When a customer is reaching for an item on a shelf, typically they are reaching for what they are familiar and comfortable with – the brand that they can readily understand. They think they know the basic attitude of the company based on what’s presented to them.

When you present a new product or service to a market of any kind, you will have to be able to compete with those already in existence, and be able to distinguish yourself from them in some way. You do so by BRANDING.

Who you are better match who you say you are, especially these days. Every aspect of every company is on display in social media networks such as LinkedIn and Twitter – if you fire your secretary at noon, you can bet that everyone in the business and personal world will know an hour later, including your spouse.

You start branding even before you ever even start the official process: think about the name that you will give your business or product. The image that you are trying to present starts with the top dog and works its way down, including the sales staff.

A good branding can push a company into competition with the best and the brightest. Bad branding can leave that product or service wilting on the vine, no matter who is trying to sell it. For example, you should not sell children’s vitamins if your name is Mr. Kidkill, and you shouldn’t be offering marital counseling services if you’ve been divorced a dozen times.

For most salespeople, the image that they are presenting reflects on them personally as much as it does professionally, so it become important that they do right with the world, at least from a sales standpoint. There are only a few very slimy and loathsome creatures that do not care about what they are selling or who they are selling it to.

Branding in one of the core concepts of your business. Choose wisely.