How To Maintain A Great Image For Your Company

One of the most important aspects of running a business is keeping the public opinion of it in good stead. It is vital that people think positively of your business. Otherwise, you run the risk of losing out on their business. However, it can be difficult to maintain a positive image. Part of the reason for this is because it is so tricky keeping on top of all the outgoing communications from your company.  That way, the general public is more likely to think highly of your business. And that means increased positive word-of-mouth – marketing which speaks for itself. So what are some of the steps you can take to achieve this? 

 

Your Staff Should Represent Your Company, Not Their Personalities

One of the main channels of communication between the company and the customers is the staff. For that reason, it is essential that you keep your staff trained up as well as possible. This is particularly relevant for the customer service staff. They are the ones on the frontline, after all, talking to the customers. They say more about the nature and the culture of your business than anything else, so it’s important that they are saying the right things. Ensure that all your employees are clued up on what your business’ values are and what the mission statement is. You want there to be as little deviation from the central brand image as possible. Most of all, your staff need to keep communication with customers as positive as possible. At times, the customer facing staff may end up venting their personal grievances on the customers. However, as your company’s representative, every word they say can be taken as the company’s stand. 

 

Have an active presence on the web and keep all communication channels updated

Too often, businesses turn people off because of their poor web presence. This can manifest in a number of differing ways. It might be the case, for example, that the information or the brand image presented online is out of date. This is very common, and it produces a confusing image for customers and potential clients. Or it might simply be that the web presence is not in line with the rest of the business. This might be down to a lack of technical knowledge, or it might even be laziness. In order to get around this, it’s a good idea to keep on top of your business’ web presence continually. You should have a dedicated social media tea, who look after all of it, from your website to your social media interactions. It might also be worth using a website design agency to fix your website.

Be accountable when you screw up

More often than not, as you set up your business, you’re likely to falter and make mistakes. Making mistakes is  alright, being defensive about it or not. You must offer an apology to the affected people in all cases, even in the gray one where the fault lies with the customer. Sometimes a major screwup can turn into a blessing in disguise if handled correctly. For an example, check out Zomato pacified an angry customer whose order was delivered late, and ended up garnering a lot of positive press instead.

Have an active and efficient PR team

The job of the PR team shouldn’t be limited to writing and sending out press releases, but also be on top of things. Set up a Google alert for your business and every time there’s a mention of your company, make sure to address the issue. Whether it’s feedback that needs listening to, or an external action, do not ignore anything that goes out in the public about your company. Highlight every positive thing your company does to score brownie points and paint a positive image of your company to its stakeholders.

Do the little things

Ultimately, you should aim to make every interaction with every customer count. Whether it is online, over the phone or in person, make every effort to delight them every time. Little things like knowing about the customer a bit and customizing interactions according to them, knowing their preferences and remembering them. offering help, doing pleasantries can go a long way.

Presenting a positive image for your business can be surprisingly easy. All it takes is a little diligence and care. And the good news is, once you have taken care of this, the rest will naturally fall into place.