Tweet

The 3 Kinds Of Confusing Brands And What To Do About Them

Guest post by: Erin Ferree

Article Overview: “What do you do?” Such an innocent and curious question! And in the small business world, it’s where so many conversations go horribly wrong. As the other person starts to answer, a funny thing happens. The conversation starts spinning out of control. Maybe they’re talking too much. Maybe they don’t really know how to answer. Or perhaps they decide, on the spot, to make up and “try out” a new reply they’ve never given before. In any case, the person who asked the question in the first place goes from curious to confused, and starts looking, desperately, for the door. Don’t be the business owner who’s confusing the nice, curious people you’re meeting. Here’s a handy guide to the 3 kinds of confusing brands and what to do about each one:

The 3 Kinds Of Confusing Brands And What To Do About Them

Such an innocent and curious question! And in the small business world, it’s where so many conversations go horribly wrong.

As the other person starts to answer, a funny thing happens. The conversation starts spinning out of control. Maybe they’re talking too much. Maybe they don’t really know how to answer. Or perhaps they decide, on the spot, to make up and “try out” a new reply they’ve never given before.

In any case, the person who asked the question in the first place goes from curious to confused, and starts looking, desperately, for the door.

Don’t be the business owner who’s confusing the nice, curious people you’re meeting. Here’s a handy guide to the 3 kinds of confusing brands and what to do about each one:

1. The “Talking Too Much” Brand

We’ve all seen this Confusing Brand in action.

When you meet the “Says Too Much” Brand Owner at a networking event, and innocently ask them, “What do you do”… you get back an entire novel!

They tell you all about the dozens of things they can do. Then they tell you their entire personal story. And their plans for the future. They just keep talking and talking!

And you’re wondering… what are they really trying to say? How can they be good at all the things they’re talking about? Are they just desperate for business? And… most importantly… how can I get OUT of this conversation?

You’re not engaged or interested in what they’re saying. They’re talking so much that you can’t even remember where they started. They’re making a terrible first impression. And you’re both wasting your time.

If you’re the “Talks Too Much” Entrepreneur, you need to focus your brand message down to what’s really important, unique and interesting for your ideal client. Be precise and extremely clear with your message. You need to learn how to say enough to create interest, hunger and desire… and then stop there! (I bet you never thought I’d tell you to stop talking about your brand!)

2. The “I Don’t Know” Brand

You’re unsure about what your business is all about, or what you stand for.

You don’t have a really clear picture of who you want to work with (really, you’d work with just about anyone who’d pay you!). You know you want great clients in your dream business but don’t know exactly what that means to you!

You don’t know what to do or say in your brand or your marketing. You spend a lot of time thinking about what to write or stressing about what to say.

You may spend a lot of time looking at other peoples’ marketing “just to get ideas” or modeling other peoples’ messages or programs instead of creating your own stuff and getting it out there.

You may even try to find a mentor to give you an idea – or even ask them to just tell you what to do. The problem with that is that then you’re running your business based on someone else’s vision, which you may not clearly understand, yourself – and your clients can see right through that. You’ll look fake and phony!

You need to figure out what’s really important and unique about what you do. You need to answer those questions for yourself and own it with confidence so that you can express what their business is all about.

3. The “Reinventing The Wheel” Brand

You’re constantly trying out different things in their brand. Reinventing the wheel.

This is the most exhausting kind of Confusing Brand to have.

You keep changing your message, your offerings, your services, and your title. You change their web site over and over again.

You’re reinventing the wheel because you aren’t deeply committed to what you’ve been doing. You don’t feel like you’ve found “your thing” yet.

You know that you’re supposed to be launching products and marketing things, and you need to make money… so you just keep making up new stuff as you go along.

You feel like nothing’s working. You keep trying so hard and not seeing results. People never seem to buy the stuff you put out there.

And you’re so tired from coming up with new stuff all the time! You’re a little burnt out and crispy around the edges.

To get clear, you need to make a commitment. To put your stake in the ground and claim your space. To choose one direction to go in, make a plan and stick with it for success.

If you confuse your clients or yourself when you try to answer the question, “What do you do?”, then you’ll have a harder time getting clients, doing your marketing and making money. Figure out what kind of Confused Brand you are today and start getting clear now!

Related Articles
  Brands 50% more popular than celebrities in social media
  Multi-Brand Franchising May be Declining
  Did you know: NIIT Franchise was present in Malaysia in 1997?
  Open the umbrella brand strategy
  Mines a BMW thats me
  Variety is the spice of Facebook life
  Sales Coaching – 1 SIMPLE Way to Get More Business
  Are You a "Brand Behind a Brand?"
  Does Social Media Effect your Brand Value?
  Using Freebies To Leverage Retail Brands
  India Fashion Forum 2010 Review and Franchising
  The emerging marketing choice: fame or respect
  Branding – A Public Relations Challenge
  ••••••>Check Out Your Major Competition to Improve Your Own SEO Rankings and Methods
  Advertising, What's in store for 2010?
  "Mind Your X's and Y's: Satisfying the 10 Cravings of a New Generation of Consumers" by Lisa Johnson
  Social Media Principle 5 – WITH People, Not TO People
  How Businesses Should Be Using Facebook Timeline
  Social media: Risk and regulation in the financial service industry
  Social Networking: A prime location for advertising

Article Tags: background color, background image, background position, baseline, border color, bottom width, business owner, business world, conversations, curious question, funny thing, handy guide, initial background, initial outline, outline color, outline width, reply, rsquo, small business, transparent background



Related Forum Posts
Re: What I Enjoyed Reading This Week - June 4 - Hi Evan, I just joined this forum and looking forward to positive interactions. I'd say great collection of weekly reads. My top two picks from your list are 4 Facebook Marketing Tactics and 8 Brands That Have Found Success on FB - very interesting and informative resources especially for entrepreneurs who want to get the most out of online marketing. Thanks, Melanie James
Not much idea about ITE today - Thanks, I don't know why but that's the kind of response I expected - I replied to their TV ad I saw a few weeks ago and received their info pack. I took the "Disclosure Agreement' to a patent attorney and he quickly pointed out that there was no space for their signature anywhere on the form, so I quizzed them about it and I was told that they would send me a signed DA, but I'm still waiting... I think I'll give them a miss now, in fact I've just this morning come across the Trevor Bayliss Brands site myself and sent off their DA so I'll wait and see what happens.


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Life, Conflict and Work

Are You Reaching Out?

In the Year 2020 . . . Process

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.