Howdy all, and welcome to YOUnique Cards.com! Our site is designed for people who understand the value of branding not only their company, but themselves as well. After all, people ultimately do business with PEOPLE, not companies. And most of all, we do business with people we like.
Think about your vendors for a minute. Do you have a direct contact with any of them that you really like? If so, how often do you shop their service around? Example, I've been in the direct mail business for over 7 years and used approximately 5 mailing houses to complete some of our services. Every 6 months I would check to see if someone offered a better service or price and boom I was gone. Well, that has changed.
For the last 2 years, I have relied solely on one company, or should I say person. Bob from Lasertec. Now, Lasertec has fair pricing and great service - but I never consider shopping anymore because Bob has made that impossible. No he hasn't cut my phone lines or shut down my internet, but Bob has made mailing services human. I no longer see Lasertec the company, I see Bob the person.
Bob with three kids (always a funny story with them) and a loving wife. Bob who goes camping, hunting, on family vacations. Bob who likes hockey, football, and has played a little racquetball. Bob who is great at customer service and looks out for my company. And if Bob decides to take up painting pictures for a living, I will check out his art with an open mind, because he is BOB.
My point? Make sure your customers know you, and have fun doing it. Personal branding and marketing is crucial for long term success because there will always be some yahoo who says they can do it cheaper or better, but in the long run, I'll stick with my friend. BTW - I know that I am not alone in this feeling, brand Bob is very successful and I've seen the respect he gets from peers and customers both.
Now go make yourself irreplaceable!
