Personal Branding: How to Market and Position Yourself
Personal Branding: How to Market and Position Yourself
Well the truth is that depending on the type of business you are in, each time that question is asked, it could be worth thousands of dollars. Dollars that most people will never see because they don’t realize that the question is really an invitation, an opportunity to gain valuable referrals or even direct business if you know the right way to answer the question.
The problem is that most people bungle the “What do you do?” question by using their title or occupation. When you position yourself that way, you put yourself into a box that at least half the people you meet, will never care to open.
In my workbook “How to build a Successful Advisory Practice: A step-by-step guide for coaches, financial planners, insurance professionals, CPA’s and attorneys who want to break though their current income ceilings and/or cut their work hours,” I discuss the positioning process in depth. Answering the question “what do you do?” is the first step of that process.
Here are some examples of identity statements that work:
1 “I run a company called Priority Living Systems. I work with financial advisors who want to break through their income ceilings and cut their working hours.”
2 “I work with CPA’s who want to grow their practice and get more out of life.”
3 “I work with business owners who want to increase sales and productivity”
4 “I work with realtors who want a more consistent income”
5 “I work with corporations who want to improve productivity and professionals who want more time off.”
6 “I work with small business owners who want to sell their business and retire within five years.”
Do you see how compelling a good identity statement can be?
Tips for turning “What do you do?” into a business or referral opportunity
1. Let people know exactly WHO you work with – your target market. When they can picture the type of people or companies you do business with, their mind will seek out connections for you.
2. Use simple 7th grade English in your statement so that people can relate to you and understand exactly what you mean. Don’t bore them with a long drawn out mission statement –they will want to change the subject as soon as possible.
3. Make your statement easy to say and easy to repeat.
4. Be succinct and relatively brief — use the word “and” only once.
5. Write out fifty drafts quickly, suspending judgment, before deciding on the one you’ll use. (Variations may be slight as sometimes just a change in word order makes a big difference in how it rolls off your tongue.)
6. Access your brain’s creativity center: Writing is generally better than typing to get the right brain working.
7. Use powerful, proactive language. (e.g., “work with” instead of “help”, “run” instead of “own”)
8. Stay client-focused and prevent insincerity by using the following formats:
• I work with (target market) who want (desire or problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market 1) and (target market 2) who want (desire or problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market) who want (desire/ problem to be solved) and (desire/ problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market 1) who want (desire/ problem to solve) and (target market 2) who want (desire/problem to solve).
You have taken the first step toward positioning yourself for success. If you want to complete the process and learn how to market yourself more successfully, get the workbook. That small investment will be worth its weight in gold.
Personal Branding How to Market and Position Yourself - To learn more about this author, visit Mandy Bass's Website.
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I bet you would be VERY wealthy right now if you had a dollar for every time you were asked: “What do you do?”
Well the truth is that depending on the type of business you are in, each time that question is asked, it could be worth thousands of dollars. Dollars that most people will never see because they don’t realize that the question is really an invitation, an opportunity to gain valuable referrals or even direct business if you know the right way to answer the question.
The problem is that most people bungle the “What do you do?” question by using their title or occupation. When you position yourself that way, you put yourself into a box that at least half the people you meet, will never care to open.
In my workbook “How to build a Successful Advisory Practice: A step-by-step guide for coaches, financial planners, insurance professionals, CPA’s and attorneys who want to break though their current income ceilings and/or cut their work hours,” I discuss the positioning process in depth. Answering the question “what do you do?” is the first step of that process.
Here are some examples of identity statements that work:
1 “I run a company called Priority Living Systems. I work with financial advisors who want to break through their income ceilings and cut their working hours.”
2 “I work with CPA’s who want to grow their practice and get more out of life.”
3 “I work with business owners who want to increase sales and productivity”
4 “I work with realtors who want a more consistent income”
5 “I work with corporations who want to improve productivity and professionals who want more time off.”
6 “I work with small business owners who want to sell their business and retire within five years.”
Do you see how compelling a good identity statement can be?
Tips for turning “What do you do?” into a business or referral opportunity
1. Let people know exactly WHO you work with – your target market. When they can picture the type of people or companies you do business with, their mind will seek out connections for you.
2. Use simple 7th grade English in your statement so that people can relate to you and understand exactly what you mean. Don’t bore them with a long drawn out mission statement –they will want to change the subject as soon as possible.
3. Make your statement easy to say and easy to repeat.
4. Be succinct and relatively brief — use the word “and” only once.
5. Write out fifty drafts quickly, suspending judgment, before deciding on the one you’ll use. (Variations may be slight as sometimes just a change in word order makes a big difference in how it rolls off your tongue.)
6. Access your brain’s creativity center: Writing is generally better than typing to get the right brain working.
7. Use powerful, proactive language. (e.g., “work with” instead of “help”, “run” instead of “own”)
8. Stay client-focused and prevent insincerity by using the following formats:
• I work with (target market) who want (desire or problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market 1) and (target market 2) who want (desire or problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market) who want (desire/ problem to be solved) and (desire/ problem to be solved).
• I work with (target market 1) who want (desire/ problem to solve) and (target market 2) who want (desire/problem to solve).
You have taken the first step toward positioning yourself for success. If you want to complete the process and learn how to market yourself more successfully, get the workbook. That small investment will be worth its weight in gold.
Personal Branding How to Market and Position Yourself - To learn more about this author, visit Mandy Bass's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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