Strong Brand Critical in Hard Economic Times, says Shelley Hall, Principal of Catalytic Management Consulting

Stow, MA - November 9, 2008: Shelley Hall was the featured Speaker at a November 6th Business Breakfast Forum sponsored by Seltzer Design of Boston, MA. Hall spoke about aligning employee behavior to support your brand and its critical role in driving revenue during economic hard times.

At the inaugural Breakfast Forum, Hall drove home how critical it is in tough economic times to maximize your brand. "A well defined brand plays a key role in differentiating a company from the pack. Whether B2B or B2C, spending right now is limited and a great brand will secure your share of those limited dollars."

The audience of Marketing and Sales executives expressed concern about eroding brands and asked what action they need to take to not only protect their brand but to be sure the brand is really working for them. "Great brands are built on the actions of employees. Your employees must act in support of your brand through out the company from sales to operations to product/service implementation" responded Hall. "Conducting an internal Brand Audit is essential to learning if and how and the brand is supported. Examine your sales proposals, letters, elevator speeches, presentations, invoices, contracts, guarantees and be sure that what they say and promise is consistent with your brand," Hall recommended.

Hall concluded her remarks at the Forum with the reminder "that your brand is your first sales call. The brand should inspire desire in your customers and prospects and should inspire the right behavior in your staff."

An active thoughtleader and speaker on how to accelerate business growth through sales effectiveness, customer loyalty and process improvement, Halls has published dozens of articles for such major business journals as Business Performance Management Magazine, CEO Refresher, The Handbook of Business Strategy, Women’s Business Journal, ManageSmarter and many more.