In 2006, Salemi Industries thought they had a surefire moneymaking product. It was something totally new that (a) had an obvious need and (b) could be sold worldwide. Anthony Ferranti, the man behind the innovative product, had noticed that with the widespread usage of cell phones in public areas, callers needed a private place to have their conversations--and to not disturb others in, say, a restaurant. So he decided to create a solution.

That solution was his invention of what he called “The Cell Zone”, a large plastic pod that he saw as the modern equivalent of the phone booth. You could step into The Cell Zone and have a perfectly private talk without being bothered and without bothering anyone else. The early signs were good--The Cell Zone proved to be a sensation at that year’s Restaurant Show, where eatery owners expressed enormous enthusiasm for the product.

Now guess how many Cell Zones the company ended up selling? You might have an idea since you’ve probably never heard of it or seen one. The company ended up selling less than 300, and losing close to $650,000 in the process. Turned out restaurants didn’t care for the price ($3,500) and they didn’t want to give up the square footage to accommodate the privacy pods.

The moral of this particular story? You can have what you think is an awesome product with the greatest potential in the world--and still fall flat on your face. And here’s why: because, before you put everything into perfecting whatever it is you want to offer, you never tried to actually sell it.

Recently, the Harvard Business Review published an article in which they surveyed 120 entrepreneurs from all around the world to ask them what their biggest mistake had been with a product or service launch. The number one answer of more than half of these business leaders? They didn’t try to sell it early enough. To quote one of those entrepreneurs, “Don’t make anything until you sell it. Get people really interested in buying it before you invest too much time and effort.”

The fact is that few things really “sell themselves”--especially if they’re new to the marketplace. According to Booz & Company, 66% of new products fail within two years, and, according to the Doblin Group, an astonishing 96% of all innovations fail to deliver any return on a company’s investment.

Here are a few tips on how to presell your launch, so you can know whether it’s worth moving forward, or whether you need to either change it up or drop it altogether:

Beware of the Bubble!

Another regret expressed by many of the entrepreneurs surveyed by the Harvard Business Review was that they let themselves be swayed by initial sales to friends and family. These kinds of people obviously want to support you and, if the investment isn’t too big, will happily buy your product. You can also end up depending too much on your staff or co-workers’ enthusiasm for something new you want to bring to market. Again, they want to believe in what you’re doing and often won’t give you a truthful impression of what’s waiting for you in the cold, unforgiving marketplace. So don’t rely on the opinions of those in your “bubble”--survey others who don’t really have a reason to prop up your new product with manufactured praise.

Co-Create With Your Potential Customers

Today, more than ever, buyers want to feel involved with what they purchase and use--and they want to know that the seller is listening to what they have to say. That’s why increasingly the concept of co-creation, involving consumers in the actual development of a product or service, is becoming a dominant business approach. Francis Gouillart, author of The Power of Co-Creation: Build It With Them to Boost Growth, Productivity, and Profits, says a great deal of today’s R&D is being done through social media. "Social media has liberated social forces...What used to be a fairly isolated political process has become a form of business," says Gouillart.

Try Out Your Sales “Story”

We’ve written frequently about the concept of StorySelling--and, as a matter of fact, we have a whole book on the subject coming out this summer. That’s why we believe it’s crucial to see if you have a powerful enough story to tell about your new product or service--one that will convert a prospect into a buyer. For example, we will frequently discuss with a few key clients a new service we’re thinking about providing, to make sure people like them would actually want to pay for the value it would bring to their business. And they are able to do the same thing, because we provide them with a platform to share new ideas through different channels of media--print, television, radio, blogs, and books--which enables them to gauge reaction and see what sparks excitement.

Of course, some products just aren’t destined to be successes--celery-flavored Jellois one that comes to mind! But if you take the time and put as much effort into your selling as you do into your product development, you’ll have the advantage of knowing whether your new offering can really take off from the launching pad!

But this is often easier said than done. I have worked with plenty of business owners who struggled to project confidence—even though they were very successful and highly intelligent individuals. Here’s a secret: you don’t have to actually be confident to project confidence. And oddly enough, training yourself to project confidence even when you don’t feel it will often help you become more confident. (You’ve heard the expression “fake it ‘til you make it.”)

As somebody who often speaks in front of large audiences and interacts with world-class entertainers and business leaders, I’ve had to develop my sense of confidence as well. And to help you make the same journey, I’d like to share three tips to help you project confidence so that you can make a stronger first impression and create a more powerful personal brand:

1) Turn off your “internal critic.” We all have our own personal internal critic… he (or she) lives in our head. The internal critic is quick to point out flaws and criticize plans. “They won’t take you seriously.” “They’ll think you’re an idiot.” “YOU could never pull that off.” The amazing thing is that the people you interact with are rarely (if ever) as critical of you as you are of yourself. So stop being your own worst critic.

2) Recognize your own expertise. You’re great at what you do. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be running a successful business. Take some time to think about what you’ve accomplished and what you’ve learned. Embrace the reality that you are great at what you do, and that others can benefit from your perspective. Of course, there’s a line between confidence and cockiness that you definitely don’t want to cross. Stay humble! You can be secure in your own abilities without being a show-off.

3) Use body language. Finally, use body language to convey confidence whether you feel it or not. Start with a strong handshake. Speak slowly and clearly. Look your conversation partners in the eye. Sit up straight, keep your shoulders straight. This is all review—but it’s easy to forget, and it’s important!

Confidence is key to creating a great first impression and to building a strong personal brand. If you’re not as confident as you should be, I hope that you’ll find these tips to be helpful. And remember, if you have to… fake it ‘til you make it!

But sometimes, as I tell them, generating a bit of controversy can be exactly what your brand needs. Now, I’m not talking about just any type of controversy. I’m talking about going against the grain—providing value to your customers in ways that your competitors aren’t.

Think about the way Apple revolutionized the mp3 player market in the early 2000’s, and the then again the smart phone market a few years later. Customers loved Apple products, but their competitors certainly didn’t. Steve Jobs wasn’t afraid to shake up his market and put real pressure on the competition. The result speaks for itself.

You may not be an international corporation, but the point still stands. You shouldn’t be afraid to shake up your market and generate some controversy—whether it’s through an aggressive marketing campaign, a new approach to the services you provide, or by introducing a brand-new business model.

But it is true that the wrong kind of controversy can have negative consequences on your brand and your business. So keep these four points in mind:

1) Don’t be disrespectful. It is one thing to be bold and clear while promoting your products and services, and while contrasting them against the competition. It’s another thing entirely to disrespect and bad-mouth the competition in your market. While this approach may generate attention and even perhaps lead to a short-term spike in sales, it’s a bad long-term strategy. Treat your competitors with the respect that you would like to be treated with.

2) Make sure you have done your homework. If you are preparing to “shake up” your market with a new product, a new service, a new marketing campaign, or whatever… ask yourself this question: “why hasn’t anyone else done it this way?” It may be that nobody else has ever thought of the idea. But there may be other reasons – such as legal liability or other unforeseen consequences. If you’re going to take a bold step, you’re going to attract attention, so make sure you have “dotted your i’s and crossed your t’s.

3) Be prepared for the backlash. The better your innovation, the less your competitors are going to like it. So be prepared. I’ve had clients that have introduced incredible new services to their marketplace, and immediately had their competition gang up against them in an effort to defend the status quo. Don’t let this surprise you.

4) Never lose focus on providing value. This is the key. Controversy for controversy’s sake isn’t a winning strategy. But if the innovation you are introducing increases the value of your products or services to your marketplace, you’re going in the right direction. Run every decision through the filter of “does this increase the value we can offer to our customers?”

At the end of the day, your job as a business owner is to provide a superior experience to your customers and your marketplace. And if you have to shake things up in order to get your message out, don’t back down. Be bold, be clear, and get the word out. Feel free to get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at the Agency if you’d like to learn more!

And over time, I have come to identify a number of common “themes” that business owners often use during our conversations.

One of the most common is something like this… “Nick, I really like what you have to say about personal branding – I just don’t have the time.” So today, I’m going to cover several steps you can take to strengthen your personal brand without spending much time at it.

1) When you meet with a client, tell a story. The best way to communicate your personal brand is through a story. This is true no matter what channel you are using – social media, TV, a book, whatever. If you can tell a story that reflects your expertise and reinforces your brand, it will stick in the mind of your audience much more effectively than simply rattling off a list of accomplishments. The next time you’re meeting with a client, try to work in a story!

2) Upgrade your email signature. Many of you send hundreds of emails per week. Your email signature is an opportunity to broadcast your brand repeatedly. At the least, make sure it includes a brief summary of what you do. Consider including your logo and other branding as well.

3) Tweet something personal – a joke, a recap of your latest adventure, an inspiring quote, or even an article you found helpful. Many business owners are intimidated by Twitter and social media in general. They often feel that it simply demands too much time. But if you can make a habit of creating a short post once or twice each week, it will help you “get the word out” to your audience. If even this sounds like too much, you can also delegate to your team.

Obviously, this short list is only a starting point. The truth is that you can create a powerful brand without spending a huge amount of time each week—and I hope these suggestions will help get your wheels turning. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at our Agency!

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Recently, the world mourned the passing of three very different and unique personalities--Margaret Thatcher, Annette Funicello, and Roger Ebert. Each member of this high-powered trio left a mark on those who loved and admired them. They also enjoyed fame for the vast majority of their lifetimes, and all three were even the subjects of movies (Meryl Streep won an Oscar last year for her portrayal of Thatcher inThe Iron Lady, Funicello had a highly rated TV movie produced about her life, and Ebert is the subject of the documentary Life Itself, which is yet to be finished).

But beyond that, you wouldn’t think they had much in common. These were not three people you would expect to see in the same room, let alone the same sentence. Think about their widely diverse careers:

• Margaret Thatcher, a transformational leader in British politics and the region’s first female Prime Minister;
• Annette Funicello, who first caught everyone’s attention (especially boys!) as one of the original Mouseketeers on The Mickey Mouse Club in the 1950s, then found further fame with Frankie Avalon in a series of wildly popular Beach Party movies; and
• Roger Ebert, who brought film criticism to television first with Gene Siskel, and then with a series of partners after Siskel passed away. He also became widely known for his “thumbs up/thumbs down” gestures of approval or disapproval.

These three each had a personal brand that the years never diminished. We think it’s instructional to look at why these three names endured--and will continue to endure--when so many others have faded into obscurity.

• Authenticity

We’ve written often about how authenticity is probably the most important trait for a personal brand to have, and these three had it in spades. Of all the criticisms that might be launched at them, “phony” is one that would never make the cut. They were invariably true to themselves, no matter how fashions, trends, or politics changed.

When that level of authenticity is firmly in place, a public figure will always continue to pick up followers rather than lose them. All of us encounter so many less-than-genuine people who, depending on what situation they find themselves in, present an array of different faces, that it’s a breath of fresh air to encounter those who stick to their guns.

• Consistency

Along with that authenticity came consistency. Annette was always very respectful of Walt Disney, the man who discovered her, to the point where she refused to wear skimpy bathing suits in her beach movies because he disapproved of them. Similarly, Roger Ebert championed underdog movies as well as causes he believed in, and rarely backed down from a fight. And when it came to Thatcher, anyone nicknamed “The Iron Lady” isn’t likely to bend with the wind!

When you’re consistent with your words and actions, you never disappoint those who already admire you and you end up earning the respect of the rest. Inconsistency, in contrast, creates a blurry personal brand that people have difficulty getting excited about.

• Courage

Now, courage isn’t usually a trait we ascribe to a personal brand, but these three people in particular definitely make us think twice about that omission. We were being a little coy earlier when we said these three had nothing in common besides their fame. The fact is that all three battled long-term debilitating diseases; Thatcher withAlzheimer’s, Ebert with cancer, and Funicello for over 20 years with multiple sclerosis. The courage displayed in those battles made us admire these people even more and feel more bonded to them as well.

How someone deals with tragedy can define that person more than how they deal with triumph. In the case of these three, particularly Ebert and Funicello who were able to deal with their afflictions more publicly, their stature actually grew as a result of the health difficulties they found themselves having to deal with. Their struggles were inspirational, not only to those who shared these diseases, but to those of us who just couldn’t help admiring how they faced their fates with openness and a positive attitude.

Now, underpinning all three attributes we just described was one more invaluable asset--strength. Every successful personal brand has it, as did these three. They not only set the mark for how to create an enduring personal brand, but also on how to live a life.

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Hip-hop star Kanye West may be a musical genius--but he’s definitely not one of the most liked celebrities around. He’s infamous for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009, as well as other public displays of bad behavior. When even the president of the United States goes out of his way to call you a jackass, you know you might have an image problem.

Keeping all that in mind, you might think Kanye’s days as a mainstream celebrity are over. And yet, who do you continually see in online gossip headlines, as well as entertainment TV shows? Kanye West. And why? Because, of course, he’s dating Kim Kardashian.

To say Kanye and Kim have different followings is to understate the obvious. The former has a pack of fervent music fans, the latter has a huge reality TV base. If one were to be cynical, one would say they only got together to grow their respective audiences--by tapping into each other’s celebrity status to burnish their own. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that!)

Actually, it’s a time-honored tactic in show business to team up to increase the popularity of both parties. Think about two of 2012’s biggest hits, The Avengers and The Expendables 2. Both realized a lot more box office profits simply because a whole lot of popular heroes were together for the first time ever and their fans came together in movie theaters as well.

And, by the way, it happens in politics too. Recently, ultra-liberal Democrat Cory Bookerteamed up with ultra-conservative Republican Bill Frist to make national appearances for the cause of anti-obesity. Whether these two are both seeking to raise their profiles or are genuinely concerned about this issue (or, most likely, both), it’s clear they got together to make the biggest impact possible--by combining their very separate audiences to dramatic effect.

This works for business branding purposes as well. When you partner up with the right person--someone who has their own strong following and/or unique talents--the combination usually packs more power than each individual has on his or her own. Even more importantly, you also get access to that person’s specific audience.

For example, we’re honored to be able to work on book and TV projects with such marketing and business heavyweights as Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy and Jack Canfield. But it’s good business for all concerned, because these greats get renewed exposure to our network in a whole new context--and our network, naturally, feels privileged to work with these legendary figures.

So think about who you can partner up with on a new project or business that could bring your product or service to a whole new audience--namely, somebody else’s. And keep in mind the following guidelines, suggested by Entrepreneur magazine, when you start searching for the right someone to join forces with:

1. Do they share your values?
If you and/or your business represent certain values, you don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t have the same affinity with those values--or, worse, openly contradicts them. You not only risk angering your base, you also risk undermining your whole business! The only exception to this rule is when, like Frist and Booker, you come together to support a cause bigger than the both of you.

2. Do they complement you and your business?
You don’t want to work with someone who does the exact same thing as you; you want to work with someone who has skills and assets that complement yours. Otherwise, that person could steal your thunder and your business. When you work with people that bring something new to the party, however, they make you look like you’re bringing added value to your customers.

3. Do they help you do your business better?
Sometimes a partner can actually fill in a critical hole in your business, such as improve your delivery system or offer a useful product extension of what you already provide. This isn’t an absolute necessity when it comes to choosing who you work with--but it is a definite plus to be on the lookout for.

4. Will both of you benefit?
When a partnership is unbalanced in this department, things have the potential to turn ugly. Resentments build quickly over one person feeling like they’re getting merely breadcrumbs, while the other is gorging on a loaf and a half. Both of you should know, going in, how this joint venture is going to do good things for each party--otherwise, you’re most likely headed for an unpleasant ending.

Celebrity Branding almost always benefits when more than one celebrity is involved. When you pick the right partner, you increase your credibility, your fan base and your star power. But there is one catch--and that’s that two negatives do not make a positive.

For example, while Kanye and Kim may have made a big media splash when they hooked up, they may have also inadvertently increased their number of individual haters. Why? Becausethey both have huge negative ‘Q’ Scores (the measurement of celebrity likeability), leading some news commentators to speculate as to whether they may actually have created the most toxic couple of all time!

So double up--not down--and double your success in the process. All it takes is the right partner to expand your market base and your influence.

Well branded, well produced video content is very effective when it comes to personal branding. Below are four specific reasons why this is the case.

1) Video allows you to establish a “personal” connection with your audience. While there’s nothing like shaking hands and looking someone directly in the face in order to establish a relationship, video is the next best thing. Unlike reading a book or interacting on social media, video gives the viewer the opportunity to watch your facial expressions, listen to your voice, and pick up on your body language. As a business owner, video gives you the opportunity to “connect” with your audience quickly and effectively.

2) Video allows you to clearly demonstrate your expertise. In addition to establishing a relationship, video also offers the opportunity for you to speak authoritatively on your area of expertise. It gives you the opportunity to answer common questions and concerns that your target market may have. It offers a platform for you to provide insight and analysis on issues of interest to your audience. The net result is that your audience walks with helpful information relating to their needs—and with the perception of yourself as a CelebrityExpert® firmly planted in their mind.

3) Video allows you to establish your credibility and position within the marketplace. Forget for a moment what you say or do in the video. Forget the substance. Just by appearing in a well produced video and by looking the part of an industry expert, you’ve already sent a powerful message. You’ve established yourself as a leading expert in your field. Combine first-class production and an impressive appearance with substantive content that showcases your expertise and you’re guaranteed to make a powerful impression on your audience. The key, of course, is that you need to invest the time and resources to create a video that looks highly professional. You’re a CelebrityExpert®-- and your video needs to reinforce that brand!

4) Video allows you to reach a larger audience. Finally, video allows you to reach and engage a large audience. On leading social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, video has proven to be one of the most effective means for engaging followers and fans. Simply by posting your video on these sites and other social sites such as LinkedIn, you can reach and engage a huge audience—increasing your exposure while also boosting your credibility and developing your brand.

Video is a tremendously effective tool for creating and strengthening your personal brand… and your CelebrityExpert® status. If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like help getting started with your video strategy, please get in touch with me or any of the agents at our agency today!

He was right—but you wouldn’t know that by the way much of our culture operates today, especially in business. Businesses and professionals often seem to approach those around them with a “what can I get out of this” mentality.

What does this have to do with personal branding?

Personal branding is all about defining and communicating your personality, your abilities, and your strengths. Establishing yourself as talented, intelligent, experienced, and so on is very important. But I’d like to challenge you to add something else to the brand you are creating: brand yourself as a giver. As someone who looks for opportunities to help others get what they want. If Zig Ziglar was right (and I believe that he was), this will ensure your own success as well.

Practically, here are several ways to become a “giver” and build your brand at the same time.

Connect people. Sometimes, all it takes is a brief introduction to solve two problems at once – An employer or individual looking for an employee or a partner, and another individual looking for an opportunity. Look for opportunities to connect people- they’ll appreciate it!

Lend a hand to a good cause. Look for an opportunity to contribute to a local cause or charity. It doesn’t have to be financial – donate your time to a good cause, and encourage your staff to do the same. Investing back into the community is the right thing to do, and it also improves your visibility. Many of our clients have led the way on this issue—all of the authors that we help publish have agreed to donate their royalties to Entrepreneurs International, and we were proud to be a part of a “Mission for Good” trip to benefit an orphanage in Mexico along with several clients.

Speak at local schools. Speaking at a school or a college is a great way to encourage and equip students while building your own brand at the same time. It’s also very rewarding – speaking at the University of Florida (my alma mater) is one of my absolute favorite things to do.

Looking for opportunities to give, rather than to get, may seem counterintuitive—especially in business. But it’s the right thing to do, it’s good for your personal brand, and it’s good for your business!

This is a secret that virtually every successful brand has embraced. Nike doesn’t just sell shoes and shirts—they turn their customers into winners. Coca-cola isn’t just a drink—it’s an attitude, fun-loving and community oriented. Steve Jobs wasn’t just a brilliant engineer—he came to stand for innovation, vision, and of course black turtlenecks.

The ability of a brand to grow beyond just the products and services they sell is a major determining factor into the success or failure of that brand. This is true of global organizations and small businesses alike. And it’s true for you.

As I explain this point to clients and friends, the most common response is something like “but Nick… I don’t have a story to tell. I’m just a realtor.” (Or an investment advisor, or a CPA, or a dentist, etc.)

And my response is always “yes you DO have a story to tell. We just have to find it.”

Today, we’re going to discuss how to find (or create) that story. Below are several ideas.

1) Always highlight the benefits of what you do, not the features. Chances are, the actual products and services you sell aren’t that exciting. If that is what you focus on, it’s hard to create a compelling story. Instead, focus on the benefits. You’re not a stockbroker, you’re building a brighter financial future. My business doesn’t just do PR and marketing… we create celebrities. See the difference?

2) Highlight your impact on the community. Another great way to tell a compelling story is to show your audience what you’re doing to help the community. Launching an initiative to support local schools, or something similar, makes it easy for your audience to “buy in” to the story you’re telling.

3) Work your personality into your brand. Even if your business isn’t unique, you still can be. There are lots of wealthy real estate investors, but Donald Trump’s outlandish personality has put him in an entirely different category. Look for ways to incorporate your personality into your brand—along with your hobbies and your passions.

4) Set an ambitious goal. Sometimes, publically setting an ambitious goal can be very effective in terms of creating an appealing story. For instance, you could state that your goal is to sell a specific number of products this year, or have your product featured in a major magazine. Even better, you could combine this goal with a community initiative so that you’re working towards a great cause.

The key to creating an appealing and effective personality brand is to find the right story to tell. And I promise you, you DO have a story to tell. If you’d like some help identifying and communicating that story, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

Obviously, a merger of this scale is enormously complex. And one of the many factors that must be carefully managed is the customer experience that will be provided. This is no small challenge when you’re dealing with businesses of this size—particularly in an industry where customer service is often suspect.

A recent article on Forbes.com previews these challenges and offers some suggested areas of focus for the airlines. I think that many of these principles could be applied to your business, as well. Take a look:

Setting and then keeping new public performance benchmarks. The new airline could establish targets — on-time, satisfaction — and launch new ways to not only narrate its efforts but new incentives for its operations to meet them.

Committing to customer benefits. Do you understand the rules for what an airline does when weather cancels your flight? American could specify the principles for how it treats (and charges) its passengers and thereby change the industry. What differentiates its loyalty programs? What isn’t an extra charge?

Creating communities for real participation. The new airline could forsake Facebook pages and other silly social media marketing stunts, and involve its passengers in real communities to test systems, programs, processes, etc. Make us all co-operators.

Fixing employee relations first and always. American, like any airline, is in the service business, and the biggest (if not only) variable in its delivery are its employees. Making sure they were happy and impassioned would differentiate the brand. Make the commitment to them, and then tell us, too.

Guaranteeing what will never change. Financial circumstances are always changing and can be used to legitimize many corporate behaviors. Which ones will the new American never forsake (leadership on safety is one, of course)? Again, declare them.

I would summarize these ideas as follows:

1. Set and meet high standards.
2. Communicate clearly with your customers—and keep your promises.
3. Engage customers and build community.
4. Invest into employees so that they in turn invest into customers.
5. Commit to the core of the brand—i.e., what makes you unique.

In addition to being good advice for airlines, these ideas would benefit most of our businesses as well. At the end of the day, every business owner wants what US Airways and American Airlines want: to build a brand that stands for excellence and an exceptional customer experience. Keep these principles in mind and you’ll be well on your way!

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Last month, we held our first Celebrity Expert Marketing Academy. And, because our Dicks + Nanton Agency is located in Orlando, we knew we didn’t have to travel far to give our clients the best (and most productive) experience possible. We just took them all over to our neighbor’s place, which has plenty of room.

And we’re not kidding when we say that. It covers over 30,000 acres and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 24 themed resorts, two spas and fitness centers, and five golf courses.

Our neighbor, of course, is Disney World, the world’s most visited entertainment resort. And, no, we didn’t go there to ride the flying elephants at the Dumbo ride (we have plenty of time to do that on our own). Instead, we went with our clients to learn some of the special secrets that have made Disney the incredible success it’s been for over 80 years. Fortunately, the corporation has set up The Disney Institute to enable all of us not wearing mouse ears to get some inside business tips.

Many of those tips focus on providing the customer with the best experience possible. The fact is that Disney’s customer service is the gold standard for every business--because their management understands that if you don’t treat your paying patrons as you should, you’re going in the wrong direction.

So let’s talk about how to go in the right direction--with the help of a very special compass.

Walt Disney evidently loved compasses. You’ll find what’s called the “Compass Rose” in front of the walking area in front of and in back of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Not only that, but it was Compass East Corporation that began buying land in the Orlando area in the mid-1960s. That company was a cover for the Disney organization, which was snatching up property left and right for what would become Disney World; they hid their name from the transactions because, of course, sellers would have demanded more than the fair market price if they had known who was really after the transaction.

The compass, to this day, figures prominently in the Disney philosophy of customer service. For instance, we learned about the four points of The Disney Compass when it comes to how to treat a customer (an area of study Disney calls Guestology). We’d like to share these four profitable and productive directions with you here:

N - Needs
W - Wants
S - Stereotypes
E – Emotions

Let’s take these in turn and see how they impact your relationships with your clients or customers.

When we discuss a customer’s needs, we’re talking about the basics. If a person goes to the doctor, they might “need” medicine to get well. If someone goes to a CPA, they might “need” someone to do their taxes. It’s about meeting the minimum requirements of your business, whatever they might be.

Wants allow you the opportunity to kick it up a notch or two. For example, the person going to the CPA may also “want” new strategies to save on their taxes. When you provide that extra optional level of service, you differentiate yourself and give people more reason to come back to you, as well as refer you to other people.

Stereotypes require you to overcome negative impressions a customer might have of you or your business. For example, a stereotype of doctors might be that they only care about money and don’t care how long they make you cool your heels in the waiting area. If you are an MD, you can overcome that stereotype by attempting to minimize a patient’s waiting time and maximizing the one-on-one consultation time with you.

Finally, it’s common knowledge that emotions are often more powerful than logic when it comes to buying decisions. That’s why it’s always important to tap into what makes your customers or clients feel good about buying from you and focus on that in your delivery and fulfillment systems.

The Disney Institute is full of simple concepts like the above that enable you to bring a clear, yet sophisticated approach to doing business in the best possible way. We love to deliver those kinds of concepts to our clients (as well as ourselves, because we find they work like gangbusters), and we’re happy to share this one with you here.

With that in mind, we’ll leave you with seven more big ideas from seven rather small guys that will enable you to serve your clientele at the highest level possible.

1. Be Happy…make eye contact and smile!

2. Be like Sneezy…greet and welcome each and every client. Spread the spirit of Hospitality…it’s contagious!

3. Don’t be Bashful…seek out client contact.

4. Be like Doc…provide immediate service recovery.

5. Don’t be Grumpy…always display appropriate body language at all times.

6. Be like Sleepy…create dreams and preserve the magical client experience.

7. Don’t be Dopey…thank each and every customer!

Keep those seven principles in mind and you’re sure to dwarf the competition.

• Instant credibility.  If you’re an accountant, for instance, the last thing you want to do every time you come in contact with a potential client is have to convince them of your expertise.  If you’ve built your personal brand right, you’ll be seen as an expert before you even meet.  Your website, your staff, your marketing materials… everything works together to position you as the expert in your area of practice—so by the time you meet a client in person, your expert status is unquestioned.  This is also important when it comes to referrals—other professionals don’t want to refer their clients to anyone but the best.  A strong personal brand makes it clear that you are the go-to expert.
• Stand out in the mind of clients and referral sources.  A strong personal brand creates a memorable persona and helps you stand out in the minds of your audience.  Whether it’s your intensity, your sense of humor, even the décor of your office—a strong personal brand stands out in the mind of everyone who encounters it.  Such top-of-mind awareness is invaluable—it will result in more referrals and highly loyal clients.
• Command a premium price.   If your car breaks down, you’re willing to pay a premium to have a highly qualified mechanic take a look at it.  You’ll pay more for entrepreneurial advice from an established expert like Dan Kennedy than you will for advice from your father-in-law.  That’s just a reality.  Your personal brand creates a perception of yourself as an expert, and it puts you in position to command a premium price.

At the end of the day, a strong personal brand will result in more leads, more business, and the ability to charge premium rates. It’s one of the best investments you can make. If you’d like to learn more, or if you need some help getting started, please get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

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For years, cyclist champion Lance Armstrong denied using performance-enhancing drugs to aid him in his record-setting string of Tour de France titles. He stonewalled critics, threatened whistleblowers, and repeatedly denied all doping charges.

Until this week.

Armstrong threw himself at the mercy of the official court of public opinion this week--that would be Oprah Winfrey’s show – and finally admitted to doing what he’s been denying for over a decade.

Is Armstrong doing too little too late?

It’s probably too soon to tell. Armstrong, of course, has done a lot of good throughLivestrong, his cancer survivors’ charity. But unnecessary damage has been done to what was once an amazing success story simply by being unwilling to acknowledge simple facts. Armstrong’s heated denials of the drugs he is now finally acknowledging taking has resulted in behavior that some judge as being worse than the actual doping itself.

The point is you can only hold off brutal reality for so long, and the longer you try, the more you put your brand story at risk. Your authenticity begins to suffer and the public begins to lose trust in what you stand for. Since the Watergate scandal all the way back in 1974, the truth of the mantra, “It’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up,” has just loomed larger and larger, especially in this area of social media transparency, where every lie gets magnified to a gargantuan scale.

So, what’s a personal or corporate brand to do when it’s confronted with an unpleasant situation that’s not about to go away on its own?

Last year, a client of ours faced his own dilemma along these lines. Tracy Myers, owner of theFrank Myers AutoMaxx dealership in the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, found his business under attack from the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) for a single phrase he had used in some YouTube videos promoting his business. They claimed the phrase was deceptive; he claimed it was just the dealership’s policy, but, nonetheless, pulled the offending videos down.

He was shocked a few months later to find out that the government agency was publicly accusing him of deceptive advertising, even though he had done everything required by the agency to comply with their requests.

Tracy didn’t take this lying down--nor was he about to let the negative news play out and harm his business. He immediately took to his social media outlets and began telling his side of the story, and quickly got a smattering of positive support from his followers. That motivated him to go back to YouTube and post his own videos explaining what had happened with the FTC and why it was unfair.

Virtually all the comments he got on the video were positive. Not only that, but some of the car dealer’s supporters got together and took their own photo holding up “Free Uncle Frank!” (Uncle Frank being the car lot’s mascot) signs, which they posted on Facebook. Tracy was also lauded for how he dealt with a potentially difficult business situation.

The truth is you can turn around a negative and find substantial support in the process. Here are three tips we believe can help improve almost any difficult situation when it comes to your personal or professional brand:

1. Get out in front of the story.

Tracy Myers didn’t wait when the FTC action hit. He immediately put out his side of the story (one of the distinct advantages social media has to offer all of us) before bad publicity could snowball. In contrast, Armstrong saw a problem he would inevitably have to confront grow to monstrous proportions before he did act. If he hadn’t been so afraid to deal with the issues, he might have found ways to mitigate the damage along the way.

2. Be as honest and transparent as possible.

Do any of us remember that late night favorite David Letterman was once embroiled in a huge sex scandal? It all went away pretty quickly--because, when it broke, Letterman at once took to the airwaves on his show to admit his culpability in a forthcoming and serious way (so forthcoming that the audience actually laughed, because they didn’t think he could possibly be serious). The incident did little to no damage to his career, simply because he handled it as honestly as possible, even though he was guilty.

3. Make the media your own.

There’s no point in playing someone else’s game, especially when, today more than ever, you can take the ball and run with it as far as you want. That’s exactly what Tracy Myers did when he used YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and every other online outlet he could to get his message out. The worst you can do is put yourself in a reactive position to what someone else is saying about you; it’s better to be proactive and control how your message is delivered and presented to your public. Armstrong limiting his exposure to a single Oprah interview was actually the smartest way to do a “confession.”

Everyone faces personal and professional challenges that threaten their personal brand at some point--it’s part of being a human being. It’s how you handle those challenges that really determine what the ultimate impact will be.

When Armstrong finally decided to go on Oprah, it was at a point where he really had no choice if he ever wanted a shot at public redemption. It would have been smart to act sooner and more decisively.

As David Letterman demonstrated, we are much more forgiving of those who come clean at the first sign of trouble; it’s much harder to support someone who’s accused of playing with matches and won’t admit it until the house has burnt down. Admit quickly and self-correct (if necessary) immediately. Every second you don’t take action is another second you’ve lost to repair your reputation.

But building a personal brand is not as simple as pushing a button. A powerful personal brand takes time and commitment to construct— but that commitment pays off handsomely as the brand begins to grow.

Like many other forms of marketing, for a personal branding campaign to be successful, it must feature consistent effort. You can’t simply wake up one morning, decide to spend three hours working on your personal brand, and then forget about it for another two months. That approach will lead to frustration, and little in the way of results.

Instead, personal branding must become a habit—part of your everyday routine and system. 

Yes, you’re busy. I get it. The demands of running your business are non-stop—the last thing you are looking for is more work. But you find time to brush your teeth twice a day, right? You take the time to straighten your tie before heading out the door. Where do you find the time and the energy? You don’t have to “find” the time—you just do it, because it’s a habit. And that’s what personal branding needs to become. A habit. This could mean a couple of minutes on Twitter after lunch each weekday, it could mean taking the time to personally call your customers to check in with them, or it could mean attending a networking function every week.  (Note: if this is too much for you, get your team involved! Find a social media savvy member of your team and place him or her in charge of your social media presence. Just make sure that you set clear expectations and hold him/her accountable!)

Personal branding isn’t about flashes of brilliance. It’s about being yourself, consistently, and engaging with the world around you. You’ll see limited results from your networking efforts if you only make it to a function three times per year. This applies to social media as well—one Facebook post or Tweet each month is much less effective than getting involved more frequently, because the point is to build a connection with your audience. And you can’t do that without consistent interaction. That’s why it’s critical that you are active regularly. You don’t have to feel inspired—you just have to be there, and be yourself.

Effective branding requires consistent activity. But you aren’t going to be able to be active consistently unless you establish a habit. It could be first thing in the morning, it could be the last thing you do before you leave the office, it could be after lunch, it could be between meetings—but whenever it is, find time to dedicate to your personal brand and start building the habit! If you’d like to learn more, or if you need some guidance as you get started, feel free to get in touch with me or any of the Agents at our Agency today!

In fact, the truth is that personal branding is more effective when you’re having fun. Personal branding is all about you – your personality, your strengths and weaknesses, your passions. For that reason, approaching it as simply another item on your to-do list won’t work. As 2013 kicks off, I encourage you to make personal branding a fun endeavor. Below are a few ways you can do this:

1) Be yourself. Many business owners make the mistake of building a serious, all-business personal brand. And while the core of your brand has to be your expertise within your market, a boring brand is simply not going to be memorable. So spice it up. Showcase your sense of humor. Share some opinions that may surprise people. Don’t hesitate to include your family and personal life into your public brand. You will connect with your customers and potential customers most effectively when they feel that you are a “real” person just like them—so stop being so uptight all the time!

2) Join associations and organizations that you genuinely enjoy. Networking is a big part of personal branding—after all, your brand needs an audience. But too many people force themselves to attend conventions and trade shows that they truly have no interest in. Do not go down that road. Instead, seek out organizations that you will truly enjoy—related to your industry, or not! If you like acting, join a theatre club that meets every week. Or find a club for fellow hobby enthusiasts. Make friends, be yourself, build your brand—and you will be surprised by how many valuable connections you create. And you will have fun in the process!

3) Support causes that you believe in. Supporting the community is a great way to gain exposure for you and your business—while helping out a good cause at the same time. Rather than supporting specific causes because you always have, or because you feel a duty to, seek out causes that you are passionate about. This could include local schools, community outreach—just about anything. By supporting an effort you truly believe in, you’ll be getting your brand out there while doing something you can truly feel good about.

Today’s consumers are savvy. They know when they’re looking at something genuine, and they know when they’re not. If you’re not truly committed to your branding efforts, they’re not going to ring true. That’s why it’s so important to stay true to yourself and to have some fun with the process. Give your audience a chance to get to know the real you—what makes you different, what makes you great at what you do. Make personal branding fun, and you’re going to be more successful at it. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to get in touch with me or with any of the Agents at our Agency!

Two very different restaurants with a very different focus—and both have found success.

The question is… what is your focus?

Who is your target market? What are the characteristics of your ideal customer?

How does your brand appeal to these customers? (Common answers might include “an emphasis on customer service” or “years of experience” or “a unique product that no one else can offer.”)

Now that you’ve got an idea of the focus of your brand, let’s take a few moments to evaluate it critically. Answer each of these questions as honestly as you can:

Does your brand resonate with your target market? In other words, is it appealing? Times change, and a brand that was attractive ten years ago could easily be obsolete today. (How many of us still use AOL as our internet provider?)

Does your brand set you apart from others in your market? The whole point of a strong personal brand is that it differentiates you from your competition. When successful, this gives you the ability to virtually “lock out” competitors because they simply can’t provide what you can. But the marketplace is fast-moving—so honestly evaluate whether your brand is still unique.

Does your brand focus on the value you provide to your customers? Ultimately, your brand should answer the question “why should I do business with you?” McDonalds offers fast, affordable burgers—consistent time after time. Apple offers cutting edge technology and a “cool” factor. Nike makes their customers feel like world-class athletes. What value does your brand provide?

The beginning of the New Year is a perfect opportunity to evaluate the state of your brand. Take some time to ponder these questions… and ask yourself if perhaps your brand needs a new focus for 2013.

As another year comes to a close, everyone is posting all kinds of 2012 Top Ten Lists. Don't believe us? Well, if you happen to have a few minutes during the holiday rush, here are 55 of them, courtesy of Time magazine.

Frankly, we can't resist the temptation to offer one of our own--focusing on our own specialty, of course. Without further ado, here is our 2012 Top Ten List Celebrity Branding Success Stories, celebrating those notables who best exemplified a specific and crucial facet of building a successful personal brand.

10. Honey Boo Boo

There's no question that TLC reality superstar Honey Boo Boo captured the nation's heart this year--and we think that's because this little girl and her family exemplified the personal branding quality of authenticity--if not the qualities of good nutrition (check out their "sketti" recipe and then contemplate their cholesterol counts!). Honey and her homies were always themselves, no matter what the situation--and that includes their pet pig, Glitzy! It wasn't for everybody, but it was for a huge number of TV viewers.

9. Chris Christie

Many conservatives lost their mind when New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was showngiving some love to President Obama a week before the Presidential election, but actually, Christie was giving himself a co-branding advantage. Co-branding is when two unlikely brands combine forces (think of James Bond and Heineken teaming up in Skyfall) to broaden their bases and gain more exposure. In Christie's case, his bipartisan effort with Obama after Hurricane Sandy sparked a 19-point rise in his approval rating, bringing it to record-breaking heights.

8. James Bond

Speaking of James Bond, no matter what he's drinking these days, 007 has proven himself to be one celebrity brand that never quits. As a matter of fact, his latest screen adventure is his most popular ever, and that's quite an accomplishment after a half century of movie heroics. Why is he still so successful? Because the producers haven't been afraid to move him forward with some solid brand evolution. The film successfully captures 2012 sensibilities, even though Bond originated during The Cold War in the 1950s. When a brand stands still, it gets left in the past. When a brand stays contemporary, it can continue to connect.

7. Lana Del Rey

Singer Lana Del Rey first burst onto the scene in 2011 as a YouTube sensation, and her uniquemusical style caused people to either love her or hate her. She appeared visibly uncomfortableduring a musical performance on NBC's Saturday Night Live last year, which made more music aficionados question her professionalism and authenticity. However, she didn't let any of this backlash stop her--and her new album has actually gotten her some respect. By showing integrity when it came to her core brand, she overcame the hate and established herself as a comer.

6. The Obama Campaign

Last month, Obama won a bigger victory than expected--many attributed the high turnout in his favor to his campaign's savvy use of social media. 45% of registered voters said they were motivated to vote by Facebook, Twitter and the like, indicating the increased importance of using these social sites to promote any celebrity brand.

5. Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas became a superstar at the London Summer Olympics with her record-breaking gymnastic feats. Sometimes a celebrity brand is sparked simply by an incredible display of high performance; whether you break world records or sales records, your audience is bound to take notice.

4. The Avengers

This Marvel-ous superhero movie became the biggest hit of 2012, but that success was actually several years in the making. The Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor movies first introduced the team members in their own hit films, plus each teased the forthcoming Avengers film with appearances by group ringleader Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson). This is a shining example of how a solid brand strategy can multiply brand success.

3. Kony 2012

In early March, if you were even a casual user of social media, you couldn't get away from the viral video Kony 2012, as millions of people around the globe were sharing it. A poll suggested that over half of American young adults had heard of the video within days of its release. The video, which promoted the cause of the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children, demonstrated just what effective storytelling is capable of--which is why we consider it themost powerful personal branding tool (and which is also why we're writing a book about it!).

2. Jeremy Lin

In February of 2012, "Linsanity" hit the Big Apple--when Jeremy Lin, a player who was about to be cut by the New York Knicks, suddenly became the team's star player, with a series of awesome games in which he made the difference between a win and a loss. When you can successfully engineer that kind of unexpected shock and awe demonstration, you surprise your competition, delight your intended audience, and instantly create a memorable celebrity brand.

1. The Mayans

How can a culture that hit its peak more than a thousand years ago grab tons of publicity all year long? Easy: just predict the end of the world (or not). Yes, if you want to really draw an awesome amount of attention to your celebrity brand, simply make an apocalyptic prediction. There, of course, is only one problem with this approach: Every single doom-and-gloom forecast, so far anyway, has been wrong (and here's another Top 10 list to prove it). And let's face it--even if you do get lucky and hit it right, you're not really going to have a lot of time to enjoy your newfound fame. Better to stick with the branding ideas in the previous nine entries!

Have a happy and prosperous holiday season--and here's hoping your personal brand yields some excellent dividends in 2013!

6) Make your customers feel like insiders. If you can make your customers feel like “VIPs”, they’re going to be much more loyal to your business and your brand. Let customers get a glimpse “behind the scenes” from time to time. Sharing pictures of your team in action on social media is one great way to do this.

7) Provide value to your social media followers. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t in position to “break” news in today’s fast-paced media environment. But you can provide analysis and other valuable information to your online audience. If you’re a tax accountant, for instance, you could explain the implications of a new law that is being debated by congress. This type of valuable insight will make your audience pay attention!

8 ) Interact with your social media audience. Too many business owners view social media as a one-way street. It’s not. If you are using social media merely to promote yourself, you’re not going to build an audience. Spend more time replying to status updates and tweets than you do creating your own.

9) Make sure your website reflects your brand well. In many cases, your website serves as the “face” of your business. Take the opportunity to communicate your brand. This means using pictures and video if possible—and it means creating content that reinforces your brand and your points of differentiation. If you’d like to learn more about creating a personal brand-centered website, let me know!

10) Look for speaking opportunities. Think about the last time you attended a seminar that featured a speaker.  Without even thinking about it, you granted the speaker “expert” status in your mind, didn’t you?  We naturally assume that someone qualified to address a large group on a specific topic knows what they are talking about—which is why making a speech is such a good idea.  When you speak on a topic, you become an expert in that subject—and that’s what personal branding is all about!

Feel free to get in touch with me or any of the other agents at the agency if you’d like help in this area. I hope that 2013 will be the best year yet for your brand and your business!

1. Refine your elevator speech. When given 30-60 seconds to talk about yourself and your business, do you know what to say? Do you have a speech prepared that effectively communicates your brand and your points of differentiation? You never know when this will come in handy, so be prepared!
2. Live your brand. Personal branding only works if you truly commit to it.  Every interaction you have with your market—whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, a radio commercial, a website, or a speech—should be consistent with your personal brand.  By itself, your personal brand has limited value… but when you tie it in to every aspect of your business and your relationships, it can take your marketing efforts to the next level. Be particularly careful to “live” your brand while you are working with clients and customers—the impression that you create goes a long way to determine their perception of you and your business!
3. Smile! This may sound elementary, but the truth is that happy, positive people are more fun to be around, and therefore more memorable. Do your best to maintain a cheerful attitude when you’re around others—it really does make a difference.
4. Focus on relationships as you use social media. Twitter and Facebook are full of individuals and companies that are trying to establish their brand and sell their products by ramming them down their audience’s throat. It’s free marketing, the theory goes, so why not aggressively self-promote and sell? The problem with that line of thought is that most people don’t log on to Facebook or Twitter looking to be sold something. Your customers use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships, both personal and professional. The key to establishing your brand on these sites is to build relationships.
5. Don’t be afraid to grow. Change is scary. But it’s inevitable for a healthy business, and for a healthy personal brand.  Your business can’t afford to stand still—you should always be searching for opportunities to innovate and improve. Don’t be afraid to stretch and grow in 2013!

Stay tuned for five more New Year’s resolutions in an upcoming blog entry. Best wishes to you, your family, and your business in the New Year!

And… to stand out amidst your competition, you need to go against the flow. 

This makes logical sense, right?  If you want to become the industry expert in your area, ahead of all your competition, why would you want to sound and look just like everyone else?  Today we are going to take a look at various strategies for differentiating yourself and your business from the competition—while establishing yourself as the leading expert in your market.

Break the Mold

How many businesses, even today, put serious effort into engaging their market via social media and compelling web sites?  While some businesses are gradually starting to come around, the reality is that most small businesses have been slow to adopt social media and web marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy.

Of course, it is not enough to simply create a Facebook page and a Twitter profile and then sit back and wait for the phone to ring.  To build a truly powerful presence, you need to do social media differently than your competitors.  Keep these three principles in mind:

1) Focus on relationships. Twitter and Facebook are full of individuals and companies that are trying to establish their brand and sell their products by ramming them down their audience’s throat. It’s free marketing, the theory goes, so why not aggressively self-promote and sell? The problem with that line of thought is that most people don’t log on to Facebook or Twitter looking to be sold something. Your customers use Facebook and Twitter to build relationships, both personal and professional. The key to establishing your brand on these sites is to build relationships. Spend more time replying to status updates and tweets than you do creating your own.

2) Don’t be boring. Too many Twitter and Facebook profiles are completely devoid of originality, personality and substance. If you’re going to stand out, you need to be interesting and thought provoking. Post jokes, or commentary on pop culture, or predictions for upcoming NFL games. Tweet using only haiku form for a couple of days. Be creative. Find a way to express yourself, your personality, and the personality of your business.  Before you know it, you’ll realize that followers and friends are looking forward to your next tweet or status update.  Not only does this mean more exposure for your business, but it also means a stronger bond between you and your clients.

3) Break down the news. Twitter and Facebook are great sources of breaking news. As soon as anything of even minor importance happens, you can bet there will be thousands of posts announcing it and linking to news stories. Posting a link to a breaking news story will not help you stand out—but insightful analysis will. Imagine you’re a CPA for a moment, and a new tax bill has just been signed into law. Don’t just share the news, explain what it means for business owners and taxpayers! Your tweet will stand out from the thousands of others, because you won’t simply be stating what happened, you’ll be telling your audience what it means to them.  By breaking down recent developments that matter to your customers, you provide value to your social media followers—and you establish yourself as the clear expert in your market!

Social media can be a great way to differentiate your business from the competition—but you have to find a way to stand out.  Be creative, don’t hesitate to think outside the box, and keep these three strategies in mind as you build your social media presence.

1)     Your business becomes immune to price undercutting.  Once your customers have experienced the unparalleled experience your business provides, it will be very hard to persuade them to go anywhere else.  Do you own an iPad, or do you know someone who does?  Ask them how likely they are to purchase a different tablet in the future, simply because it is priced more cheaply.  If you surveyed 100 users, you would be hard pressed to find more than one or two who would consider switching.  Why?  Because the iPad is an exceptional product and provides great value to its users.  Back to your business: the reality is that, from time to time, you will have to deal with competitors undercutting your prices.  But by building a brand centered around your unique and exceptional value, you render yourself immune to your competitor’s strategy. 

2)     Your business builds a loyal following.  If you attract new business simply by offering low prices, you can expect them to be loyal customers—until they can find lower rates elsewhere.  On the other hand, by marketing the unique value provided by your business, you will attract customers that appreciate the value you provide.  They won’t leave you in the blink of an eye—because the value you provide can’t be easily duplicated by your competition.  Sure, low prices are a great way to bring in new business.  But they’ll leave you just as rapidly as they found you.  Providing value enables you to build a loyal following—and to keep them for the long term.

3)     Your customers spread the word via word-of-mouth advertising.  Providing a great customer experience will lead directly to the most effective form of advertising known to mankind—authentic word-of-mouth advertising.  When your customer has a great experience, human nature means that he or she is very likely to tell a friend or a family member.  Over time, your business will build a reputation for quality care and service—and you can count on bringing in new customers who are eager to experience your business for themselves.

Customer experience matters—and it’s important that providing an exceptional experience becomes an integral part of your brand. It will pay dividends!

Here are several ways to accomplish this with your personal brand:

1. Use your personal brand to highlight your experience and qualifications. Your customers want to know that they are in good hands. If you can position yourself as experienced and well-qualified, you allow them to simply relax and trust that you’ll get the job done right. That sense of confidence is exceptionally valuable—and most customers are willing to pay a premium for it.
2. Use your personal brand to emphasize your expert status. Media exposure is key—whether that means writing a book, publishing articles in nationally circulated magazines, or appearing on local TV. Many business owners laugh at this idea when we discuss it for the first time—their common response is “what in the world would I have to talk/write about?” But every business owner has a story to tell, and you are no exception! Emphasizing your expertise makes it easy to charge higher rates… because it’s a given that working with an expert means paying a premium rate.
3. Use your personal brand to communicate what makes you different. A well-defined personal brand makes it easy for your market to understand what makes you different from everyone else out there. At the Celebrity Branding Agency, we are passionate about the music and entertainment industry, and it shows—whether it’s on social media, through our website, or in face-to-face conversation. As a result, our clients know that we have the ability to leverage the same tools that are available to A-list celebrities. Take the time to define your most valuable points of differentiation, whether it’s your education, a revolutionary new product, or a commitment to exceptional customer service—and work to incorporate them into your personal brand.

Your clients prefer to do business with experts whenever they can. Think about it—when your child is sick and you have to choose a doctor, which would you prefer—one who is generic and non-descript, or a recognized expert in his field? Of course you’ll choose the expert. The same goes when you’re choosing an accountant to prepare your taxes, a real estate agent to help you sell your home, or even a mechanic to work on your car.

If you can develop a personal brand that communicates your qualifications, your expert status, and the attributes that set you apart from the competition, it will be very easy for your market to understand the value that you provide. And at that point, your target customers won’t blink at your price tag—because the value you provide more than justifies it.

For instance:

Incorporate your personal brand into speeches and public events. Whether you’re speaking to a large audience or you’re networking with two fellow business owners, don’t be afraid to tie your brand into conversation.  Tell stories.  Talk about your hobbies.  Let your audience get to know you, personally—not just in your professional capacity.  By interweaving your brand into your conversation, you can simultaneously impress your audience with your knowledge of your industry and create a strong personal appeal.

Use direct marketing—but make sure your brand always shines through. Many small business owners don’t realize how effectively personal branding can be tied in to a direct marketing campaign.  Whether it’s your website or a direct mail campaign, branding yourself as the CelebrityExpert® in your market while presenting a strong call to action is powerful.  Don’t just market the services you provide—market yourself through your brand.  Your customers want to know that they are in good hands—so always present yourself as THE expert in your market.

Live your brand. Personal branding only works if you truly commit to it.  Every interaction you have with your market—whether it’s a face-to-face conversation, a radio commercial, a website, or a speech—should be consistent with your personal brand.  By itself, your personal brand has limited value… but when you tie it in to every aspect of your business and your relationships, it can take your marketing efforts to the next level. Be particularly careful that to “live” your brand while you are working with clients and customers—the impression that you create goes a long way to determine their perception of you and your business!

You’ve been working hard to create a powerful personal brand—so take advantage of it. Look for opportunities to leverage it on a daily basis. These suggestions will help you get started, but be sure to use your own creativity as well!

In the last couple of weeks, have you ever heard so much about Twinkies? I mean, since you were six years old?

In case you missed our recent national panic attack, America collectively gasped when it was announced that the Hostess snack food company was going out of business due to a labor dispute and, as a result, its flagship product, Twinkies, would soon disappear from store shelves.

The Twinkie feeding frenzy quickly began. Shoppers stormed stores to hoard the packaged treats, and escalating bids for Twinkies and Twinkie-related products were soon helping eBay sellers realize some pretty delicious profits. Twinkies even became a political football (were they the victim of Obamacare or vulture capitalism?) and, closer to home, grandpa got pretty angry about the potential loss of his beloved munchie.

What’s funny about all this sudden Twinkie worship is that Twinkies have weathered their share of branding storms over the years. There was the urban legend that Twinkies are made of so many ingredients that aren’t real food that they remain edible forever (not true--they have a shelf life of about 25 days). There was the infamous “Twinkie defense,” employed unsuccessfully in 1979 by the man who shot the San Francisco mayor (as well as city supervisor Harvey Milk), who claimed that too much junk food caused him to turn homicidal. And, of course, Twinkies have been the butt of jokes in shows like Family Guy and movies such as Wall-E. Any brand faces challenges--particularly one that’s been around for more than 80 years. If a brand is carefully built, however, it can be strong enough to sustain almost any bad press.

So--how can you make sure your personal brand is up to the Twinkie standard? Here are a few tips, courtesy of The Disney Institute, that lead to long-lasting success.

1. The Emotional Connection

The strongest way you can bond your audience to your brand is through emotion, and the best way to create that emotional component is through storytelling. We’ve written about the power of storytelling before, because it’s an integral part of our approach on behalf of our clients. When you frame your brand’s story in the right way, you reach people on a very deep level.

Twinkies, by the way, are fortunate in the fact that most of us have already crafted our own Twinkie brand story in our heads. Because they’ve been around so long, we all grew up with them; they were an integral part of many a childhood lunch. That’s why the thought of them not being around anymore elicited so much panic.

2. Employees as an Emotional Engine

Disney calls its theme park employees their “cast members,” and they all receive careful instructions on how they should present themselves to Disney guests. To quote the Disney institute, “Brand loyalty…is seen as a reciprocal relationship, beginning with us. Each cast member, regardless of rank, understands that we must be loyal to our customers to receive loyalty in return.”

Similarly, the people who work for you, or even vendors who interact with the general public on your behalf, should act as ambassadors of your “brand story” with points of difference in their presentations that set you apart from the competition. Beyond that, your products should be packaged and labeled in a manner that also extends your brand story.

3. Build Repeat Business

If your brand doesn’t prompt people to come back to you for more, how in the world will it have any longevity? That means you must make sure your brand truly connects with your target audience and that you continue to expand its appeal beyond its original buyers. Also, as Disney makes clear, you need to be your toughest critic. If you’re not honest enough to confront your brand’s weaknesses and find ways to continually improve your delivery, you’re not giving folks the motivation to keep buying from you.

Twinkies may not, in reality, last forever…but their brand just might, and so can yours. We should all aim to build a brand with the lasting value of America’s favorite snack--but maybe with a little more nutritional value.

But while the goal is to consistently strengthen one’s personal brand over time, the reverse is also possible. Below are six common branding mistakes that will sabotage your efforts to build a powerful personal brand. Are you committing any of them?

1) Poor focus. You can’t be everything to everyone. Your personal brand should be focused around a few key qualities—your unique skillset, your sarcastic sense of humor, or your years of experience, for instance. Trying to “do too much” ends up diluting your brand, and you end up not standing for anything. Identify the most important traits or attributes to highlight, and focus your efforts on them.

2) Being Mr. (or Mrs.) Negative. Nobody wants to be around negativity. So no matter what the specifics of your brand may be, stay away from negativity. Don’t complain on social media. Don’t start a phone call by complaining about the weather or your local sports team. Stay positive and upbeat as much as possible, and your brand will be that much more appealing.

3) Misunderstanding your audience. Do you understand your audience? I mean… really understand them. Do you know their hopes and their dreams? Do you know the fears that keep them up at night? It’s critical that you understand your audience in a very comprehensive way so that you can tailor your brand accordingly.

4) Expecting instant results. You can’t build a powerful brand overnight. Unfortunately, many business owners grow discouraged if they don’t see instant results—and as a result pull the plug on what could otherwise be a very successful initiative. Understand that building a personal brand is a long-term project, not something you accomplish overnight.

5) Putting it off. Branding requires consistent work on your part (or on the part of your staff). Updating social media, blogging, networking… it all takes time. And because most business owners are extremely busy, in many cases they end up putting off their branding efforts as they don’t seem as immediately important. Unfortunately, this mindset leads to weak or ineffective branding efforts. If you’re serious about your personal brand, commit to it!

6) Not telling the truth. The worst thing you can do when it comes to building a powerful brand is to make promises you can’t keep. Don’t make outlandish claims or crazy promises just to close a deal. While these tactics may be helpful in the short run, in time it will come back to haunt you. Be honest and upfront as you create your brand… that way you can be sure it is built on a solid foundation that won’t crumble over time.

Personal branding can be extremely profitable for business owners. We’ve talked extensively in this space about the process of creating an effective brand. But if you’re committing any of these mistakes, you’re making the job much harder for yourself! Feel free to get in touch with me or any of the other agents at the agency if you’d like to learn more.

That, in a nutshell, is why so many business owners are excited about social media.

But this growth presents challenges as well. Most obviously, as more and more businesses jump in to the fray, it can be very hard to be seen and heard. And as you know, it doesn’t matter how great your social media content is, if nobody sees it! So today, we are going to cover five ways to engage a larger audience via social media.

1) Interact. Too many business owners view social media as a one-way street. It’s not. If you are using social media merely to promote yourself, you’re not going to build an audience. Take the time to interact with others and build real relationships—it’s time well spent!

2) Share pictures. You’ve heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. On social media, a picture may be worth ten thousand words. So use them!

3) Break news. If you’re in position to break news that impacts your industry, do so! There’s plenty of regurgitated content flying around on Twitter and other social media sites… but if you can break news, you’re going to build a following.

4) Provide value. Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t in position to “break” news. But you can provide analysis and other valuable information to your audience. If you’re a tax accountant, for instance, you could explain the implications of a new law that is being debated by congress. This type of valuable insight will make your audience pay attention!

5) Get personal. It’s important that your following on social media views you as a “real” person, not an impersonal business focused only on self promotion. Tell jokes. Talk about your favorite TV shows. Don’t be afraid to relax and have fun!

One final note: if this sounds like a lot of work… it is. Social media requires time on a regular basis. But the good news is that you don’t have to do it by yourself… you can delegate it to a member of your team. Just be sure that you create a plan and define your expectations so that they stay on track.

Questions or comments? Feel free to contact me, or any of the agents at our agency to learn more!

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Did you ever try to add one channel to your cable or satellite TV service? If you tried, you probably failed, because TV channels are routinely bundled by the big boys like DirecTV, DISH, and Time Warner. That means if you want TLC, you might have to also pay for the History Channel. If you want MTV, you might also have to pay for VH1.

This practice prompted Senator John McCain to tell The Washington Post, “When I go to the grocery store to buy a quart of milk, I don’t have to buy a package of celery and a bunch of broccoli....I don’t like broccoli.”

Senator McCain is lucky--there are many grocery stores to choose from and none of them would ever attempt to make you buy broccoli to get milk. However, it’s most likely that there is only one company bringing TV into your living room at this moment, and it will most likely make you subscribe to BroccoliTV if you desperately want The Milk Channel (if, of course, either of those entities actually existed).

The practice of bundling, selling more than one product together in a package deal, is an effective marketing practice that can boost your sales and your revenues if used correctly. However, because you undoubtedly have more competition than DirecTV, you can’t get away with “pure bundling,” in which the customer can’t buy one or more items in the bundle separately. Studies have shown that will actually reduce your sales by over 20%.

In most cases, however, bundling is a highly effective marketing approach. The book industry, a business with more competition than it knows what to do with, has recently discovered its benefits. A few months ago, a U.K. imprint, Angry Robot, began offering a free digital copy of each print version of a book it sells. Now, you might think that would water down sales. What’s to stop readers from passing out the e-books to friends and keeping the print copy for themselves? Well, the opposite happened--the new practice actually tripled their sales and shifted the focus from "print vs. digital" to "added value." And those extra revenues were created with absolute minimum costs, since e-books have a one-time-only production cost.

Other publishers have recently found other advantages with bundling. The Wall Street Journalearlier this year reported on book companies that are now using bundling to bring attention to book titles that lacked the visibility to spur sales on their own. Publishers are bundling them with more established books, either by discounting the second book or, in some cases, just plain giving it away (especially if it’s a digital copy). "It's a way for us to introduce for free an author to a reader that they might want to know," Maja Thomas, senior vice president of Hachette Digital, told the Journal.

Here are a few of the many benefits that bundling your products can bring:

* The buyer gets to determine value.

Say you’re bundling a video and a book together for $50. One customer might think the video was worth $40 and the book was worth $30, while another customer might flip those values around, with the book being worth $40 and the video $30. That doesn’t matter, because both customers will agree that they’re getting a deal by purchasing the two products for $50.Etsy.com cites this as a primary reason for sellers to bundle on their site.

* Bundling spurs quicker sales.

Studies show that a bundle that appears to be a great deal will motivate buyers to act more quickly than they would have otherwise. If you’ve ever added an item to the cart on Amazon.com, you’ve seen how they’ll “suggest” an additional similar product at a lower cost if you buy both, and if that sort of bundling didn’t work, they wouldn’t do it!

* Bundling spotlights products that are being ignored.

Yoking a forgotten product to a popular one is a way to help the former gain recognition with the help of the latter. TV networks used to do this all the time--classic shows like Seinfeld andM*A*S*H didn’t become ratings successes until they were moved into timeslots next to other much more popular shows and viewers actually sampled them. If you feel one of your products didn’t take off like it should have, this is an excellent way to give it a “second life.”

* Bundling offers big profits on products that have little to no extra production costs.

As noted, giving away a free copy of an e-book with a printed book costs the publisher almost nothing, but brings a lot of added value to the buyer. Similarly, most Blu-ray movies are now packaged with DVD and digital copies of the same film, because the extra cost is almost non-existent, as is the case with copies of video games. In this age of digital products, it’s easy to add a pre-existing product, charge more for the bundle, and trigger extra revenues that otherwise wouldn’t have existed.

Again, bundling works best when you offer the customer a choice. The more control buyers feel they have, the more comfortable they are choosing your products. Remember the days before iTunes, when, if you wanted a great song, you had to buy a whole CD that probably mostly sucked? That made you feel like you had been ripped off--and that’s not a feeling you ever want your customers to take away from a sale.

1) Figure out what sets you apart. There is no such thing as a “generic” celebrity—they all have a unique skill, trait, or physical ability. Think Justin Bieber’s hair, Lady Gaga’s wardrobe, or Usher’s ability to dance. As a business owner, it’s up to you to identify what makes your business different from everyone else. It could be your years of experience and unique perspective. It could be the customer experience you provide.

2) “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” No celebrity waits until they are famous to start dressing and acting the part. Hollywood doesn’t work that way, and neither does the world of business. If you expect to become a market leader, you need to act like one—starting right now!

3) Leverage the media. If there’s one thing that Hollywood celebrities know how to do, it is to leverage the power of the media. Whether it is appearing on late night talk shows to promote themselves or a venture, dominating the tabloids, or giving interviews on the red carpet, A-list celebrities understand the “star power” that the media provides. We help our clients to do the same. How can you leverage the power of the media to promote your business and build your brand?

4) Embrace a cause or a charity. Celebrities routinely endorse or partner with causes and charities—everything from animal rights to cancer research. And while this usually reflects a sincere passion, it’s also an excellent opportunity for celebrities to build goodwill and generate exposure for themselves. How can you partner with a cause in your market in order to build your brand?

5) Never forget that it is your fans who ultimately make you famous. At the end of the day, it’s the fans that make celebrities who they are. Without millions of fans lining up to buy his albums and purchase concert tickets, Justin Bieber would be just another anonymous, albeit very talented, young adult. As a business owner, the same is true of your customers. Never, ever forget that your customers are responsible for your success… and treat them accordingly!

You may not realize it, but business owners can learn a whole lot about marketing and branding by paying attention to Hollywood! How can you apply these lessons to your business?   

1) Practice your handshake and introduction. Obviously as a professional you know how to shake hands and introduce yourself. But give this process some thought, and ask yourself “am I projecting the best possible first impression?” If not, what needs to change? Work on it and put it into practice immediately—the first impression really does count.

2) Refine your elevator speech. When given 30-60 seconds to talk about yourself and your business, do you know what to say? Do you have a speech prepared that effectively communicate your brand and your points of differentiation? You never know when this will come in handy, so be prepared!

3) “Live out” your brand. Does your personality reflect the brand you are working to build? It should—or you’ll be contradicting yourself and sabotaging your brand. Work to ensure that you embody your brand in every day interactions, just as you do when you’re appearing on TV or interacting with your audience via social media.

4) Add a branded element to your email signature. If you’re like many business owners, you often send dozens of emails per day. Each of those emails is a chance to reinforce your brand—simply by branding your signature. Whether it’s a logo, a favorite quote, or a picture of yourself, find a way to take advantage of the opportunity!

5) Smile! This may sound elementary, but the truth is that happy, positive people are more fun to be around, and therefore more memorable. Do your best to maintain a cheerful attitude when you’re around others—it really does make a difference.

Personal branding doesn’t have to be complicated! Each of these strategies will make a real difference – so put them into practice today!

It seems like you can’t go five minutes without hearing or seeing an advertisement for President Obama or for Mitt Romney, his challenger. (If you’re completely tired of them and just want the election to be over with already, I can promise you that you’re not alone!)

As you probably know, political elections largely come down to marketing and branding. “Likeability” is an important component of every election—and in fact, many experts believe that the President’s edge in the likeability category is largely responsible for his narrow lead in the polls.

At the end of the day, “likeability” largely comes down to personal branding—so we’re going to take a few moments to look at the efforts both Romney and Obama are making to build their personal brands. How can you apply these lessons to your business?

Pursuing photo ops. If you had a dollar for every time a presidential candidate was “caught” kissing a baby, you’d be very, very wealthy. And it’s no accident. Politicians are acutely aware of the power of photographs to communicate their brand, and they work tirelessly to ensure that they are photographed in as many flattering settings as possible.

Dressing appropriately. Political candidates want to appear to be normal people just like you and I—and they dress accordingly when they’re out campaigning. Mitt Romney in particular seems to be determined to shed the idea that he is somehow “different” from voters due to his wealth and his high-level business success. He can frequently be seen in a dress shirt, with no tie, and with his sleeves rolled up.

Talking about the same things their audience is talking about. Both Romney and Obama made a point of commenting on the “replacement referee” controversy that angered NFL fans through the first four weeks of the season. It’s entirely possible that both candidates did feel passionately about the issue, but it’s also clear that the controversy represented an opportunity to demonstrate that they are “normal” people too.

Interacting with voters and donors. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that politicians put a great deal of energy into every single handshake they make at a campaign event. They want each individual that they interact with to feel valued and appreciated. And they do this by focusing on each interaction, even if it only last for a couple of seconds.

Staying on message. One of the most important elements when it comes to building a personal brand is consistently staying “on message.” They want to hammer the same themes home time after time, and the more they can keep their message consistent, the more sincere and genuine they seem.

You may not be running for office, but you are competing for business. And each of the strategies that are currently being utilized by politicians across the nation can be adapted to work for you. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you’d like to learn more! 

From time to time, I am asked why personal branding is so valuable—why a business owner should focus on their personal brand instead of simply their company brand. Below are three important answers to this question:

People buy people. When it comes to choosing a business to purchase from, consumers have consistently demonstrated that they prefer to do business with others that they know and trust. Where a company can sometimes seem “faceless” or anonymous, an individual has no such problem. While billion-dollar brands can establish credibility for the business, it is much harder for a small to mid-sized company to achieve this type of credibility without an emphasis on personal branding.

People are more memorable than companies. In addition to establishing credibility, creating “memorability” is a critical function of an effective brand. Simply put, you want potential customers to think of you when they need your products or services—not your competitors. And it’s easier for an individual to create this type of memorability than it is for a business itself.

People can become experts, companies very rarely accomplish this. One of the most important goals we have for each of our clients is to turn them into experts within their market. There are many ways we do this—from publishing books to appearing on NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX affiliates across the country. While it is relatively easy to turn an individual into an expert, it is much more difficult to create a company brand that conveys this message. In fact, most businesses that have successfully branded themselves as experts within a market usually accomplished this by first establishing individuals within the business as leading experts.

Now don’t misunderstand—building a corporate brand is important as well. But when it comes to getting the most “bang for your buck” as a small or mid-sized business, it’s impossible to beat the power of personal branding!

Yet, many business owners flinch at the idea of publishing a book. The most common reaction they have is “I don’t have anything to write about.” Most of the time, they’re just plain wrong—they DO have a book in them, and a successful one at that.

Do you have a book in you? Below are four questions to ask:

1) Do you have a unique perspective on your industry? Most industries deal with “groupthink” to some degree—but not everyone agrees. Do you have a unique perspective that flies in the face of the “common wisdom” in your industry? If so, you’ve got the premise of a book on your hands.

2) Does your experience give you valuable insights to share with readers? Have you “seen it all” over the years in your industry? Can you provide valuable tips and tricks to readers? If so, you’ve got a book to write!

3) Do you have a story to tell? Why are you in business? Do you believe passionately in a certain idea or a cause? Does your business allow you to make an impact on those around you? If you have a story to tell, why not make a book out of it?

4) Do you already write a blog, articles, or other content? Why waste the hard work you’ve put into writing content over the years? Consider re-purposing your existing content into book form. In many cases, all you’ll need to do is spend some time strategizing and editing your existing content. If you’ve got a wealth of content already created, you’ve definitely got a book in you!

If your answer to any of the questions I’ve just posed was “yes”… you have the ability to write a book. Doing so just may be the best decision you ever make. If you’d like to learn more about the process, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any other agent at our agency!  

“Once upon a time…”

Those four little words, when combined, have an amazing allure, simply because we know that they signify that something special is about to happen…a story.

Humanity has used stories from the beginning to bind communities, create movements, inspire religions and promote patriotism.  From cave drawings to campfire tales, from papyrus writings to the Guttenberg Bible, our species has always rallied around stories – narratives that had the ability to hit us where we live and take us to someplace new.

At our agency, we make what we call “story-selling” an essential component of our branding efforts with our clients.  We’ve seen first-hand that, when you create the proper story, you’ve done most of the heavy-lifting required to build a successful brand.

The question, though, is why – why do stories have such “primal power” when it comes to influencing an audience?

It turns out there’s a perfectly good scientific explanation: Stories affect us on both on an incredibly deep intellectual and emotional level that studies are just beginning to understand.

That quest began when scientists discovered that fictional stories affected the same region of the brain that reacts when we ourselves are engaged in real-life drama.  Stories create a bonding empathy which causes us to strongly identify with the made-up protagonist – as if we were, in fact, that person.  In other words, stories have such impact because our brains actually get a little mixed-up as to what’s real and what’s not.

Further investigation has revealed that the actual physical process triggered by stories is the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that’s usually affected by close emotional interaction – which is why its nickname is “the love hormone.”  Researcher Paul Zak from Claremont Graduate University, California, explains how oxytocin makes well-crafted stories that we read in books and watch in films and on television irresistible:  "We are empathetically engaged. We are treating this as if it is our real family. We can't help but care for these people."

Scientists have also determined why stories are so important to our intellectual activity: Our brains use them to process different strands of information and make sense of it all.  It’s no secret that our early ancestors created elaborate stories about various mythological gods to explain various natural phenomena they couldn’t understand.  Frankly, all of us are always after an explanation for why things are the way they are.

Think about all the data you take in on a daily basis (especially these days when non-stop information is the rule, not the exception); for the most part, it adds up to nothing but chaos.  Your brain, however, desperately wants a narrative to make it all understandable – even if that narrative happens to be wrong.

This is why certain stories have “primal power” as well as an enduring fascination.  Consider that NBC’s coverage of the Olympics in recent years, including this year’s London games, has focused extensively on the stories of the U.S. athletes’ various challenges and struggles, so that the events themselves have more narrative power.  And then there are the multitude of network one-hour “procedural” dramas, the alphabet-soup of CSI, L&O and NCIS shows and spin-offs, in which the killer is always caught and the audience is allowed to feel things are under control.

When someone’s brand story hits “the sweet spot” with his or her intended audience, the effects can be far-reaching and incredible – because it’s all about biology.  We can’t help but be drawn in by a great story.  That’s why Donald Trump knows it’s valuable to keep sounding off about whatever he wants – because being outspoken is his “brand story,” just as elegant entertaining is Martha Stewart’s and everyday cooking is Rachael Ray’s.  Their brands endure because the public wants to keep hearing their “stories.”

The power of storytelling is no fairy tale.  So put a strong story in place with your brand – that is, if you want your business to have a happy ending.

That ingredient is relationships. It is only through building strong relationships that your personal brand can achieve maximum effectiveness.

Why is this? Because people buy people. They want to do business with individuals that they know, and that they trust. This means that, in addition to the more traditional branding strategies that you are pursuing, you must also be working to develop strong relationships with colleagues, fellow professionals, and potential customers.

These relationships have the power to “prove” that you are:

1) Trustworthy. Today’s consumers are increasingly skeptical, and with good reason. For every great business, there are five more that either do a terrible job or are outright scams. But a strong relationship demonstrates your trustworthiness and makes potential clients much more inclined to do business with you.

2) Knowledgeable. Trust is great, but it alone isn’t enough to close the deal. You need to show that you are a credible expert in your industry. Hopefully you’re pursuing some, if not all, of the strategies that we regularly discuss on my blog and in these articles—because they will position you as an expert within your market. But it’s important that your face-to-face relationship with consumers in your market convey the same image. If your books, your website, and your media presence position you as a respected thought-leader in your industry, your in-person persona should reinforce this image.

3) Relational. Consumers prefer to do business with others that they like. After all, if they’re going to be spending time working with you or with your team, they want to be sure that the time is enjoyable. (Or at least, that it’s not unpleasant.) For many of you, this comes naturally. But if it doesn’t, it’s important that you make an effort to become known as someone who is pleasant to deal with.

4) Reachable. Finally, developing real-life relationships with others in your market demonstrates that you are reachable. One of the fears that many consumers have is that they will agree to do business with an individual or a firm, write them a check—and rarely hear from them again. Work to establish a reputation as someone that is reachable—that returns phone calls or responds to email. It’s much easier for a potential customer to decide to do business with you when they have complete confidence that they’ll always be able to get you on the phone! (Keep in mind that it doesn't always have to be you. A good staff can help relieve the burden of having to respond to hundreds of questions, which happens when you have a large client base, and still keep your customers happy because you and your team are always reachable.)

As you work to create a powerful personal brand, it is important that you continue to invest into building and developing relationships. As you do this, you’ll find that converting prospects into clients becomes easier than ever!

There’s a problem with that, though. You’re a business owner—and as such, you simply don’t have the time to keep creating content. You’ve got a business to run!

So here’s a tip for you: don’t re-invent the wheel if you don’t have to! Learn to re-purpose content whenever possible. If you’ve just completed a big project for a client, and you have permission to do so, why not re-purpose some of that work for a blog entry or a news article? The truth is that much of the messaging that goes into a book, a speech, a blog article, or similar items can be reused elsewhere. Specifically, consider re-purposing your content into:

1) Blog entries. Got a couple hundred words of insight in an email, or some other format? Turn it into a blog entry!

2) E-books. Publishing an e-book is a great way to build credibility and provide value. And if you blog regularly, chances are that you have more than enough content to create a great e-book.

3) Traditional books. Or, if you’ve got even more content to pull from, think bigger than an e-book—consider publishing a physical book. The impact that publishing a book will have on your personal brand is impossible to overstate.

4) Speeches. Don’t forget about speeches and lectures. Whether it’s a book or a collection of blogs and articles centered around a common theme, chances are you can put together a strong outline for a speech just by pulling from content you already created.

You get the point! If you’ve been producing content, get as much “bang for your buck” as possible and leverage it through a variety of different mediums. As always, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or any of the agents at our agency if you’d like to learn more!

So what can you do to create more raving fans?

Obviously, it starts with delivering quality products and services that meet or exceed the expectations of your customers. That means not over-promising, and it means delivering consistently. But this alone doesn’t create raving fans.

One of the most effective ways to create raving fans is by getting the details right. It’s the “little” touches that take your customer experience to the next level. For instance…

Packaging. Have you ever bought an Apple product? If so, you know what I mean. Sometimes it seems like Apple takes as much time designing the packaging for their products as they do engineering their complicated devices. The result is that, every time you purchase a new product, you feel like you’re unwrapping something of incredible valuable.

Beating deadlines. There are a number of world-class companies, including Apple and Zappos.com, that take pride in beating their deadlines when it comes to shipping a product. They’ll tell you to expect delivery on Friday, for instance, and instead the product shows up on Wednesday or Thursday. And who isn’t delighted when a package shows up early?

Customer service. Many large companies struggle in this area—you probably know exactly what I mean. Have you ever spent 45 minutes on the phone, transferring from department to department in frustration before finally hanging up in frustration? This is all too common—but the good news is that it gives your business a chance to shine. Stellar customer service stands out in a world dominated by automated “help” lines and disinterested agents.

These are just three examples of “little” details that are often ignored by businesses. How many other opportunities can you find to WOW customers and create raving fans?

1) Learn to tell a good story. Whether it is in the lyrics of their songs, in their music videos, or as a part of their biography, the best performers have the ability to tell a compelling story that resonates with their audience. What is the story that your business is telling? It doesn’t have to be anything over the top—something like “we’re the most experienced public accounting firm in Orlando” is more than enough, if it is consistently and persuasively told.

2) Give content away for free. The music industry grasped very early on that nobody is going to pay for a concert ticket or for a record from an artist that they haven’t heard. So they came up with a way to expose people to their music, in the form of singles on the radio and on channels like MTV. As a business, you can do the same through channels like a blog, social media, or articles that you write in newspapers and magazines. Let people get to know who you are and how you think… and they’ll be much more likely to become a customer!

3) Remember… it’s not about the music (or your products and services), it’s about how you make your audience feel. U2 isn’t one of the most popular bands in the world because of their technical skills. It’s not their chord progressions or Bono’s voice. It’s the total package they present—and the impact that their music has on an audience. Similarly, it’s not about your products… it’s about the impact they have on the day-to-day life of your customers.

The music industry may be a bit more “glamorous” than your industry, but the principles of success are very much the same. If you can apply these tips to your business, you’ll be better off for it! As always, if you have more questions, you can contact me or any of our agents at the agency!

This sounds great, right—but how can you actually make it happen? This is the first in a two-part series in which we will take a look at proven strategies for generating raving fans and creating loyalty. Where will we pull these strategies from? You guessed it… the music industry. As someone who is deeply involved in the music business as well as more “traditional” business, I witnessed firsthand how strategies that work for musicians can work for your business, too. So here we go…

1) Make fans (customers) feel like insiders. This is particularly true for bands that are just starting out and trying to build a fan base. I tell them all the time that the best thing they can do is make their fans feel like members of the band. The same is true of your business. Let customers get a glimpse behind the scenes from time to time. Sharing pictures on social media is one great way to do this.

2) Develop your own unique “thing.” Lady Gaga is notorious for her creative outfits and stagecraft. When Justin Bieber broke out, it seemed that his haircut was at least as important as his musical ability. What is your “thing”? What can you do to make your business stand out from the crowd? There are many different ways to answer this question—a catchy name for your business, a dynamite personal brand, or even a one of a kind product or service are all ways to differentiate from the crowd.

3) Cultivate relationships with other professionals. One thing that I can say with certainty: it is very hard to succeed in the music industry without the right relationships. And the industry is a relatively small and insulated community—so aspiring musicians must be very careful not to burn any bridges. The same is true in your area. Make an effort to build strong relationships with professionals and fellow business owners… because you never know when knowing the right person could make all the difference.

4) Don’t be afraid to grow. Change is scary. But in business, as in the music industry, the failure to change eventually results in obsolesce. Justin Bieber’s recent “evolution” comes to mind. His re-branding as an adult may have ruffled some feathers and saddened some fans… but the cost for not evolving would have been much worse. Your business can’t afford to stand still—you should always be searching for opportunities to innovate and improve.

Check back soon for part two, where I’ll break down three more lessons from the music industry that can be applied to your business!

1) Lack of confidence. You don’t have to be a “know it all.” But as you work on building a brand as a CelebrityExpert® within your market, it’s important that you build your own confidence. Think about it for a moment—let’s say you’re a business owner visiting a CPA for the first time. That CPA is known as the leading expert in his market. Would you expect him to speak and act with confidence? Of course you would—and a lack of confidence in his area of expertise would cause you concern. Again, I’m not suggesting that you should become a “know it all”—only that you have confidence in your abilities. You’ve worked hard to become who you are… you should be confident!

2) Not “living up” to their brand in person. This is a tough one, and it’s all-important. Whether you are branding yourself through social media, TV/radio, by writing a book, or any other channel… it’s important that you live up to your brand in person. The best way to do that is simply to create a brand that is an accurate representation of you and your personality. Don’t try to be something that you aren’t, and you’ll never have to worry about “living up” to the perception that you create.

3) Poor business cards and other visual materials. This one is simple—if you expect to be viewed as a CelebrityExpert®, your business card and other visuals like brochures, books, and your website must look the part. Don’t “go cheap”—you’ll pay for it down the road!

4) Using old marketing materials that conflict with the current brand. As a business owner, you hate wasting resources. That’s a good thing. But that mentality often leads people to continue using old marketing materials rather than throwing them out. (For instance, many business owners continue to use old business cards even though they have an updated logo.) It’s important that everything a customer or potential customer sees represents your brand—so bite the bullet and toss out any outdated materials.

5) Inconsistency. In order to create a strong brand identity, it’s important that you broadcast a consistent message day after day. Think about politics for a moment—an effective campaign hits the same message over and over and over. (Think Obama in ’08. How many times did you hear “hope” and “change”? How about “yes we can!” In 2012, Romney is doing his absolute best to focus like a laser on the weak economy.) Does your message stay consistent?

Questions? Comments? Would you like to learn more? As always, please feel free to contact me or any of our agents at the agency!

To an extent, they’re correct. Social media sites certainly do come and go. Five years ago, MySpace was the social media platform to have… today, it’s a distant memory. But while social media sites may come and go, the movement is anything but a fad. In fact, social media has existed for thousands of years. As humans, we are fundamentally social creatures. We love to talk, gossip, swap stories, and share our lives with friends and family. Thousands of years ago, people may have sat around the campfire or drawn pictures on the ground. Today, we use Facebook and Instagram. The tools have changed… but social interaction has been around as long as humans have been.

What does that mean to you? It means that you can feel comfortable using social media for marketing purposes—as long as you understand that social media is fundamentally about relationships. It’s not a magic solution that will instantly double your sales. But social media is a valuable tool for reaching customers and potential customers, with the ultimate goal of building strong relationships. Today, I’m going to share five ways that you can use Twitter to build stronger relationships with your customers and with potential customers in your market.

1) “Check in” with others when you are out together. Services like FourSquare allow you to “check in” when you’re at a restaurant, store, or other location. If you’re eating lunch with a client, check in and mention who you’re with. It’s a simple way to strengthen an “offline” relationship on Twitter.

2) Respond to re-tweets and mentions. Thank other users who re-tweet your content or mention you. It’s simple courtesy, and it encourages others to continue to interact with you, boosting your visibility exponentially.

3) Ask questions and look for opportunities to interact with others. Don’t treat Twitter like a one-way street, a place for you to broadcast your ideas to the world. Look for opportunities to interact. Respond to questions that other users may be asking. Compliment them on a great picture they have just posted. Ask a question that pertains to their area of expertise.

4) Participate in #hashtag conversations. Big events, like an American Idol Finale or an NBA Finals game, are typically discussed in real time by millions of users. Join the conversation by using the appropriate hashtag… like #NBAFinals or #Idol. This allows others who may not follow you to see what you have to say, and potentially form a relationship.

5) Be yourself. Tell jokes. Share stories. Don’t be all business, all the time. Let your audience get to know the “real” you—and you’ll find that your relationships have much more depth.

Twitter is a fantastic tool to help you build relationships with customers, colleagues, and potential clients in your market. Let me know if you’d like more information on this topic, and if we haven’t already, let’s connect on Twitter… I’m @NickNanton!

Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode where Jerry strikes up a friendship with former baseball great Keith Hernandez? Hernandez calls Jerry up to ask him to help him move out of his apartment, and Jerry completely freaks out, because, as the comedian puts it, "I mean, I hardly know the guy. That's a big step in a relationship. The biggest. That's like going all the way!"

Human relationships, like Seinfeld, are funny. There are invisible lines you're not supposed to cross until you've reached certain levels of familiarity with a person. And that's not just true with friends and dates--it's also true with business.

Case in point: a new study in the Harvard Business Review revealed that, by the time a customer actually engages a salesperson, that buyer's mind is already made up 60% of the time. In other words, when you start pursuing a prospect at the moment that they're ready to buy something you sell, you're oftentimes already too late. They know who they're going to buy from--and chances aren't great it's going to be you.

Why? Because as Seinfeld will tell you, it's way too soon to go all the way with somebody they hardly know.

That's why the best salespeople don't drop everything and jump after a customer who has an immediate demand, if they don't already have a relationship with that customer. Instead, they either work to shape demand or cultivate relationships with leads who are likely to develop demand.

That approach puts the salesperson at the beginning of the customer's buying process, rather than at the end of it. Yes, you're there when there's very little chance of any immediate payoff, but you're actually doing the most important work of all when it comes to sales; creating arelationship. By the time that the customer is ready to "go all the way," they're comfortable doing it with you, because they know you and trust you. You're not perceived as some hustler trying to swoop in at the last minute to make a quick buck.

To look at this concept from another perspective, it's long been established that follow-up marketing is all-important to creating an eventual sale. Statistics from the National Sales Executive Association show that only 2% of sales are made on the first contact, while 80% of sales are made on the fifth to twelfth contact. What's rarely mentioned, however, is why follow-up marketing works; the reason is that it's essential to building the kind of successful relationship with the customer that creates the conditions for a sale.

It's not just about meeting a customer's needs; it's about being trusted to meet a customer's needs. Trust is something that takes time to earn. Just ask Jerry Seinfeld.  In that same episode, Kramer can't believe Jerry actually agreed to help Hernandez move. He yells at him, "You said 'YES!?' Don't you have any pride or self respect? I mean what are you going to do next? You're going to start driving him to the airport?"

To which Jerry angrily replies, "I'm NOT driving him to the airport!"

If you want to make the sale--or just get a ride to the airport--make sure you've got the relationship established enough to allow that to happen. Be there at the beginning, and you won't get left out at the end.

It's been a long and grueling campaign for Romney, one that saw numerous candidates surpass him in the polls before ultimately fading out. But after months of campaigning, Romney can finally set his aim at the White House. While he’s doing so, let’s take a moment to examine the marketing strategies that ultimately proved successful:

1) Consistency counts. While Romney has faced criticism for the way in which his convictions have evolved over the years, there is no questioning the consistency of his message during the primary campaign. While Rick Santorum generated controversy by addressing social issues and Newt Gingrich talked of putting a base on the moon, Mitt Romney hammered home his economic message day after day. In an election year where the economy is overwhelmingly the largest concern for voters, his focus paid off.

2) You can’t win votes (or sell products) without exposure. Romney’s critics complain that his ability to blanket the airwaves with campaign commercials was the key to his victory. Whatever you may believe about the role of money in politics, there is no denying that you can’t win without exposure. The same is true of your business—if you want to dominate your market, you must seek consistent exposure through credible channels.

3) Systems and discipline are essential for long term success. Romney’s closest competitors down the stretch were Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. While both of them inspired passionate support, they also made critical organizational mistakes which may have cost them the nomination. Gingrich was unable to meet the requirements to appear on the ballot in his home state of Virginia, while Santorum was ineligible to compete for nearly 25% of the delegates in the crucial Ohio primary. Passion and enthusiasm are great—but if you can’t back them up with rock-solid marketing and management systems, you will eventually flame out.

4) Control the conversation. Mitt Romney’s fundamental pitch is simple: his years of spectacular success in the private sector position him as uniquely qualified to turn the struggling economy around. He didn’t have the foreign policy experience that many of his rivals boasted. His conservative credentials were often questioned. But by refusing to let the conversation stray from his strengths, Romney was able to minimize the impact of these weaknesses.

Mitt Romney’s candidacy wasn’t the most dramatic—but his discipline and his consistent message allowed him to come out on top. How can you apply these principles to your ownbranding and marketing campaigns?

Mother's Day recently got me thinking about the power of Mom. No, I'm not talking about her power to get us to finish all our vegetables or clean up our rooms--I'm talking about her power in 2012 to brand.

Let's face it, the American mother is an incredibly iconic figure that is constantly changing and growing. That evolution is most evident from television over the years; from the sweet 1950s apron-and-pearls portrayals provided by Donna Reed and June Cleaver to today's TV housewives that are both Desperate and Real. Moms are long past being just about apple pie and folding laundry; they've become a force to be reckoned with on all fronts.

That became very apparent a few weeks ago when Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen said a few words on CNN that set off a political firestorm of epic proportions. Rosen made the assertion that Ann Romney, the wife of Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, "never worked a day in her life" because she didn't work outside of the home.

Moms rose up as one to state the obvious; stay-at-home parents are on the job 24/7. Can you even put a dollar sign on all they do? Well, Salary.com took a shot at with its Mom Salary Survey, concluding that a full-time mom should be making at least $110,000 per year.  And even if she was only being a mom part-time, she still should be making $66,000 on top of her regular paycheck.

Should be, but isn't--which is why some enterprising mothers are taking to the Internet to create a "celebrity mom" status for themselves and using it to brand their own entrepreneurial endeavors (at this point, who hasn't read Dooce or The Pioneer Woman?). It makes sense; according to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in four married mothers with children younger than 15 stay home with their kids--and they could probably use the extra household income. And running a business out of a home is increasingly commonplace. As a matter of fact, according to another U.S. Census survey, home is now where over half of the businesses in the U.S. are located.

There aren't any stats readily available on how many stay-at-home moms are becoming entrepreneurs (as CNN points out here), but you can find examples of  Mom power in action everywhere. Check out Dorothy Beal's site, Mile Posts, to see how this amazing woman and mother of three overcame a medical condition to become a marathon runner, and then branded herself to take advantage of sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Then there's Jen, The Suburban Mom, who promotes brands and special deals through her website, and Holly, who runs a fitness program to help transform any out-of-shape mom into a "Fit Yummy Mummy," at ClubFYM.com.

These are just three examples of so-called "ordinary" moms who took tried-and-true brandingprinciples and transformed themselves into marketing powerhouses. The lesson here? The ordinary becomes extraordinary when you leverage your everyday status to attract others just like you to your business.

So, dads, you'll have to wait closer until Father's Day to get your due. In the meantime, let's not forget that when you turn "Mom" upside down, you get "Wow."

However, I would first ask her permission before you do that.

What comes to mind when you think about these comparisons? Words like expensive, high quality, and classy likely come to mind when you think about Macy’s, Ferrari, and Apple. On the other hand, K-Mart, Honda, and eMachines probably generate thoughts like value or affordability.

Many people prefer to purchase from pricier, more exclusive brands. Others seek value and affordability over exclusivity. And there is no “right” or “wrong” answer here. In fact, all six of the companies I mentioned have built profitable businesses on the backs of their brand.

But here is what’s interesting—all I have to do is mention “Macy’s versus K-Mart”, and the vast majority of you immediately know where you stand in that comparison. Why? Because both businesses have firmly positioned themselves within their market. If you want affordability, you’re going to K-Mart. If you’re willing to spend more for trendier fashions, you’re choosing Macy’s.

So here is the question that matters to you, as a business owner: how does your brand position you within your market?

Are you considered high-end? Or are you considered cheap and affordable?

As a small business, the vast majority of the time it is a mistake to brand yourself as cheap and affordable. It’s simply too hard to build a highly profitable business when you have a miniscule profit margin. The exception is if you have such great economies of scale which allow you to make up for a small profit margin with an overwhelming sales volume.

The other major problem with branding yourself as a low-cost option is that, as soon as someone comes along who can undercut your prices, you’ll lose a large percentage of your customers.

That’s why our goal is to build a unique and high-end brand for each of our clients. We work to turn business owners into celebrity experts within their market—allowing them to charge premium rates while still bringing in business.

Take a moment now and evaluate your brand. Are you a “low price leader”… or does your brand position you as a top-end business within your market? If you’d like to learn more about this concept, please get in touch with me today!

The first step, of course, is defining your personal brand. We’ve talked extensively about that process elsewhere on this blog, but feel free to contact me if you’d like to learn more. Once you’ve defined your brand, here are four good places to start your personal branding efforts:

1) Social Media. Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook are great channels for personal branding- and getting started is not difficult. Take advantage of every opportunity to communicate your brand—which means selecting a great profile picture and using the “about me” fields to differentiate yourself and build your brand.

2) Business cards. In many cases, your business cards represent the first impression you make. It’s worth investing a bit of time and money into a great design and a card stock that establishes your value and differentiates you from everyone else out there.

3) Networking. Now that you’ve got a great business card, make sure you’re handing it out! Networking provides a great opportunity to build your brand one-on-one. Remember to emphasize your points of differentiation and your unique abilities whenever the opportunity arises. But it’s also important that you listen and legitimately try to build relationships—not simply recite a sales pitch over and over.

4) Your website. In many cases, your website serves as the “face” of your business. Take the opportunity to communicate your brand. This means using pictures and video if possible—and it means creating content that reinforces your brand and your points of differentiation. If you’d like to learn more about creating a personal brand-centered website, let me know!

These four areas are great starting points for your branding efforts. If you’d like to learn more, I’d love to hear from you… get in touch with me today!

Taken together, these benefits can revolutionize a business—taking a “normal” business and turning it into a dominant force within its market. And I have had the privilege of seeing this happen many times.

We have talked extensively in this space about the strategies we use to accomplish these goals. But here’s an important truth that you need to understand: if you want to build and maintain a powerful personal brand, you need a system.

Why?

Because as a business owner, you’ve got hundreds of details to manage on a daily basis. Many of you must function as the accounting department, the human resources department, and the marketing department for your business—and that’s just before lunch. As a result, it’s inevitable that you’ll be distracted from time to time. An effective branding campaign requires consistency- so it’s important that you develop systems that ensure your brand is being built… no matter how busy you may be.

Specifically, you should have a system for social media. You should have a system to ensure that fresh content is being posted to your blog. You should have a system for identifying and pursuing speaking engagements. You should have a system which ensures that you get out and spend time networking on a regular basis. There’s more, but you get the point.

What do these systems look like? That depends on you and your organizational systems. For some people, it’s as simple as putting “social media” on their daily calendar and putting “write a blog entry” on their schedule once a week.

For others, the best approach is delegating the work to team members. You may have a gifted writer on your team who can handle your weekly blog posts. A younger staff member who grew up using social media may be the perfect person to task your daily social media efforts to. A word of caution, however—before you let your team run with these initiatives, make sure that the content they are producing reflects your brand and your message properly. It may take oversight on your part for a few weeks or even a few months until your team fully “gets it.”

There’s no single “right way” to create a system for personal branding—what’s important is that you create a system that works for you and your business. A personal branding system ensures that your brand is being regularly reinforced, no matter how busy or distracted you may be. If you’d like to learn more about personal branding strategies to take your business to the next level, please get in touch with me today!

1)     Choose the right profile picture. Your picture is going to be the first thing that most of your friends and fans see on Facebook. It’s important that you choose a high quality, professional photo that is reflective of the brand you are building. Your “cover photo” is another great opportunity to visually communicate your brand—take a look at my profile to see how I’ve utilized that space: https://www.facebook.com/Nicknanton

2)     Fill out your profile information. Many people leave the “About” section of their profile empty or incomplete—but it’s great place to reinforce your brand. If you have a professionally written bio, use it—otherwise make sure that whatever you write reflects your expertise, your accomplishments, and what makes you different from everyone else in your market.

3)     Keep your audience up to speed on your adventures with photos and status updates. Photos are one of the best ways to build your brand and tell your story—and Facebook makes this process incredibly easy. Share photos of yourself in action—on the road, working with clients, or even out pursuing a hobby. If you take a look at my Facebook page, you’ll see that I regularly post pictures and updates from projects that I’m working on. It’s a great way to keep your audience up to speed while reinforcing your brand at the same time.

4)     Interact. This is where too many business owners go wrong—social media and Facebook in particular is not a one-way communication medium. If you expect to engage your audience, you need to interact with them. This means responding to comments they make on your page and on your photos. But it also means interacting with their presence. Comment on photos. “Like” their status updates. Tag them in posts and pictures. Facebook is best utilized when you are focused on relationships in addition to building your personal brand—so don’t forget to interact with your audience.

Social media isn’t a “new” phenomenon. As I have noted before, humans are social creatures and have been for thousands of years. Facebook just happens to be the latest and most popular way for us to share our lives and our activities with one another. It’s a valuable tool, and by every indication it is here to stay. If you haven’t yet begun leveraging Facebook to tell your story and build your personal brand, you’re missing out on a valuable resource. If you’d like to learn more about branding via social media, or personal branding in general, please get in touch with me today! 

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Does the title of this blog ring a bell?

It might if you were listening in English class; "Attention must be paid," was the plaintive cry of Willy Loman's wife in the classic American play, "Death of a Salesman," now enjoying a hugely successful revival on Broadway.  Spoiler alert:  her husband ends up committing suicide because...well, attention wasn't paid.

People need attention.  It motivates them, it inspires them and it engages them.  Most importantly, it makes them buy from you.  When you don't pay attention to your clients, however, it can cost you - and that loss could add up to a lot more than a sale.

For example, did you know the main reason doctors get sued?  Believe it or not, it's not because of medical mistakes - it's because, again, attention wasn't paid.

As detailed in Malcolm Gladwell's book, "Blink," researcher Wendy Levinson recorded hundreds of conversations between surgeons and their patients.  Now, half of these surgeons had never been sued by a patient, while the other half had been sued - at least twice, as a matter of fact. 

The differences were striking.  The litigation-free surgeons spent, on average, three more minutes per patient than the second; they were also more inclined to engage in active listening, meaning they actually paid attention to what the patients said and responded accordingly - and with empathy.   The other doctors were cold and abrupt;  Levinson ended up being able to predict which surgeons would get sued just based on the tone they used with their patients.

It's not just uncommunicative doctors who can feel this kind of pain.  Lou Cassara, a principal at Cassara Associates, talked to more than five thousand financial services clients to find out why they switched from one advisor to another.  He found that over 80% left not because of bad advice, but because of a poor relationship with the rejected advisor.

Finally, let's take one more look at an incredibly critical business-client scenario; Disney World and kids.  The world famous theme park wanted to know which part of the Disney Magic most captivated the kiddies - so they hired a cultural anthropologist and business expert Kare Anderson to follow some little ones around as they hit the park with their parents.

As detailed in the Harvard Business Journal,  the results were a little shocking.  The kids paid the most attention to their parents' cell phones.  Why?  Because that's where the parents focused their attention, suddenly rendering Mickey Mouse irrelevant.   Disney wrongly assumed they were the center of attention in this relationship, but clearly, kids primarily pick up their cues from their parents no matter where they are.  Because the parents couldn't or wouldn't focus on their offspring, the fun factor was suddenly diminished.

So how's your focus when you're talking to clients?  Are you checking Facebook on your iPhone emails or actually interacting on a genuine level with them?  If you're not concentrating on the relationship - and you're not demonstrating appropriate empathy for their concerns - you're unraveling the crucial personal bonds that keep them coming back to you with their business.

Remember, attention must be paid - or you might not be.

The other half is not as glamorous, but is equally important. In addition to your “big” initiatives, it is important that you live out your personal brand on a daily basis. Every interaction that you have with your clients, your staff, your colleagues, and your market must reflect the brand you are trying to build.

If this isn’t the case, your brand will fall apart. Your staff and your colleagues will see you as inauthentic. Your clients will feel like they’ve been deceived. (We’ve all been there—promised a certain experience through a company’s advertising, only to find that doing business with the company is nothing like what we expected.)

So what does living your personal brand look like? It varies from person to person… but here are some universal areas to watch for:

1)     Personal interaction. Some of you, such as dentists, doctors, and retailers, interact with many clients and customers in person every day. It is important that each of these interactions reflects the brand you are building. That means dressing the part, speaking the part, and acting the part. If your brand is cheerful and relationship-oriented, you can’t be sullen and quiet in person.

2)     Your office / store décor. If you entertain customers in a physical office or store, your layout and décor needs to reflect the brand you have built. That means choosing the right colors, furniture, and layout. You can’t sell a modern, cutting-edge personal brand if your office feels old-fashioned and stuffy.

3)     Client correspondence. Whether it is via email, phone, or snail mail, remember that each interaction you have either strengthens or weakens your brand. Even communications as mundane as sending out an invoice should reflect your brand.

While high-powered media campaigns are essential to building a credible personal brand, they must be backed up by consistent, every-day action. Are you living out your personal brand?

So what is the best way to get your brand in front of your audience? There are a number of channels that can produce great results—but the best channel for you depends on your market and the nature of your business. Today, we’re going to focus on a channel that is often overlooked in today’s digital age, direct mail, as we focus on how to integrate your personal brand into your marketing efforts.

One of the most important benefits of a strong personal brand is the credibility boost it provides for the business owner. Rather than being “just another” dentist, or financial advisor, or landscaper, your brand has positioned you as an expert in your field. You have worked to attain celebrity status within your market—elevating yourself and your business above the competition. Now that you’ve created a powerful personal brand, the key is finding effective ways to integrate into your direct mail campaign. Below are three suggestions:

1)     Make sure your envelope stands out, if you’re using one. One of the biggest challenges of any direct mail campaign is simply ensuring that the intended recipient actually opens your mailing. You can leverage your brand to address this challenge by showcasing the media exposure you have received right on the envelope. Put something like “A message from personal branding expert Nick Nanton, as seen on…” and then insert the logos of the various media platforms you have appeared on, i.e. ABC, NBC, The New York Times, etc. Also consider using a “handwritten” font to make the mailing appear more personal. Finally, as a means to ensure that your mailing is not categorized immediately as “junk”, consider not listing a return address. This adds an element of mystery, and at the least keeps the recipient from identifying your mailing as a sales pitch.

2)     Understand that most recipients won’t read your entire sales letter. Many of your recipients will give your letter a quick scan, and will only spend the time to read the entire thing if something catches their eye. This means that your personal brand must be communicated in a way that stands out even if the recipient only glances at it. Utilize bold type and colorful language as you describe yourself and your points of differentiation. In addition, it’s important to write your letter in a manner that makes sense both to a prospect who quickly skims it, and to a prospect who takes the time to read every word of the letter.

3)     Include a great photo of yourself. If your goal is to communicate your personal brand, a great picture is not optional! If you don’t have a professional-caliber headshot available, make an appointment with a photographer today. Your picture is essential as it gives your audience a face to go along with your branding statements—without it, your recipients won’t feel any sort of “personal” connection. Use photos that tell a story to your audience, and understand that some of your readers may only look at the photos. Use captions with each picture to “flesh out” the story and to guide the viewers. People will read these captions, so make sure to use strong, descriptive copy!

Direct mail is a challenging marketing channel—but done right, it can produce a high ROI. Fortunately, if you’ve been working hard to create a powerful personal brand, you have a significant advantage over your competitors. Contact me today if you’d like to learn more about communicating your personal brand through direct mail or other marketing channels!