Many startup veterans will begin to nod in agreement when you start describing what many people call “dollhouse syndrome”.  This is a disorder common among newcomers to the startup world, and it manifests itself in the employees at a startup thinking that their company is just a smaller version of a much larger company.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Startups have a personality and cadence all their own, and by virtue of the mode of operation that they are in, they have to play by a different set of rules. 

At the same time, startups need to build the facade of being a real company to show to potential clients.

There are lot of ways to put forward a professional image without a large cash outlay, in fact this is easier to do today that it has ever been before.  The rise of cloud and “freemium” apps has enabled everyone to have a toll free number with auto-attendant, hosted webinars, branded email and more without spending much money, if any.  At Fusion electronics we worked out of an old decrepit building in an industrial park;  nearly 100% of the time that we spent with our clients was at their offices, over dinner, lunch, drinks, you name it, as long as it wasn’t at our offices.  Our presentations, attire, and of course our products projected a professional image, and that was all that mattered.  I remember leaving a meeting with a huge client, where I had spent the better part of the day talking about the things that our marketing department and our product development team were going to take care of “just for them”.  My CEO, who had attended the meeting, turned to me after we left and said “So, none of those guys have figured out that it’s just you yet?” I like to think that I had them all fooled, but in reality they probably knew all along.

Sometimes, the hardest part is shifting gears;  it’s easy to come back from a meeting with a Fortune 100 client and look at your own shoddy digs, and let dollhouse syndrome take over.  You want those things that they have, like chairs that all match, networking equipment that has no duct tape on it, and so on.  It’s easy to fall into the trap of being emotional and spending money to “right the wrongs” done by earlier companies (or your own company), instead of staying lean, iterating, and scaling when appropriate (The Customer Development Model).  There is a time and a place for all of these changes, and the metamorphosis from startup to real company happens organically over time, not overnight by moving to new offices or buying a fleet of matching company cars.

A colleague of mine recently purchased an iPhone, giving in to the pressure of being one of the only employees our firm to not have one.  He returned from our local apple store absolutely in awe of the experience that he had there.  From the time he walked into the store until he walked out with his shiny new phone his experience was managed in a way that he had never experienced before.  He returned to the office and immediately asked me what it would take to duplicate this experience at our firm.  Which got me thinking about what it was, exactly, that made the Apple experience so differentiated.

Again, looking at the 3-pronged model of branding, we see that Apple is executing on all 3 prongs.

First, product.   Apple seems to have a knack for making products that people lust after in both design and function.  It is obvious that Apple invests a great deal of time and money in R&D, quite the opposite of many of their peers, who lately seem content to re-badge ODM products and call it “product development”.  Apple maintains a very close relationship with their hardware suppliers, allowing them to circumvent design issues that would normally arise when products are designed far away from where they are manufactured.

Second, Pre-Sales.  As soon as you walk into an Apple store you will notice how differently they are merchandised from almost any other consumer electronics chain.  In fact, the layout of the Apple store aligns more with other “lifestyle” stores, like Anthropology.  Rather than segregating products by type, in an Apple store, products are arranged in lifestyle groups. A laptop is positioned together with an iPod and a digital camera, showcasing not just the products, but the ease at which they all work together.  By doing this, Apple is building ownership through the product demo;  when a user can picture themselves using the product in the same way as it is being demonstrated, you are likely to increase your conversions.

Lastly, and most importantly, After-Sales Support.  Two words:  Apple Care.  I have owned two Apple laptops, and each time I have purchased the Apple Care warranty for them.  As a person traveling for a living, I can be a little hard on my computers.  I can name at least half a dozen times where I experienced catastrophic failures.  Be it a failed logic board or burned out hard drive, the outcome is always exactly the same:

• Go online, schedule appointment
• Show up at local Apple store, hand over computer to Genius Bar
• Come back 1 to 24 hours later
• Genius hands back fully working computer, and bill for $0.00 for me to sign
• Get back to work!

That’s it.  I bring it in. They fix it.  The only question I ever get is, “what’s wrong with it”. In the world of tech customer service, Apple has no equal, at least in my opinion.  Others may argue, but would be hard pressed say that Apple not at least in the top 5 or 10.  At a time when other manufacturers are outsourcing ever deeper levels of support, Apple is keeping all aspects of their brand close to vest, a smart move, and a very strategic differentiation from the competition.  Clearly, this strategy is paying off;  a recent ACSI study reported that Apple held the number one customer satisfaction spot for the 5th straight year.

A firm can make great products, they can do a great job in pre-sales by generating interest, and they can provide excellent service after the purchase.  But if they are not managing all 3 prongs, the system is going to break down along the way.  Your brand extends far beyond what you are and what you say to encompass your people and your products as they are experienced by the customer.

In closing, one very important detail to remember, especially as a smaller firm, is that nobody can be everything to everyone.  One hallmark of success that I have seen time and time again is to focus on one market segment, and execute there better than anyone else.   Southwest airlines is a great example of this trait;  they continue on the same path of innovation that brought them where they are today.  While other airlines have tried to compete in the budget space, and budget carriers have tried to move upmarket, Southwest has steadfastly held strong their core brand.  Simple booking (pre-sales), no assigned seats, quick gate flips (product) come together with the best attitude in the airline industry (post sale support) to round out their brand.