Every company is different — or at least they should be. If your products are just the same as those of your competitors, then there’s no reason for customers to buy yours instead of theirs. Therefore, one of the most important things in sales is to define your brand: make it clear to your customers and to the world what sets you apart from everyone else.

What Is Your Brand?

When people think of a brand, they think of a highly recognizable product name, like “Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes” or “Lays Potato Chips.” That’s a start, but really, there’s so much more to it. Your brand isn’t just your name. It’s what’s behind the name. It’s everything people think of when they see that name, be it good, bad, or indifferent. That includes your reputation, the things that you do, advertising and marketing you’ve released, and more. Essentially, your brand is who you are in the minds of your customers and potential customers.

So, what do people think of when they see your brand? Will people in your industry recognize your name when they hear it? Will they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of you? What do they know about you, and will that knowledge be helpful in convincing them to buy your products?

Defining Your Brand

The most important factor in defining your brand is setting yourself apart from your competitors. What do you have that they don’t? Why are your products of better quality or more worthwhile than theirs are? Why are you the one they should buy from? Make a list of the unique qualities of your company products, and also a list of the things you’d like to be known for in your industry.

Once you’ve done that, the next step is to get the word out. How can you let people know what you’re all about and establish your brand in their minds? You could tell them. There are probably millions of advertising and marketing techniques that have been developed specifically for that purpose, with varying success rates.

Or, you could simply show them. Send a sample of your product to your potential customers that shows off those unique qualities that you want to be known for. But even then, branding is essential. The sample itself is only part of the message you’re conveying. Everything the customer sees, from the quality and look of the packaging the sample is in, to the description you include with it to tell them what you’re all about, will help form their opinion of who you are and whether or not you’re worth their time.

The key to defining your brand is controlling it. When crafting an image, make sure that every sample, every piece of information, everything that goes out with your company’s name on it, is specifically designed to adhere to that image. Put your best face forward and with everything you do, show customers why that action means your product is the obvious choice to buy. That’s what your brand is all about.