Denise Stoppleworth
How many times do we keep our products, our services or our company a complete secret? Don’t get me wrong – it’s not intentional. At the same time we seek to grow our businesses, we fail to promote them in the most basic of ways. Last week, as I attended the Anti-icing seminar at the SIMA show, I heard one contractor share his experience with anti-icing applications. Though the whole presentation was interesting, my ears perked up when he shared one small story, and it got me looking at the contractors around me. I wanted to see if everyone else caught the tidbit and recognized the opportunity.
What was the revelation? Well, the contractor just briefly related how his company did a story with the local newspaper about its anti-icing system. He talked about how the company is protecting the environment because it uses less salt and chemicals, which translates into less of those substances ending up in the water system. And the result? The phone would not stop ringing. The stories multiplied, and the company picked up more business. But how many companies take time to tell their story? Whether it’s lack of knowing how to go about it or skepticism on its effectiveness, too many contractors, manufacturers – companies of all kinds – neglect to tell their success stories and capitalize on opportunities. Don’t fall into that trap.Every day, companies have success stories – an interesting project, an innovative development or a new product. Take advantage of those opportunities. It’s not magic. It’s not brain surgery. It’s a discipline – a focus on telling your story. It means that in the hustle and bustle of sales and production schedules, you need to stay ever conscious of your daily successes and stay focused on making sure those stories get told. But what if you’re just not the greatest writer, or maybe you really don’t have the time to put together a story? There are plenty companies out there that specialize in doing just this type of work – so take advantage! Hook up with a firm that can help you tell your story. We love helping out companies with these types of projects and really enjoy seeing them benefit from the results.
Sounds good – but what if you’re still not sure because you’re stumped on what to say? There are so many things to talk about. Highlight successful applications. Announce new products. Tell others what your company is doing in terms of environmental or efficiency issues as it relates to your product and its applications. You would be surprised at how many opportunities and outlets there are for your story and a good agency will help you come up with several ideas.
Don’t be the best kept secret in the industry. Though mystery carries with it an element of allure, that’s not so true when it comes to selling your brand. Eliminate the mystery and shout your success from the mountaintops.
Take a few minutes now and think. What stories would your company like to tell? How could you benefit from sharing this information with prospective and current customers or clients?
