I recently celebrated another trip around the sun and this year had an unexpected turn of events I’ll never forget.

In my previous musing, I mentioned being invited to a grade seven reunion and immediately rejecting the idea of attending.

Well, I guess the universe had other plans for me.

Right after writing that article, I discovered one of my classmates who had set up a booth at a marketing event I was speaking at!

Lynn was so gracious, she immediately invited me to lunch where she and other women from that grade seven class were meeting.

It just so happens lunch landed a day before my birthday so they made it a birthday celebration! I never had birthday parties growing up, so this was truly special for me.

Naturally, more and more memories came flooding back from way back then and one reminded me of how long-lasting first impressions are.

I believe it was grade seven and I was invited to Rhonda’s birthday party. There were four or five of us and we decided we were going to be all grown up and have a cup of coffee.

I had never drank coffee before but hey, I was willing to give it a try.

Oh boy, talk about a first impression!

I was encouraged to add sugar to the cup of steaming beverage to offset the bitterness. A few heaping tablespoons later, I put the cup to my lips, anticipating I would love the experience and be a fan forever.

Not.

It was horrible.

I couldn’t believe how bad it tasted!

Why on Earth do people like this stuff?

No thanks. That single sip was enough for me.

I pushed the mug away, vowing to never subject myself to that torture again.

And I didn’t.

I never drank coffee again after that first impression.

I went off to the coffee competitor and became a tea lover from then on.

Now imagine your website being a cup of coffee.

Most people love coffee, so it would be a safe assumption that when your target audience visits it, they would love your website, right?

Not so fast.

What if your website was drenched in sugar, making it a huge turn-off?

And by sugar, I mean it:

• Doesn’t have the right messaging that will resonate with your target audience
• Uses colours that subconsciously give people a negative impression
• Has unappealing imagery that makes users think this isn’t for them
• Tries to sell rather than inviting them to explore more

When that happens, their first and lasting impression is that they are in the wrong place.

This was not for them and they move on to your competition.

That’s how brand positioning works.

If the first impression of your brand is a negative one, no matter where they are on the customer journey, you have lost their trust and they have moved on.

Is there a chance to win them back?

Maybe, but it would require diving deep into your brand positioning and knowing exactly how to present your brand to your ideal clients so you can win them over by convincing them you are their best choice.

Remember I said I never drank coffee again after that grade seven coffee debacle? That was true until very recently.

For the past few years, I have been immersing myself in the world of biohacking. It’s a practice of creating healthy habits to assist with aging gracefully.

And coffee kept coming up as a good practice to have.

I resisted. A lot.

But then I heard about Bulletproof Coffee.

Bulletproof Coffee is different from a regular cup of Joe. It has additional ingredients that make it much more appealing because the benefits are what I’m looking for on my biohacking journey.

So I decided I just had to give coffee another try and brewed my first cup a few months ago.

Was it a taste of heaven? Nope, but with all of the other ingredients I added in, it was good enough for me to drink almost daily.

The added benefits overruled my initial misgivings about coffee and I was converted.

So yes, with a little bit of effort, you can convert those that experienced a poor first impression of your brand to ensure it’s resonating with the people you want to serve.

It happened to me with coffee, so I’m proof it can happen for you, too!

Need help with positioning your brand in a way that ensures those first impressions are positive ones? I’d be happy to give you some quick tips on how you can turn things around. Let’s chat.

About the Author, Susan Friesen

Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.

Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.

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