Personal Branding

How can you establish your own personal brand? Embrace the following seven steps.

1. Identify What You Value

Your personal brand is ultimately a reflection of everything you value. For example, if you value honesty, then your brand will likely reflect the way you’re always honest with your clients and prospects. Or if you value knowledge, then your brand will likely incorporate the way you acquire, use, and communicate information.

2. Identify What Makes You Unique

With your values as your foundation, the next step is to determine your specific uniqueness. Everyone is unique and special in some way. For example, maybe you are the only salesperson on your team with children. In this case, you can relate to other parents on a different level than anyone else in your company. Or maybe you are the only one with a background in technology, so you know exactly how to meet the needs of people in that industry.

3. Identify How You Want To Be Perceived

Branding is about other people’s perceptions of you. You have the power to control most of these perceptions with your actions and presentation. Obviously, some people simply won’t like you, and others will be jealous of you. But you can control most perceptions.

4. Identify Your Specialty

Next, consider what specialty you want to be known for and take action to achieve it. If you want to be branded as a great public speaker, then you have to pay your dues and join the National Speakers Association, hire coaches, take constructive criticism, get up and talk, and work you way through that crowd. If you want to be branded as the best value-added salesperson, then you have to bring extra value to every client or prospect meeting.

5. Identify Your Target Market

The goal of branding is to build customer loyalty. As you’re creating your brand, you need to determine your target market and speak directly to them. For example, if you sell minivans, then you might target mothers with three or more children in your brand. But if you sell pick-up trucks, then you will obviously need to speak to a completely different audience.

6. Write Your Brand

Now that you know all the elements that form your brand, you have to actually write the statement. A brand is a phrase that jumps out at you from the page and grabs your emotions. Start by incorporating at least one action verb. Then keep it short and simple. You want to make it unique, memorable, and repeatable. You also want it to ring an emotional bell that causes clients and prospects to focus on you, and you alone, when they need your type of service (i.e.: Action Jackson gets results).

7. Visualize, Walk, and Talk Your Brand

Finally, once you have created your brand, you must publicize it. Start acting your brand immediately. Tell others about it and ask them to spread the word. Establish a group of advocates who understand you and can publicize your brand to all the people they know. This will create a word of mouth buzz. You don’t want to let these people go too long without hearing from you. Keep in contact with them and keep your brand circulating.

Following are some examples of Personal Branding packages we have created:

Logo Logic

In a recent post on Marketing Profs about logos, Jared McCarthy provides some excellent advice.
Design in black and white. It’s easier to evaluate the quality of a logo when rendered in black and white. Color can mask a design’s weakness. Therefore, ask your designer for initial presentations in black and white.

Shape and style matter more than color. Most successful logos are simple in design, e.g. Nike’s swoosh or the stylized font of Coca-Cola’s name. They are also sufficiently versatile to make a statement in any situation, whether on the side of a bus, on a business card or embroidered on a shirt. Should you decide on a complicated design, make sure the central element can be clearly recognized in the blink of an eye.

Color counts. Don’t pick a color simply because it’s your favorite. You might love blue (which conveys heritage and dignity), but a fun and cheerful orange hue might better serve your business. Also remember, the colors you choose will have to be consistently and accurately reproduced in various media.

With a simple—yet distinctive—design and the right color choice, you’re on your way to a successful logo.

What are the typical steps followed to design a logo? We ask a number of questions to get the project moving forward such as:

1. What is the company’s mission statement?
2. How would you like for your company to be positioned within the market place?
3. Please provide 3-5 examples of company logos that you like, along with reasons why you like them.
4. Do you have type style preferences? (Script, light, heavy, etc.)
5. Do you have any symbol preferences? (Minimal, abstract, etc.)
6. Can you suggest specific dos or don’ts for your logo?

Following are some of the logos we have designed recently:

Email Stationery – A Must for Marketing

Why do professionals, companies and organizations spend so much money on their logos, colors and branding and then send text emails? Would they send a letter on plain paper? Of course not.

So given the option of sending a plain text email with no personality whatsoever or sending an email that makes a positive impact each and every time, why do people still send ugly email?

This is a blatant product placement as I co-founded a company called inboxFX Communications Inc. that creates customized email stationery for virtually any type of business or professional.

This is a plain text and ugly email.

These are attractive, eye-catching professional emails using inboxFX email stationery:

The annual license ranges from $ 49.00 to a simple design up to $ 199.00 for a custom design. It works with any email software, from anywhere to anywhere and if you are a Realtor it will even work with your MLS.

Nothing Says Thank You Like a Dozen Donuts

I am always looking for new ways to impress clients and spread the branding as far as possible and I think a new company called Thanks A Dozen has a great idea. The idea is simple. They will customize and brand donut, bagel, cookie, candy, pizza & tissue box sleeves that continue to sell your product or companies services long after you’ve left the building!

You make your early morning sales calls dropping off your personalized boxes filled with treats and snacks. Every single potential client you’ll meet regardless of their profession loves getting treats and snacks to get them through the busy work day so of course they’ll eagerly take them off your hands.

Your custom donut, bagel, cookie, candy, pizza or tissue box sleeve from “Thanks A Dozen”® acts like your own personal “silent salesman” in their break room next to the coffee pot all day long!

Talk about a captive audience!

A Few New Web-based Tools and Techniques

I have recently discovered a few new web-based tools that you should take a look at. While some may apply more to Realtors than others, they are worth a look. If you would prefer we do the work for you don’t hesitate to contact us for a quote:

Real Estate Shows – Excellent movies from still photos. Click here for a sample.

vflyers – Flyers for any event, product, company or occasion

Survey Monkey – SurveyMonkey has a single purpose; to enable anyone to create professional online surveys quickly and easily.

Google Tips and Techniques – Everything you never knew that Google can do.

Video Tips & Techniques – Great information on adding video to your web site.

Jott – Mobile Note Taking and Hands-Free Messaging. Just phone in a message and receive an email with your message to remind you of important things, meetings, expenses etc.

Give-to-Get Marketing – Promotional Items They Can Use

There are more promotional items for sale than you can shake a stick at, but what really works? What can you provide a client that has value? Here are a few ideas that you might want to consider:

For Realtors to give clients:

Are your clients in their 40’s or older? Magnifiers are great for reading telephone books and menus.

Jotters make great gifts as people are using cell phones and Blackberrys more and more:

Give-to-Get Marketing – Personalized Memo Pads

I am a big believer that too much emphasis is put on the sender and not enough on the recipient. When you send something to your client that is all about you, how much time do you think people spend reading it?

What if you could send something to your clients that showed that you value their business and ensures that your name and phone number stay at the top of their mind.

Why not send a personalized note pad? For as little as $ 4.50 per client you can give them something that will have value to them, they will keep as long as the pages last and differentiates you from all of the other suppliers.