts from within. True branding begins with the people charged with operating, servicing, selling, or communicating the brand. If you want to substantially grow your business, build a likeable brand.

First things first. Think about your A-level customers. They’re the ones that you love working with, the ones that really make your business hum. There’s a reason why they’re such great customers. They probably like the experience of working with you as much as you with them. Yours is a likeable brand. There’s tremendous value in understanding why.

If you can discover why your A-level customers appreciate the business relationship, you can position your brand - and your people - to highlight the exact characteristics that similar-minded prospects would also value.

Then your brand becomes a beacon. But it doesn’t attract any customer. It only attracts A-level customers. After all, isn’t that what we’re after? A one-time customer may represent a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in revenue, but a repeat customer could represent exponentially more.

Build a heck of a nice brand, from the inside out, and you will build a heck of a nice business as well.

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