Interior Designers – Branding Is More Than A Logo

Most of you already know that branding is more than a logo, stationery or the look of your website.

Branding starts with you.

Who are you?

What is your personality?

What level of service do you provide?

Who are your ideal clients?

These are a few of the questions you need to answer when you build your brand.  What happens for many businesses is a disconnect between their authentic self and their less than authentic brand.  Are you trying to project an image that isn’t really you?   If so, your clients and prospects will know it.

There is a great book out by Malcolm Gladwell, Blink.  Many people make a decision about you and your brand within the blink of an eye.  You have one chance to make that impression, and yet many of us don’t realize that everyone around us reads below the outer surface intuitively.  Your inner game must match your outer game or brand because that is what your prospects and clients really see.

When you are working to develop your brand, be sure you are thinking about who you really are as a person, an interior designer and a business person.

While we’re talking about the inner game, if you aren’t confident, your prospects and clients read that.  If you’re struggling with this, it is important to dig deep.  It isn’t a one-time job to work through the reasons you aren’t confident.

Do you feel uncomfortable because you don’t have a design degree?  Do you feel underqualified because you don’t have your NCIDQ or other credentials?  Do you feel awkward with people who make more money than you do?

Our confidence and insecurities are at the root of our brand being authentic and believable or not.

It is common to put on a mask and believe that everyone sees what we want them to see and nothing more, but they see much more.

How does this affect us?  It determines whether people know, like and trust us, and then decide if they want to do business with us.

Please take some time to think about this and evaluate you as your brand anchor.  Are you being true to yourself?

Being honest with ourselves is often one of our greatest fears.

Let me know what you think.  Be sure to leave your comment and URL to get a link back to your site.

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3. Consumers Trust Online Opinions More Than Interior Designers?
4. Interior Designers…The Internet Changes Everything!
5. Interior Designers – Business Success Requires That You Do What Scares You Most