Cogni-what?

While it's not my way to flaunt 40-dollar words, cognitive dissonance is a term all marketers and communicators should be aware of. It could mean the difference between clients who close the deal and clients who close the door.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychology term that refers to the way our brains are always looking for consistency between beliefs we've already formed and any new information or impressions we receive. For instance, if you went to a Rolls Royce showroom, you'd have a good idea of how the place would look, how the salespeople would be dressed, and how you'd be served. It's safe to say if you walked into the dealership expecting to be treated like Prince Charles and encountered a salesman wearing overalls and slurping Mountain Dew, a floor covered in sawdust and Hank Williams Jr. blaring through the sound system, you'd be shocked. Not only would you leave without a new set of car keys, you'd probably head for the nearest hospital for a brain scan.

An extreme example, perhaps--and my apologies to overalls-loving, country music fans--but this is cognitive dissonance.

Do your customers or prospects have certain expectations when they dial your number, visit your Website or stop by your office? You bet they do. And what happens when their experiences are at odds with their beliefs? At the minimum, they're puzzled or disappointed. At worst, they're so put-off they'll take their business elsewhere.

Anytime you interact with the public, you have the opportunity to create either cognitive assonance--when expectations and experiences mesh--or cognitive dissonance. Your "proxies"--Website, brochures, signage, printed policies, invoices, business cards, even your lobby or offices--also have an impact on how well your customers' expectations jibe with their impressions.

How do you avoid cognitive dissonance? First, be clear about the expectations your clients and prospects hold. For example, if you're a lawyer or financial professional, they'll expect a sober, formal, traditional, successful image, from the way you're dressed to the verbiage on your Website to the colors on your business card.

Then audit all the ways your company makes itself known to world. These include:

Signage: It goes without saying that if you have signs, they should be clear and free of spelling and grammatical errors, and their tone should be friendly and welcoming. With the exception of a biker bar or maybe a pawn shop, I can't think of any businesses that benefit from having rude, offensive or sternly worded mandates hanging about. For instance, the neighborhood family pizza joint I frequent serves some of the best pizza in town, but has silly rules posted that raise my hackles: "Check takeout orders before leaving. We are NOT responsible for incorrect orders after you leave!" and "Absolutely no checks." These messages contrast sharply with the warm, friendly staff. I won't stop eating their pizza because of their poor PR practices, but you can bet if another pizza place with comparable food opened nearby, I'd be tempted to defect.

Website: Not only should your Website be as professional looking as your brochures and other marketing collateral, it should share the same tone, messaging and design. If a customer or prospect reads one thing in your brochure, hears another thing from one of your customer associates and reads something else again on your Website, he's not going to be in a buying mood.

Front-line employees: A toy store with grouchy, potty-mouthed clerks? A physician practice with gossipy, unfeeling nurses? That's a recipe for cognitive dissonance. It's fair to say that many businesses don't spend enough time training their employees to represent the company in the best possible light. If possible, take a cue from mystery shoppers and call or visit your company anonymously. Then make training or hiring adjustments to better reflect your company mission and image.

Printed materials: Have a trusted advisor, friend or client review all your printed materials--business cards, letterhead, brochures, invoices, fax cover sheets, policies, manuals, etc.--for inconsistencies between wording and the image you hope to project. And keep in mind that an organization that receives charitable or public dollars should have somewhat subdued, moderately-priced materials unless it's clear that a for-profit company sponsored them. Conversely, a business that caters to an affluent crowd should have materials that convey wealth and high status through paper choice, color, design and typography.

Don't get me wrong. Sometimes it's good to dash expectations, as in the ugly duckling who attends her 20th class reunion as a svelte, ravishing swan. But when it comes to your business, consistency counts.