How Important is Branding Personality When Choosing Marketing Clients?

Personality types shape businesses. It may seem important not to incorporate personality with business, but that’s not exactly practical. A business’ brand is shaped by products/ services as well as a company’s employees. Considering personality is important when hiring employees and when choosing clients in any business relationship, both of which, you will work with regularly.

Surrounding yourself with diversity and different points of view can educate and open your mind, and is important in order to grow as a person. However, if the viewpoints are radical and boarder on the edge of your personal and company belief system, it is reasonable to avoid this potential client. Because branding is so heavily based on values, these “drastic differences” can harm your branding strategy.  If any client wants to sway your values, they are not a good client. While it is true that opposites do incite some healthy rivalry, if all client and marketer do is butt heads, it can be counterproductive for both businesses. Every client personality does not have to be identical to your business personality, but you do need to ensure that your personalities and ethics are compatible enough to get the job done right. Here is a checklist to help you identify clients with compatible personality types:

•    Get to know your prospective client! Set up meetings to foster client relationship management:  gain information about their goals and establish a dialogue so all parties can feel comfortable in sharing honest opinion.
•    Review the company’s mission statement. Do their beliefs line up (or at least not battle) with yours?
•    Read press releases, reviews, advertisements, and anything else you can find to ensure that their message reflects their mission.
•    Research a company’s reputation and find out what the company has been through in the past. Read a company’s reviews; find out what they’re already good at and what they might be able to improve with a marketing firm’s help.
•    Find out where the company is going and what they wish to achieve. What do the employees expect to see in the near future, and will you want to support where they are going?
•    Keep records of clients you’ve worked with (good and bad) so that you won’t make the same mistakes twice.

Businesses should search for clients with similar personalities and ethics. Not every client will fit your business’ mold perfectly: there will be ups and downs. Business owners need to be aware of personality when choosing clients, and consider how the possible client’s personality may affect their business. Choosing clients is similar to choosing employees: if you interview someone that drives you crazy with polar opposite views from that of your company and want you to perform services that are unethical, you probably won’t hire them. Therefore, if you consult with a prospective client and they do not share enough similar beliefs, make sure your company’s services will still be beneficial to both parties before proceeding.

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