The God of small things

It is small things that determine how your company is perceived. And these perceptions go on to make or break that all-important deal. So, take care: small things are big, after all.

British Rail was scouting for an advertising agency many years ago. They visited the head office of one of the agencies that was pitching for their account. The telephone was ringing furiously, whilst the operator was busy filing her nails; newspapers were strewn all around the reception area; the ashtrays were overflowing with cigarette butts and the visiting client found it almost impossible to get anybody’s attention.

As the client lost his cool, it was explained that this depressing scenario best depicted British Rail. Disinterested employees apathetic to customers and business was how the world perceived British Rail. Often enough, perception is reality.

What are the perceptions about your company? Are these perceptions impacting your company’s image? These are questions, which are relevant not only to big monoliths like British Rail but also equally relevant to small companies that wish to grow.

So you want to build your brand …

“I want to build my brand,” is a common enough refrain in this day and age. In my own ill-researched opinion, “brand” is the second most abused word. Technology companies have been reasonably wary about spending money on mass media. So what do these companies do to build their image? They have to manage their processes, interfaces with the external world and every small thing that they do in the course of their business. As Lee Clow, Chairman of TBWA Worldwide says, “Managing brands is going to be more and more about trying to manage everything that your company does.” How are companies managing? Not very well, one fears if one’s personal experience is anything to go by.

Are you putting your best voice forward?

One of the quickest image checks that one can do about any company (even your own) is to have someone call it. What image will you have of a company whose telephone lines are impossible to get through to? And even if you do get through, do you have to wait 17 rings before a grumpy forbidding voice says, “Hello.” And are you put on jingle bells till you are connected to the wrong extension, to someone who doesn’t know how to transfer you back to the operator?

Apply, apply but no reply!

Software majors recruit people in hundreds. And yet, sometimes we tend to forget that irrespective of the number of people being recruited, each recruit is an individual with feelings, emotions and most importantly, a point of view. One of my friends, who held a senior position in the communication business, was invited for an interview with a software major. His meeting with the HR and management team was scheduled at 10.30 am. (which he subsequently discovered) but he had been asked to be present at 9.30 am. He spent an hour in the main reception area watched by every single visitor filling out a personnel form for 10 minutes and twiddling his thumbs for 50. Why treat a senior professional like a trainee desperate for his first job?

The reality is that people have a point of view and will express it to everyone they come into contact with as my friend did. It’s not for nothing that they say that the only thing bigger than good will is ill will. Counter ill will, as that will hurt your brand.

Sweat the small stuff

None of the incidents quoted above are strategic in nature. Neither are they in the philosophical domain of mission and vision. It’s not about being a knowledge company or agonizing about the right attitude to be depicted in the advertising. It’s all about managing interactions with various target publics. Here are a few simple things that you can ask yourself irrespective of whether you are working in a big or small company.

1 How good are your company’s telephone manners?

2 How do you treat your suppliers, particularly when you are a large buyer of products and services?

3 How do you deal with prospective employees? Particularly those whom you don’t recruit?

4 What do people whom you interact with have to say about you (behind your back)?

5 How do you respond to customer complaints?

6 How promptly do you respond to mail?

All too often we tend to rely too much on show and tell. Glitzy TV commercials shot in exotic locations or huge double spread ads in business magazines. And yet, there is more to corporate image and equity than advertising. A corporate brand has various facets, aspects and components to its image. How are these facets being managed? Is there a big gap between what is projected and what is experienced?

Does your company have a problem with any of its constituents? Check it out. Before it is too late.

The author is CEO, brand-comm. Feedback can be mailed to sridhar@brand-comm.com

Issue BG42 Sept04