A few years ago, I spoke at a conference in Poing (pronounced Po-ING) Germany speaking on leadership at a conference for printing companies. I was really excited to travel there as I heard lots of great things about Germany. From what everyone told me, here’s what I was to have expected:
- Neatness
- Order
- Punctuality
- Great food
- Great beer
- Nice, but not overly-emotional people
So what did I experience?
Neatness – the streets are meticulously cleaned. No trash or cigarette butts on the ground. People pick up after their well-behaved dogs. What little graffiti I saw was more like artwork and less of gang-banging thugary type I saw when we lived in the DC area. Freeways are pristine. No potholes or raised bridge seams to ruin your alignment.
Order and punctuality – when the bus is schedule to leave at 8:30 AM, the bus is rolling at that time. The doors have already closed.
Great food and beer – check. Check.
Nice, but not overly-emotional people – Germans seemed friendly but certainly not overly-interested in getting into your business.
It was a great experience! Kind of nice when what you’ve heard and what you expect all come to fruition.
What do people expect when they get the chance to deal with you?
I had a co-worker once who, without fail, called in sick on the Tuesday after a three-day weekend. We expected it. Nobody gave Cindy a task with a deadline for that day.
My grandmother was always on time, if not early for any family event. She planned months in advance. We always knew Grandma Jean would be on time.
When people hear your name, what do they associate with it? Is it positive or negative?
In a way, YOU are a brand. People have expectations of you. When people buy a Mac, they expect to be dazzled and have the thing last forever. They are usually correct. When people buy a PC, they expect it to last about a year or so and then get bogged down with viruses and spyware and have its performance slow to a crawl. They are usually correct.
It’s all summed up in the brand.
I’d like to think when people contract with me for a workshop, they expect to be informed, entertained, and impressed. I work hard to deliver that experience. That’s my brand.
What’s your brand?
If you’re not sure, why not take some time this week to ask some trusted advisors who will tell you the truth? If you like the answers they give, then think of strategies to grow that brand. If the feedback is negative, better start working on fixing that brand!