|
|
|
Brand Your Consulting Business
Today’s competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Think about what happens when you hear...
Don't Punish Yourself Doing (Type X) Business
Are you type X or type Y? Don't worry, it ain't gonna hurt you until you really understand what you should be? Type X, or Type Y! In today's hyper-competitive world, there's no better way to live your dreams than to have your own online ...
Hardcore Sales Vs. The Relationship Part III: Tips and Techniques For Relationship Selling!
Here we are, at the final chapter so to speak. Today, lets talk more on how you go about utilizing the potential for "Relationship Selling".
You know I've done this myself more times than I can count. When people point out the obvious to me, a...
In The Beginning
The greatest occupational high that financial services Marketing Directors experience is bringing a vision to market through a financial product or service innovation. Seeking to experience the same euphoria that great inventors like Benjamin...
The Expert Advantage: Why It Pays to Establish Yourself as an Expert
Copyright 2005 UpLevel Strategies
Have you ever felt a jolt of envy to see a competitor - or even
a friend - grinning up at you from a newspaper or trade
publication?
It kills you, doesn't it?
And you know why: you need to become...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get Branded--Part I
Get Branded—Part I
By Michelle L. Casto, Life Coach, Speaker, and Author
La Fontaine once said, “By the work, one knows the workman.” He must have known long ago about the importance of branding. In today’s competitive marketplace, establishing and maintaining a brand name is essential to your career success. A service or trademark tells people immediately what you do. People will return to those companies or individuals who have an established brand that provides value and on whom they can trust.
In addition to having a brand name, you must develop a strategy to promote it to a targeted audience. The most important element to branding is having a strong sense of self and a clear vision. Your brand is your reputation and also what you are “known for.” A brand is both an intellectual and emotional shorthand that communicates an indelible impression. Think of the more successful brand names and how easily their messages come to mind: Coca Cola: “The Real Thing.” Chevrolet Trucks: “Like a Rock.”
Obviously, you may not reach the audience that these major corporations have, but when your name or company is mentioned, it should create an immediate positive impression for those people who are your customers or coworkers.
That is the power you are going for: instant name recognition from your customers/clients. You do not want them to have to figure out who you are and what you do---you want them to know it instantly by your “branding.” The amazing thing is once you build a brand name, you will no longer need to struggle to find work; in fact, your work will find you.
How do you create a brand? First, you must know who you really are. Second, you must know what you want to become. Experts agree that it takes time—sometimes several years, to develop a brand. It also takes time and energy. To get the process started, you first need to determine what your present message is. You can ask people, “What five words come to mind when you think of me? What do I do best? What do you think I stand for personally/professionally?”
Gather your information and see if it fits with what you are trying to communicate to your customers. If not, make some strategic plans to change your message. Think about what you would like to be known for, if you are not known for it already.
You should also develop an “elevator statement,” which is a simple two-minute response to the question that many people ask: “What do you do?”
I am a___________________________________
Who does________________________________
For_____________________________________
They choose me because of__________________.
Once you have an idea of your message, ask
yourself:
Is it simple?
Does it come naturally and easily?
Is the statement believable?
Does it matter if someone believes you?
In addition to the development of your message, you need to become an expert and have a personal style that stands out from others in your field. What if you are an independent contractor or consultant? How can you develop an effective Brand Me? To do that you have to be extremely focused on what you do that adds value (you cannot be all things to all people), and find ways to actively promote yourself. Think of people like Oprah, Martha Stewart, and Madonna. You know what they are about because of the way they have positioned and marketed themselves to the public.
Remember that everything you do, from giving a formal presentation to answering the telephone, sends a message. How you conduct your business will either reinforce your brand or diffuse it. You want to be sure that what you are offering has substance, but that you also put your personal stamp on it. The best three ways to build your name brand are: 1) Know yourself, 2) Choose work that allows you to do your personal best, and 3) Market, market, market yourself.
Michelle L. Casto is a whole life coach, speaker, and author of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development, and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.
Coaching is an empowering and enlightening experience. Michelle can work with you to build and brand your business. Contact her for a free 30 minute coaching session: (361) 949-0337
or visit
www.getsmartseries.com and www.brightlightcoach.com
About the author:
Michelle L. Casto is a whole life coach, speaker, and author of Get Smart! About Modern Romantic Relationships, Get Smart! About Modern Career Development, and Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.
Coaching is an empowering and enlightening experience. Michelle can work with you to build and brand your business. Contact her for a free 30 minute coaching session: (361) 949-0337
or visit
www.getsmartseries.comand www.brightlightcoach.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Brand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The brand, and "branding" and brand equity have become increasingly important ... From the perspective of brand owners, branded products or services also ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Branding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Livestock branding, the marking of animals to indicate ownership; Human branding, ... Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Branding" ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| AllAboutBranding.com : Home |
| Provides resources and opinions on branding. Includes brand development, management and communications. |
| www.allaboutbranding.com |
|
| brandchannel.com | branding resource produced by Interbrand | brands |
| An international online exchange and resource about brand marketing and branding. |
| www.brandchannel.com |
|
| Branding Company Corporate Branding Internet Brand Identity ... |
| Brand Identity Guru Inc. creates, develops and promotes powerful brands. Our clients enjoy an array of innovative, creative and powerful branding solutions ... |
| www.brandidentityguru.com |
|
| Branding Blog |
| Branding and positioning news and opinion. |
| www.brandingblog.com |
|
| Branding Asia |
| Free articles, news and columns on branding in Asia. Market research and Asian marketing. |
| www.brandingasia.com |
|
| Pages tagged with "branding" on del.icio.us |
| All items tagged branding ??? view popular ... industrie./design and branding consultant specialists./ · save this. by kittim to design branding graphic ... |
| del.icio.us |
|
| The Brand Called You |
| Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. Here's what it takes to be the CEO of ... |
| www.fastcompany.com |
|
| Branding: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with branding on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
|
| Mozilla Branding |
| The purpose of this document is to describe mozilla.org's branding strategy during and after the release of what has generally been called Mozilla 1.4. ... |
| www.mozilla.org |
|
| What Brand Are You? A branding viral by The Design Conspiracy |
| What Brand Are You? has since been picked out as Site Of The Day by the likes of the Financial Times, Yahoo, USA Today and BBC News, and has received more ... |
| www.whatbrandareyou.com |
|
| Julie & Company: Affordable branding, web design, graphic design ... |
| Julie & Company creates stellar branding, integrated marketing, advertising, web design, web development, Flash, trade show booths - all at affordable ... |
| www.julieandcompany.com |
|
| Forty Media - Web Design, Web Development, Branding, Great Websites |
| a professional web design agency based in Phoenix, Arizona. |
| www.fortymedia.com |
|
| Branding - Yahoo! Small Business |
| Find information to help grow your online business with business plans, Thomas Register, news articles and more. |
| smallbusiness.yahoo.com |
|
| Lexicon |
| Lexicon Branding appears on KTVU News; Lexicon Branding creates Ridgeline for Honda, Viiv for Intel, and GameTap for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. ... |
| www.lexicon-branding.com |
|
| Branding and Usability |
| We're finding that a site's usability can dramatically affect branding. ... There are two basic techniques for branding: direct experience and indirect ... |
| www.uie.com |
|
| iMedia Connection: Research & Metrics - Branding |
| Majority of marketers feel branding opportunities -- online and offline -- aren't ... IAB case studies prove real-world power of online in branding mix. ... |
| www.imediaconnection.com |
|
| Small Business Marketing And Branding |
| Small business marketing and branding advice and how-to guides for small business owners. Learn how to start and grow your own successful business. |
| smallbusinessbranding.com |
|
| Beyond Branding |
| Beyond Branding, published in hardcover in 2003 and paperback in 2005, presents innovative business models for the survival of 21st century organizations. |
| www.beyond-branding.com |
|
|