Are You Living Your Corporate Brand?

Are you living your company/corporate brand? It sounds like an awkward question, because for many in large account management but it shouldn’t be. I wish more sales professionals would think more about this question as it shapes how we view the world in business in the present and future.  

I have always been proud to wear any of my employers golf shirts, jackets etc. No problem. The big element in living your company brand goes way beyond wearing a piece of clothing with a logo on it. Since our customers are both external and internal, I thought I would share a couple of examples of living my company brand.

In Toronto, we have an organization for retailers and media people to meet called The Retail Advertising Club (RAC). On a yearly basis RAC holds its annual meeting and awards ceremony. One of the categories advertisers and advertising agencies compete in is Free Standing Inserts (FSI). And, more specifically insert creativity, effectiveness etc. Any winner of one of these awards would be over the moon. To have an advertising agency win is really big, because these awards attract new clients. Every retailer wants to be associated with the top winning advertising agency in their category. 

About two days before the RAC Awards entry deadline, I get a call from Greg Crombie, CEO of Building No. 4 Marketing. Greg is a long- time friend and wanted to land one of these awards and asked if I (The National Insert Manger for The Hollinger Newspaper Group) would look at his submissions. I said “sure send them to me right away and I will work on them now”. I knew time was super close. I read Greg’s submissions in three insert categories and they were excellent as one would expect from a marketer of his caliber. What I saw were a bunch of small tidy ups that would add colour and flavour to Greg’s submissions to give them a storyline that would resonate with the judges. Greg was thrilled with my recommendations and our hope was that of the three submissions had a shot at a win. 

I was unable to attend the RAC gala so, when I got a call from Greg the next day I nearly fell off my chair. Greg and his agency had won in every category they entered. The chances of this happening were just plain remote. The two of us old friends laughed our backsides off!! More importantly it brought our close relationship even closer. I was a supplier who pulled one of my important friend’s/customer’s into the winners circle when he wanted to rise up in the important insert business category. To me this was living my corporate brand big time and I know that Greg’s buttons were busting for weeks!!  

(Special note….we lost Greg to cancer about a year or so after he won these awards. I miss Greg dearly. He was and still is a friend’s/friend.)

In 1995 I had logged about nine years with the Retail Team at Southam/Hollinger. The newspaper business had been fun, but I needed a change. I wanted some national advertising agency exposure which, I believed I would receive if I could land a sales position with one of our national magazines. A posting went up for sale role with the magazine and I knew that gang at the brand and liked them. It looked like a great fit for me. 

Just as I was getting ready to apply for the magazine sales position with my boss’s blessing, my coordinator Jack walked into my office and asks me if we can have a quiet word. No problem. Jack was an amazing person who worked so hard for me and the team that it would be an honour to help him in any way I could, business or personal.

Jack said that he loved working for the retail team but needed a new challenge. I agreed. Smart. He said “I am applying for the national magazine sales position”. I paused for a moment trying to think about how to address my friend. I said “Jack you are making a great decision. It is time for you to grow. There is one challenge for you. I am applying for the same role”. Jack looked at me like I had just shot his dog. He said something to the effect of “ I can’t beat you so…”. I said “Jack not so fast. We are going to get you ready for interviewing for this position and I am going to prepare you so well that there will be a decent chance that you can win the role.” Jack looked at me like I had lost my marbles. He just sat there and pondered what I had said. He asked “Why would you do this? Why would you prepare me to try to beat you?” Again, I thought carefully…I said “Jack as my coordinator, I want you to represent my best efforts and that can only happen if you are more than prepared to beat me. Secondly, there are sales jobs that come up all the time in the company and if either one of us miss the national magazine role then, we will be extra ready for the next sales opportunity. Finally, it is smart to interview for sales roles periodically to keep your interviewing skills sharp.” To be honest, I just could not do this any other way. It might sound lame, but the right thing to do does not always mean we win at all costs…it least not in my world.

Jack must have interviewed for the national magazine sales job brilliantly because, he was a different person afterward. He had a deep sense of calmness and peace. I eventually accepted the magazine role but the interviewing process ignited Jack. The next magazine role the came up in the company Jack nailed. He became so successful that he next became a publisher and a young one at that. Afterward, Jack just kept rolling up so many magazine and personal business achievements that it was hard to keep up with him. Jack is brilliant! 

My comment to all senior sales professionals and managers is to promote your people if you can. Holding people back for person gain is weak. You heard me “weak!” If those that you promoted enjoyed working with you they will be in your lane for years to come and will always be open to a conversation or perhaps to even offer to help you. You see living your company brand is much more than a grab bag full of logo’d material. Sure, I was proud to wear my company merchandise, I am even more proud that through my corporate role I was able to make a big difference in other’s lives.

Patrick Tinney, Founder and Managing Partner

 Centroid Training & Marketing 

    Author of “Unlocking Yes the Revised Edition: Sales Negotiation Lessons & Strategy” & “Perpetual Hunger: Sales Prospecting Lessons & Strategy”

For more information or to comment, please contact [email protected]

Twitter @ Centroideals

Copyright 2019