Business that have high retention, high referral rates and have customers that are happy beyond their expectations have typically taken the time to create and polish their BRAND.

What is a Brand?
A brand is a communication strategy and is much more than an external image of a business. In fact, a well branded business starts internally and summarizes who you are and the experience that I am going to have as your customer. A brand is creating a consistent and predictable experience for EVERY customer EVERY time they come into your business. In a recent article in the Financial Post, Nancy Truman, author of The Basics of Branding states: "It's a promise to your customers. The quality of your product/services. What sets you apart from the competition. How you view yourself and how you want to be seen by the public." (The Basics of Branding, Financial Post Nov 25, 2009)

Recently, I had a firsthand experience with referring a close friend of mine to a spa for a facial service. I had been going to this spa for quite some time and always had the most wonderful experience. From the moment I walked in the door the ambiance would welcome me, the receptionists immediately tended to me and proceeded to get me relaxed and settled for my treatment. I always went to the same technician and to this day I say she is the best service provider around, hands down.

When my friend said she had never experienced a facial before and asked me where to go, I arranged for the 2 of us to go to the spa that I frequent, absolutely certain that she would be enthralled with the experience. Imagine my surprise when after the treatment was completed she wasn't that taken with it. The technician did not address her concerns, did not engage her and did not make her feel special like I was always made to feel. It resulted in deflating my trust in the service provider as my credibility was questioned with my friend. It put me in the frame of mind that if I am referring friends to insist they see the same technician as I do or to not bother going there.

What does this speak of....poor branding. The experience is not consistent for every customer and therefore the message becomes confusing and not memorable. Like any communication strategy or marketing strategy, branding requires managing on an on-going basis in order for it to be at its most effective.

If you are not sure how your customer experience rates on a quality scale then a great tool is a mystery shopper. Well branded businesses tend to have this service performed 2-4 times per year to not only ensure that the customer experience is consistent but also to help the business grow and develop a better brand.

Key Components of a Good Brand
It starts with the first contact that a customer is going to have with your business. This is usually via your website, on the phone and can be in person. All first contacts need to be warm and inviting and give a WOW first impression.

When on the phone or in person, greeters should always be asking for the person's name and using it as much as possible within the brief encounter. This immediately makes the person feel important. This simple and effective strategy is one that is quite often neglected by many receptionists. Greeters and staff should always be enthusiastic, depict a proud image of the work they do and use this to educate customers.

Once you have the customer in your facility, infuse their senses with memorable materials and experiences. The best marketing uses as many of the senses as possible (think Tim Horton's sight, sound, smell, touch, taste). It starts with the memorable scent of your facility when the customer first walks in (think Aveda), followed by the sound of a pleasant and professional voice greeting them, the touch of a firm hand shake and seeing an environment that is clean, warm and inviting.

Now you MUST start the process of building a trusting relationship with your new customer. This usually takes 3-5 exposures before they trust you to the point where they will refer to you assuming that they have had a consistent experience each time they have come in. Have staff give a facility tour on first visits making people feel at home. Educate as much as possible which makes people feel at ease with your knowledge and builds confidence in your abilities. Actively listen to what their concerns are. Ensure understanding of their concerns by paraphrasing and clarifying and jointly discuss solutions to their concerns. Treatment providers may not see the same concerns but for the customer it is legitimate and should always be addressed.

Make sure the customer leaves your facility with something to recall you to their mind when they leave: a thank you note, a personal program set out for them, educational material. Lastly, a follow up call 1 week after their appointment does wonders for building a trusting and lasting relationship for that customer. It lets them know that you are truly wanting the best for them.

Essential to creating a great brand is the development of a renewable system. Most importantly is to retain employees, particularly ones who excel in the above tasks. Branding first and foremost starts with training and then more training and then more training. This is an on-going process that should never go by the wayside....even if your facility is busier then you anticipated.

In addition to frequent training sessions, always create fairness in the work environment, take your employees cares and concerns seriously, trust and empower your employees to make choices and decisions that are best for the business as a whole, always be acknowledging work that is well done never forgetting the little things that make a difference. People do best when they get feedback on their performance.

Consider the following: "We trust people who we think hear us, understand us and are able to empathize with our realities as well as their own." (Dr. Henry Cloud, Integrity) This applies to both customers and relationships you build with your staff.

Nancy Truman's article The Basics of Branding boldly states: "branding equity is the payoff. Good positioning, consistency and execution will translate into brand equity, that hard-to-measure value you have earned with customers". It results in customers coming back to you again and again, referring more customers to you and even winning customers from rivals.