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For Great Branding, Probe Deeper

August 19, 2016Lori Rohrbach

“We give great customer service.”

“We meet our clients’ needs.”

“We have cutting-edge products.”

Ho-hum.

 

If you want boring, use statements like the above. If you want branding, you’re going to have to probe deeper.

When I work with clients on branding for their companies, the information-gathering interview often ends with the client saying, “Wow! I discovered more about my company in the past two hours than I ever knew before!”

How can this be? After all, the client is the expert on their own company. In reality, I am not uncovering anything “new.” By probing deeply into a company’s products, services, benefits, competitors, case studies, challenges, and more, I simply help the client to verbalize the knowledge, expertise, and experience that they carry at an almost unconscious level.

Going deep is essential to developing innovative, compelling branding. Without it, companies all start to sound alike. It is when you probe deeper that you find the true characteristics, values, and benefits that define a company’s brand. It is by asking questions – even the same question in several different ways – that you discover the language and tone and voice that encapsulate the brand.

If you want to define or refine the branding for your business, it can be hard to probe as deeply as you need to on your own. You may be too close to your company to see clearly. The interview process by a third-party can be tremendously helpful in pulling your knowledge into the daylight where it can be examined and codified into a brand that will make your company stand out from your competition and be compelling to your target market.

There’s no reason why your company should sound like every other company in the marketplace. Branding can showcase the unique nature and value of your company. And the key to great branding is to probe deeper.

 

Author: Paula Marolewski

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Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

Eight Work-From-Home Etiquette Tips

 

Whether telecommuting is old hat or something you’ve been forced into as part of the COVID-19 shutdown, here are a few tips to make the experience run smoothly for both employers and employees.

 

Managing expectations

Successful work-from-home strategies always begin with clearly communicated expectations. Make sure your employees have any necessary equipment, tools and resources.  Will they need to track their time? Participate in regularly scheduled meetings? Be available at certain times of day? For employees, know what you’re accountable for and clearly communicate any challenges you’re having.

 

Constant communication

Keep the lines of communication open and be accessible. Check in with employees regularly through apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and Skype, or even an old-fashioned email or phone call. Be genuinely interested in how they’re doing but don’t overdo it. Foster a feeling of trust by not micromanaging.

 

Nine to five…ish

While having a daily schedule is ideal, it may not always be practical right now. Make sure your people know when you need them to be available and try to offer flexibility at other times. They may be juggling school schedules as well as work schedules and working at “off-shift” times may be necessary. Be mindful of employees in different time zones as well.

 

For employees, try to work when you’re at your best, and not when you’re exhausted by kindergarten playtime and fourth grade math. Make sure people know if you will be unavailable at certain times.

 

Taking a break

Getting up and moving clears the head and helps with creativity and problem-solving. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a break for lunch, make time to get away from your desk throughout the day.

 

Signing off

Working from home does not mean being available 24/7. Set an actual end to the workday if possible. Don’t send and respond to messages at all hours. Sign out of messaging apps and close work programs. Understand and respect these boundaries.

 

Location, location, location

When setting up a home office, think about where you will have the fewest distractions – for yourself and for those who may be seeing you and your background on a video conferencing platform. Try to avoid busy spots that may include semi-clad people walking behind you, barking dogs and kids vying for your attention.

 

Conferencing and calls

Be clear about whether you expect people to turn on their cameras during meetings. If so, be clear about how they should be dressed. During calls, mute your phone when you’re not talking to avoid background noise. Headphones can also help with call quality. When speaking, pause frequently so others can participate in the conversation.

 

Social engagement

It’s ok for managers and employees to have some down time together, which may help ward off feelings of isolation. Keep up your normal level of interaction, perhaps with a virtual coffee break or happy hour. Managers should set the tone for how casual to be. Let employees choose what they would like to share, and never pry into areas that were off-limits before.

 

 

Author: Erin Alderfer

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