The Scissor Sisters’ Lesson for Small Businesses

The other day, I bought a new record, the Scissor Sisters’ Night Work. While I was having my first listen and gazing at the album sleeve, I realized that there was a great lesson in it for enlightened small businesses.

The album cover itself is not of the traditional “glamorous picture of the band” type. Rather, it is a somewhat sleazy and very direct photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe, the renowned (and controversial!) artist who had his heyday in the 1980’s.

The album cover makes a very bold statement about the contents of the record. The black and white picture has a late 1970’s or early 1980′s look, and the title, “Night Work” implies an album full of music suitable for late nights on the town. Furthermore, if you do not like the subject matter of the photograph, you probably will not care for the lyrics of the songs, either.

But what makes a pop group’s album sleeve a case study for small business marketing?

1. Well, it sets up expectations in the customer. It says, “if you like somewhat sleazy ’70s music, buy me.”
2. It also increases customer satisfaction for the perfect customer, because they get exactly what they were expecting.
3. Finally, it warns away imperfect customers who recognize that this record is definitely not for them.

Does your packaging – for example, your website – evoke the right expectations in your clients?

Let’s take a look at another example: the Enlightened Marketing website, which is currently in its second version. Now, you, the Enlightened Marketing community, are the judge of whether the website creates the right expectations for when you work with us. I can say, though, that the new design arose in part directly from your feedback. Again and again we heard (with regard to the original website): “The design of the website does not match up with the energy and inspiration that we feel when we work with Enlightened Marketing.”

Therefore, when we designed the look of EnlightenedMarketing.com, we combined earth tones with the bold orange highlights and included a dynamic picture of Samantha in the header to boost the energy level.

The look and feel of your brand needs to be both congruent and consistent.

• It must evoke the right expectations in your clients – and help fulfill them.
• It needs to be consistent, because consistency builds trust.

For example, when we launched Attracting Perfect Clients, we included familiar imagery and used the same color scheme. Even though Attracting Perfect Clients is by far the most affordable option for working with us, it still combines the proven, Fortune 100-tested help you expect, mixed in with the energy and the “magical thinking” that can make your marketing enlightened.

Now, remember when I mentioned the packaging scaring away the wrong clients? Our website does that, too. See the flower in the logo? That “more joy” part of the tag line? Those send out signals to clients who expect cut-throat tactics that they will not feel at home in the Enlightened Marketing community.

So, when you are evaluating the design elements of your brand – your website, stationery, business cards, etc. – there are two questions that you need to ask yourself:

1. “Does this create the right expectations for my perfect client?”
2. “Is this consistent with my brand and what I’ve taught my audience to expect?”

By approaching with intention these issues – congruency and consistency – you will attract clients who are the right fit for you, create expectations you can fulfill and build a trustworthy and profitable brand.

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