Every day, businesspeople are inundated with salespeople vying for their attention and their dollars. We may be the 10th or 15th person that has walked in their door or called or emailed that day asking for time. The first thing our prospect is thinking is, "Why should I give this person my time, let alone give them my money?" In other words, we have to answer the question, "Why?"
A large part of answering the question , "Why?" is developing our personal brand. Just as products must develop a "brand", so must we. What do we stand for? How do we communicate that we are professional marketers that can help our clients to raise revenue? What makes us different?
Which leads me to the picture of the cute little dog on this page. His name is Trip and he is the goodwill ambassador for the Hotel Indigo in Columbus, Indiana.
Part of the brand that Hotel Indigos have built revolves around a dog who lives in the hotel, greets guests and provides a touch of home to weary travelers. And, they also provide fish (in fishbowls) should you wish to have one in your room during your stay. These are two ways that Hotel Indigo stands out from other hotels.
So, what about us? What do we do to build our personal brands? People don't buy what we do, they buy WHY we do it. We need a "Why?" script. Do you have one? If not, take some time and create one.
Building our personal brand requires continuous exposure. What we tell our clients about building their brands applies to us as well. How are you using social media to expand your brand? Do we communicate the problems we are solving for clients, the successes we have had, on the various platforms?
How do you establish value? Do you blog? Do you send newsletters to clients? How do you network? Do you have a personal slogan? Do you coordinate your clients' advertising across multiple platforms, even if you don't sell all the platforms? What value do you and your team offer your clients? What one word would people associate with you?
Success in today's crowded environment requires going a step beyond "good service". It requires exceptional service. It requires being different. No, you don't have to provide puppies or fish, but you should provide continuous exposure for your brand: for YOU! Higher revenue awaits!
