For entrepreneurs who only get to eat what they kill, new business hunting is an important corporate activity. Can’t find anything, we go hungry – not a happy state of affairs!

Hunting might mean advertising, sending an email blast or networking. The whole purpose is to identify suspects, whom we can convert into prospects and eventually customers.

Converting suspects to prospects and customers is seldom easy. But it can go a whole lot better if you’ve set your trap – your BrandTrap that is.

Every successful business has a BrandTrap. Don’t worry, it won’t get you into hot water with Ducks Unlimited or any other like-minded group. The trap is baited with the position you’ve staked out in the marketplace. Your brand. The way your organization and the products and services you offer are thought of by the people you’re trying to reel in. That’s the whole reason for proactive branding – to distinguish your organization from others…to become known for something that resonates with suspects and prospects…and to make it absolutely clear what you stand for and why someone should consider doing business with your firm.

Think about Russell Oliver, the Cashman, whose in-your-face ads have helped make him one very wealthy man. You might not like his style, but you have to admire his audacity and tenacity. If you live in Southern Ontario and have some jewellery to sell, Oliver Jewellery is one stop you just have to make.

What are you known for? What position have you staked out in the hearts and minds of those who are important to your success? If that’s not absolutely clear, consider asking a few friends and business associates a simple question, “When you think of me what comes to mind?” This is probably something that should not be done face-to-face. Let’s face it, if someone thinks you’re a schmuck they’re unlikely to own up to it. Do it by email or, better still, enlist the help of a friend or colleague. And include a ‘Not Sure’ category. A bunch of ticks in this box can be just as telling as any other feedback you get.

Remember, positioning is not about who you are. It’s about identifying a space that you can own, something uniquely yours that resonates with prospects and customers, finding out what people think you are, and building a strategy to close the gap between these two points.

When it comes to creating and sustaining a profitable business enterprise, engaging your employees’ interest in building a strong corporate brand isn’t everything – it’s about the only thing that matters. Every employee, regardless of title or department, has the power to influence what customers think of your organization. Each has the power to influence whether prospects buy, and customers buy again. Each can influence referrals and job satisfaction. Some exert their influence directly through their dealings with external customers. Others exert their influence indirectly by serving others in your organization. Why would your employees care about building a strong corporate brand? Greater job security will resonate with some. But the most powerful reasons include opportunities for personal growth and more challenging work.  From a corporate standpoint, employees represent an extremely cost-effective way of establishing customer relationships that will survive the occasional lapse in service or quality. It’s a win-win situation that should be particularly appealing, given the current prospect of a slowing economy or worse.

You’ve invested time and money to build a brand that commands attention and compels customers to trust, try and buy. The journey hasn’t been easy. And it’s never over. But your hard work and single-minded focus is paying off.But having a successful brand can be something of a two-edged sword. On the one hand, success can come with bullish demand, higher prices and committed customers – results that make all those late nights, lost weekends and interminable discussions about value proposition and core values seem worthwhile.On the other, it attracts a certain amount of baggage. Expectant stakeholders, for example. More and more they expect a business to live up to the promises it’s made. They expect an unwaivering commitment to ethical practices. They’re holding businesses accountable on the ‘green’ front. And they expect management to ensure the right products, with the right quality at the right prices. In short, they expect a vigilant leadership team that’s on top of any and every performance-impacting variable.Fail to live up to these expectations and there are consequences.Just ask Conrad Black what can happen when shareholders think management has been acting in a manner that runs counter to their interests. Talk to the Forzani Group (that’s Sport Chek, Coast Mountain Sports, National Sports and other retail marques) about the impact of languishing sales on stock price. Or broach the subject of product quality with Menu Foods and, well, run for cover. After recalling more than a million cans of tainted pet food, Menu Foods has been trying to stem a disastrous customer exodus including the loss, in mid-August, of a customer that accounted for over 10 per cent of its annual sales volume.The lesson for senior teams is obvious. Deliver what stakeholders consider important or suffer the consequences. Big brands attract big expectations. We ignore them at our peril.