So, how does a small business establish a brand? Let’s start by talking about trust.

What is the foundation of trust? Trust means confidence. Distrust means suspicion.

As Steven R. Covey says in his book The Speed of Trust:

“The difference between a high and a low trust relationship is palpable. Relationships of all kinds are built on and sustained by trust. They can also be broken and destoyed by lack of trust. Try to imagine any meanful relationship without trust.”

Branding is the act of establishing instantly recognized trust with your prospect. Easy to say, right? But how do you create a brand of trust as a general contractor?

Often the quickest and easiest way to do this is by incorporating your personality into your brand.

For most construction companies, your brand is you!

You must answer the question in your prospect’s mind, “Who is behind this business, and what are they all about?” You can do this by injecting your face, your voice, and your “handshake” into your marketing system.

Reach out and touch people through your website, your advertisements, your networking activities, and your mailers. Be the brand of your company, commit to spreading your personality and integrity, and your brand will get a huge boost.

For larger companies, or for contractors who hope to sell the business someday, don’t worry. You can’t do much harm by injecting yourself into your business. For example, look at Bill Gates. He has left his position running Microsoft, but he is still injecting his image and his personality into Microsoft’s brand in those infamous PC commercials. We trust Bill Gates, and that is Microsoft’s best branding strategy.

So, put your name and face behind your business. You are your brand, and your brand is you.

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