Why Sales Improve When Branding Comes First

I often get approached by companies that need sales, which makes sense. They want to grow their business, and revenue is the most obvious way to do that. However, the order in which you grow your business should look like this:

Branding

Marketing

Sales

The Order Most Businesses Get Wrong

Let’s start by defining each and why this order matters.

Branding: It’s who you are and what you offer. It’s your potential clients perception of you.

Marketing: Marketing is how you communicate your brand to your target audience.

Sales: When you truly understand your brand and communicate it clearly to the right audience, sales become a natural outcome.

Branding

If sales are not coming in, I would first revisit your brand, then look at the marketing you’re doing and make changes from there.

Sales are a reflection of how well you understand your brand and how aligned your marketing is with it.

One thing I’ve seen time and time again, both personally and with clients, is this: no matter how good your product or service is, how you present it to the world can be the difference between someone buying or moving on. When branding is done right, it attracts the right people. The people who understand the value, trust what they’re seeing, and feel confident purchasing.

Branding doesn’t need to be overcomplicated, but it does need to be focused. It’s the face of your business and, especially online, it’s often the first and only impression people get. That’s why it’s worth investing in.

No matter the size of your business, whether you are a solopreneur or a company with hundreds of employees, branding matters. If we use a house as an analogy, branding is the foundation. It’s the part you need to get right before anything else can truly work.

When I do branding work with clients, I typically approach it in this order:

• Create a clear vision, mission, and set of values

• Create a brand document that brings all supporting brand elements into one place. This usually includes things like three core words, a tagline, a brand essence statement, tone of voice, keywords, and other reference points that guide all future marketing

• Define brand colours, usually five, along with one or two fonts

• Design or refine a logo if needed, including any necessary variations. I’m a fan of minimalism and believe less is more

Important: Branding is long term.

Marketing

Marketing is the next foundational layer. It’s simply the act of communicating your brand to the right people.

Once you understand your brand, you gain clarity on who your target audience actually is. From there, you can identify the easiest and most effective ways to communicate with them, whether that’s through Google Ads, email marketing, META ads, podcast advertising, or other channels.

Important: Marketing represents the short-term action items and ongoing to-do list that brings your brand to market.

Sales

Sales are the result of clarity and communication.

Clarity comes from understanding your brand.

Communication comes from marketing your brand effectively.

When branding and marketing are aligned, sales feel natural. When they are not aligned, sales feel forced.

So ask yourself this: What do your sales currently feel like?

If you want clarity before spending another dollar, let’s talk.

Onwards,

Dean