November 2017 we hosted a networking session about Branding for Business and we learned from a panel of four experts in their field who shared with us some of their success stories.
They all had a slightly different take on what it meant to be your brand, but the underlying message was the same from each speaker: you need to have a relationship with your clients that reinforces the values of ‘Know, Like and Trust.’ Everybody is somebody important.
Understanding and acting on this principle is a key step in building your community and establishing their needs.
When I first joined the RHBOT team, I was told to answer my phone if I was at my desk and it rang. Speaking with a person first hand provides you with an insight into their needs and you can direct the flow of the conversation. This seems like a no nonsense way of doing business.
I certainly appreciate it when a person answers the phone instead of having to navigate an automated message system before my question is finally answered, most often by a computer. I’m often surprised by the number of people who can’t believe that ‘a real person is answering the phone.’ I hope at the end of the call they’ve gotten the information they need and they are well on their way down the path of ‘knowing, liking and trusting’ me and the Richmond Hill Board of Trade.