Image Value and Presentation

Let’s talk a little bit about graphic designing. Now this process is something of note. In today’s modern world high quality visuals are an essential part of any company’s presentation. A good design can get straight in the mix with other competing brands. A great design will not only get you noticed, it will earn you trust, the start of a loyal relationship from customers and above all, it will make your company STAND OUT.    This is the key considering that one would find it absolutely futile to have the same identity as an established brand or worse still one you are competing with. Now we’re not saying there is no trend within particular industries. However, remember earlier i said a vital point that every business sets out to be is to STAND OUT.

What does this mean?

In show business, award ceremonies are hosted annually to celebrate new and high achievers. Usually celebrities are born from these, some are born for them. One thing I would like to highlight about these special ceremonies is the award presented last, the most prestigious of them all. The highly esteemed award is presented to the most significant, the best in presentation, the STAND OUT act of that particular year. That’s our cue.

            The STAND OUT act. Wow. In business there is no acting though. Your brand presentation is the first line of attack, as it were. It can be the make or break of your business going forward. If you are not the most significant of your industry, if you do not present yourself with the best quality image your brand deserves to communicate, if you do not STAND OUT, then your chances of receiving any significant recognition are severely marred and stunted.

            Here are some of the reasons it might be so. If you do not have high quality designs:

1)     Your visuals are not significant, striking nor attractive

2)     Your presentation may feel like something people do not want to associate with. This is a major red flag.

3)     Your presentation maybe of something that already exists and may serve to confuse or misguide potential clients.

4)     Potential clients cannot relate. The colours maybe off, style out-dated or plain uncreative (Get with then times)

5)     You do not STAND OUT. There is nothing WOW about you from your presentation.

We all agree no one needs this type of announcement first up. Your business and ideas deserve better. So what do we do?

What to do

What can you do to come out beaming and shining, relative and indeed a STAND OUT character in your industry? I know you have your well set goals and work plan to achieve those. That is great. Let’s sell this to your clients.

1)     Study your Industry.

What’s the general presentation? What are the possibilities? What are the colours? Learn the trends and visualize all the possibilities. Blend these with your own unique ideas.

2)     Study your target market.

Who are they? Where are they? How do you access them? How do they access YOU? What do they like? What do they associate with?

3)     Align yourself with the above in such a way that you come out relevant to the market. You STAND OUT from the completion. Find answers to the questions above and you are well on your way to reaching their hearts and securing potentially beneficial relationships with customers.

Remember: A great visual presentation will get you noticed, earn you trust and loyalty from clients and most valuable, it will make you STAND OUT from the competition.

Chalton V. Moyo

Marketing & Advertising Consultant

apptitudeinc@outlook.com

chaltonm1@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/ApptitudeInc

The Importance of a GOOD First Impression

Conceptual Design is the design process, in which we congest broad outlines of ideas into high quality forms. Clients spearhead this process because really, they know their idea better. Designers and Concept developers are aides to bringing their ideas to something visible and real. As a rule of thumb, the process allows for interactions, sharing of experiences for a consensual final outcome.

What this means is that of all steps taken before putting ones business out to market, one must certainly invest time and money into branding. This can be done after sitting down with your team, partner and or consultant and running some ideas and concepts so as to visualise the final outcome and begin work towards that. Please take note: THIS IS A VITAL STEP that must be taken when entering onto the market and if you have hopes of making any sort of impact and acquiring as much clients as you dream, which I’m sure you do.

Perfect example?

Now why do I say this is very important? For one, imagine this scenario:

It’s a really hot day. You are in need of a particular product to finish a job you have been paid for and u promised to deliver on time. Your trusted suppliers on that day do not have what you need. You’ve visited all of them, store after store with no success.  No one seems to have the particular variable you want in order to deliver the perfect product. You’ve encountered a few counterfeits but you know better. A shoddy job is not an option for an ethical upstanding person like you.

As you are about to give up you notice a rather strange looking store that seems to sell what you are looking for. As you draw closer you see the store has no name hanging outside or printed anywhere. No logo displaying what they do or represent. No window murals or posters. The displays through the window are haphazard. A small set of equipment showing through indicates to you they may have what you are looking for. Before you decide to enter, you hesitate. Let’s stop there. Why the hesitation? You’ve already been searching long and hard for this, why stop now?

The Red Flags

Among other things, the following could are things to take careful consideration of as one venturing into business and also to identify why there was such a reaction about the unknown store.

1.      The store has no visible name:- No identity is a big red flag

2.      No logo:- Logos go hand in glove with association

3.      No advertising (murals and posters) on the store windows

4.      Disorderly merchandise on display

5.      No one referred you. You found it by luck.

Now the last point there is something to talk about. Best tackle that issue in a future article.

The above 5 are some of the red flags presented to us and cause hesitation and eventual dislike thus not winning you over as a customer. The same can be said about your business if you don’t work on your company concepts and design presentation to the public who at first do not know you. Remember: First impressions make a lasting impression. So as you set yourself up to enter the business realm ask yourself these:

·         “How do I want people to view my business?”

·         “How do I want to make a first impression?”

·         “What perception am I giving off as an upcoming entrepreneur?”

These are some questions that can help you get started correctly.

Chalton V. Moyo

Marketing & Advertising Consultant

apptitudeinc@outlook.com

chaltonm1@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/ApptitudeInc

www.apptitudeinc.blogspot.com

Apptitude Inc. And YOU

Discover who APPTITUDE INC is and How this can benefit YOU today!

Who we are:
Before I introduce us, here is a quick question ...
Q: What do you call a drunk ghost?

Any takers...? No...?

A: Methylated spirit.
Did you get it right? I bet you are laughing at yourself. Trust me when I was told this joke some years ago I couldnt stop laughing. I guess you see why I still remember it.

Apptitude Inc. is an online marketing company. We like to view ourselves as an internet brand accelerator. The end result? Our clients online visibility is maximized. So in short, Apptitude Inc. is an answer.

What we do:
One of my favourite mammals is the hard working Beaver. These little critters have strong teeth and powerful jaws which they use to gnaw through small trees and branches. What do they do with these? They build a wall on a selected section of a river end which is their home and also private pool. This wall takes a while to construct but once complete it also serves as a bridge to either side of the river for the young and inexperienced little beavers.

Just like this artisan of nature, we at Apptitude Inc. create effective marketing strategies and PR campaigns for our clients that bridge the gap between them and their targeted clients utilizing  best practices to ensure positive results for our clients.

Why YOU need us:
Its simple, Apptitude Inc. exists to help growing brands realise their potential by boosting their marketing potential through use of our innovative services designed to increase customer turnover. We would like to see an environment were consumers find security and trustworthiness in brands who sign up with Apptitude. Our services aim to be second to none. We are offering YOUR brand the best possible chance to get ahead by taking up our services. www.facebook.com/ApptitudeInc

What we Believe:
When a nestling is ready to spread its wings and take up flying, it doesn't do so because its just nature. It doesn't do so because it saw its parents and siblings fly in and out of the nest. No. It does so because it recognizes its potential and Believes in itself. So it spreads its wings, goes over to the edge of the nest, and cycle of learning to fly begins.

We believe consumers are king and our clients are crown bearers. We believe in upholding our word and helping our clients deliver to their customers. We are also conscious of the ever changing environment of the internet and thus we continually review and refine our methods according to the times so that our clients always stay ahead.

The long and short of it is this:-

We believe in your big dreams!

Chalton V. Moyo
Founding Director of Apptitude Inc. Zimbabwe
F: www.facebook.com/ApptitudeInc
T: @Apptitudepro
M: +263 782 6959 68

Business talk: The importance GOOD attitude in Business

What is the impact of your attitude on your business?

Your attitude rubs off on your existing and potential customers, your staff, your suppliers, your investors and all those that you come into contact with.

If you maintain a positive attitude, this will be infectious and those around you will pick up on your positive energy. Everyone in your company will feel positive and customers will want to do business with you. This in turn will lead to you maximising the performance of your business.

How to maintain a positive attitude?

Look for the positive side.
It is easy to focus on the negative when there is so much negative news around. However look for the positive side and focus on this.

Be aware of your thoughts.
Focus on how you think about different situations. If you see a list of businesses closing down in your sector do you think that your business is also doomed or do you see it as an opportunity to find new customers and maybe even increase market share.

Challenge any negative thoughts and turn them into positives.
Present a positive attitude to others. Even if you are feeling down, make sure you present a positive attitude to everyone you deal with. This will help you feel more positive and make others feel positive too.

Focus on what has gone well. Focus on what has gone well and what you have achieved. See things that have not gone so well as learning.

Be careful who you associate with.
Surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude and avoid those who are negative.
Focus on improving the performance of your business. Focus on getting your business in the best shape to weather the downturn and to maximise your short term and longer term business performance.

Keep your business goals at the forefront of your mind.
What are the goals for your business? Revisit them and make sure they are still relevant. Make sure all your current actions support your goals.

Why not try a positive attitude and see what difference it makes to you and your business. You will find that it not only maximises the performance of your business, but it will also have a positive impact on other areas of your life.

Author: Liz Makin