Would you do business with a boring company? You might answer, "I already have," but do you remember why you did business with that company? Probably not.
These days, strong businesses stay strong thanks to their projected styles or personalities.
Customers remember a business with personality, one that might have made them laugh, showed a unique kind of caring or sensitivity, or (best yet) shared values similar to their own. We often develop loyalty to brands, companies and businesspeople based upon their personalities.
We seek out companies we can relate to, relax with and consider reliable. Those are the personality traits we look for in friends, so why not in businesses?
If you've worked from a vanilla "business only" style, you've missed the potential—and profit—that comes from adding some flavor, or character. See how to brush away the boredom and connect with customers.
Really, personality matters
Think about the people you spend time with. You like them. Dismissing cranky co-workers or those obligatory gatherings with unpredictable family members, when you seek out friends to pass the time, it's because you connect with them. They make your life better in one way or another.
The same is true with businesses. We seek out companies we can relate to, relax with and consider reliable. Those are the personality traits we look for in friends and acquaintances, so why not in businesses, too?
This is why having a personality for your business is so important. It is the light that draws in customers, first-timers and loyal followers. But more than being a beacon to attract an audience, a well-managed business personality also serves as a breather to your visitors; it's that unique quality of your business that they want more of, more often.
It becomes a reason for them to visit you, not just to shop but also to savor. By this, you become memorable, not just another source of a plain brown box or a buff-colored invoice to be paid.
When you impart personality into your business, you turn a bland offering into "comfort food" for your customers. It sounds like a lot to measure up to, but you and your business can surely rise up to the challenge.
Insert your personality
The most important element in all of this is that it's your personality.
While you can create a personality that would suit your business's goals and intentions, there's no escaping that much (if not most) of that personality has to come from you, honestly and naturally.
This doesn't mean you can't develop a personality for your business that allows you to delve into a style you've been longing to express personally, yet haven't done so for any variety of personal reasons. Oftentimes, a business personality is either an amplification of one's own manner or it's that indulgent expression of suppressed excitement, creativity or whatever.
Much (if not most) of that personality has to come from you, honestly and naturally
Find that personality
No matter your situation, here are some ways to establish that personality for your business:
Begin by identifying your own personality by truthfully expressing (to yourself) your beliefs, your motivations, and your likes and dislikes. This is likely a self-examination process you went through when you went into business.
Let this become the foundation of your business's personality, then either project it as is or work to build upon and improve it.
Decide on a style. This is "front door" of your business personality, and you might choose to welcome customers like old friends in a very folksy or informal method. Maybe you're naturally a "chill" sort of person. On the other hand, perhaps you've always been a reassuring and can-do sort of person with an air of business-like formality.
If that works for your business, project that as its personality. Whether you choose either of these points on the spectrum (or likely something in between), use that style wherever your customers come in contact with you: in marketing, website information, correspondence and so forth.
Give that personality a face. Sure, you have a brand, a logo, or whatever and that should instill a sort of response in your customers (formal, informal, playful, determined), but the real personality comes through when customers can actually see with whom they're dealing.
Whether you're a one-person operation or you have a team who each interacts with your customers at one time or another, show those faces, so your clientele can connect on a face-to-face basis.
Real personality comes through when customers can actually see with whom they're dealing
Establish where you can be reached and be reachable. This is where social media can help raise your business's personality and prevalence.
Whether you use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest or something else, let your customers know where they can interact with you. It's at these social hubs where you can really engage with your customers and where they can get that true sense of and appreciation for your personality.
Make your tweets or posts interesting and offer a variety of material (not just sales pitches). Invite followers to respond to what you post and then be there to keep the conversation going. This is where you and your business will gain the greatest boost: by being seen as approachable and responsive.
Consistency is important
Consistency is the glue that keeps you and your business connected with customers. It's synonymous with personal reliability, that trait that makes others realize they can count on us to be there.
When you establish your business personality, be sure to keep it consistent, whether that's by way of product announcement, social interaction, or any other information flow that assures your followers you're always there to serve their needs, great or small. That's a great trait to be known for and surely one for which you'll be remembered as customers return for more.