Many businesses suffer from a serious case of multiple personality disorder. They have one “face” on their business cards, a second “face” on their storefront, and various others on the documents they generate. Customers will certainly be unable to determine the mission and goals of your business if you do not communicate those messages to them. Building a brand identity is simply a matter of choosing a single “face” for your business and presenting that face to your customers as part of every exchange. Brand identity can also be thought of as your company’s personality in the community.

Oftentimes we are very caught up in the day-to-day business of communicating information as quickly as we can without taking time to think about how that information will be perceived by those who receive it. We would never think of giving children birthday presents wrapped in burlap bags. The wrapping prepares the recipient for the gift. It only makes sense that if we want our messages to be understood, we should present those messages in a manner that is consistent with their content. A key ingredient in building a strong brand identity is proper presentation of documents to employees, customers, and potential clients.

If simply slap together your business proposals, your prospective clients may also wonder if you will treat their business projects in the same fashion. You can communicate a sense of professionalism and quality from the get-go by binding your reports and proposals. As soon as your prospective clients and employees see the manner in which you present your company’s message, they will realize that you are serious, organized, and professional. Binding communicates a sense of permanence and forethought that others will associate with quality. Bound documents do not appear to be the last-minute efforts of unconcerned managers; they demonstrate careful thought and planning ahead. You can choose from plastic combs, spiral coil, double loop wire, Velobind, Proclick, Zipbind or Unibind for your business communications to ensure the quality of the packaging serves as a visual indicator of the quality of the contents.

Binding can serve as part of a powerful solution to setting your company and brand apart. Consistent labeling, messaging, and presentation will let your future clients and employees know that you are an accomplished and serious professional. It can take up to a dozen interactions to make a lasting positive impression on a customer. Choose the image you would like to convey, and then select the specific things you can do with your communications to communicate this image.

In addition to establishing your business as a place of quality and attention to detail, binding your documents allows you to create custom documents that look as polished and professional as a big print run. You can give your smallest clients the same sense of importance and attention as you the biggest ones-all through the packaging of your communications with them. Once you establish a brand identity backed by quality service, you will see your business grow based on word of mouth as your satisfied clients share their experiences with others.