I’ve talked with several people lately about the best ways to maximize the exposure your blog and your social media efforts get. One word that almost always comes up is “consistency”. Write, publish, and comment consistently – with a consistent “voice”. So, I got to thinking…if consistency is important in the promotional side of your business, where else might it also be important?
You may have heard the phrase that “The stock market hates uncertainty.” Well, that is true for your business also. Your customers, your employees, and your business partners appreciate consistency. They like to know what they can expect from your company and from you as a leader. How?
TEMPERMENT
Have you ever come across someone in your professional life that you might consider “volatile”? I have. One day they are happy, one day they are angry. They react to situations in unexpected ways. Quite frankly they make me nervous to interact with and/or do business with. It always introduces a level of doubt into our relationship. It makes me wonder how reliable they are. It makes me wonder how stable they are. It makes me question the longevity of our relationship. As a leader it’s really important that you present a stable, solid presence. Your employees, your customers, your vendors and business partners are all watching.
PROMOTIONS/COMMUNICATIONS
I touched on this one above, but it bears a re-mention. When you are writing blog posts or feeding your social media, keeping things flowing on a regular basis becomes important. And maintaining a “voice” or “tone” has value. It gives your followers a sense of who you are and what’s important to you. It shows a level of expertise. And knowing that your perspective and your core message and perspective don’t keep changing, gives them a level of comfort and maintains their interest. They also will come to expect when you will post and share. A haphazard schedule could also make them stop following you. Try to maintain a regular schedule. Create a calendar and stick to it. And maintain a consistent tone.
PRODUCTS/SERVICES
Why do people say they hate McDonalds, but then continue to go there in droves? Consistency. If nothing else, you know what you will get from them. It may not be the best-tasting or healthiest food around, but it’s a known quantity. And, whether consciously or unconsciously, people value consistency. I have seen people go to other countries and still seek out that known fast-food brand from home.
Are your products and services consistent? Do you deliver the same or similar things every time? Have you given your customers a reason to question what they will get from you? There’s some true value in that level of consistency.
Make sure your quality assurance process is solid. Let customers know that the item or the service they order will be what they expect. As much as you can, don’t introduce unwelcome surprises. Your customers will place a certain level of value from that consistency.
Let others see the rock-solid you. Never provide a reason for them to question you or your company. Look for ways that you can maintain consistency of personality, leadership, brand, messaging, products, and services. It may not be the sexiest thing to advise, but there really is value in keeping your business running and growing evenly and successfully.
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Being a business’s leader is never easy. Making sure all the moving parts stay consistent and working efficiently is much harder than it looks. If I can help you as you take a look at your leadership skills, your business’s promotional efforts, or your operations and business processes, please feel free to reach out and get in touch. I’d love to chat with you and explore how I can help you and your business succeed. No pressure. Just an informal discussion to explore some ideas. You can reach me at (713) 907-8429 or BCohen@IDiscoverConsulting.com.
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