The Pedestal Group

A friend called this week to see what I thought of adding the word process to his tag line.  He has a rock-solid process to help his clients and he is very proud of it.  But as we talked, he realized that there is no way to convey what his process really offers without a lot more words and in a tag line, that wasn’t practical.  The reality is if you check his competitor’s websites, they ALL have rockin’ processes that are going to solve the world’s problems so it was tough to stand out with just using the word process.

There was a time when people didn’t have processes.  Then, it was vital to mention you had one and clients wanted details.  How could you ensure you would be able to replicate your results if you didn’t have a process?  Today, most people talk about a process so it has lost the impact.  Today, you have to illustrate your process differently.

For some of my clients, we design a graphic to illustrate their process.  These pictures convey exactly how the process will repeat the success and are easy to follow.  In fact, I’ve had a couple of clients that when we tried to draw their process we couldn’t and they have gone back and simplified the whole thing!  Another option is to name the process.  Giving it a name gives it meaning as well and also an opportunity to discuss where the name came from, how it works, etc. A third option is to highlight a key step in the process – “we focus on the “XYZ” of our process to ensure world-changing results”.  Again, this changes the game and gives the client something to talk about instead of blowing off your process as just another process.

Generic words that are used by everyone shouldn’t be part of your brand unless you are using them in an unconventional way.  Instead, use pictures, names or call outs to really bring your message home.

In this series of posts, we are covering how I get started with a client. These questions help clients understand where they should target their marketing efforts.

Our second variable to look at is whether your company has a strong company brand. Strong company brands are obviously a help in marketing efforts because your clients know who you are. We consider a strong company brand one that is prevalent and correct.

For many clients, having a prevalent brand is vital. When you say the company you are calling from, a prevalent company brand means the customer already has a set of expectations and understanding of what you do. Typically a strong company brand is built through more traditional advertising as the message has to hit home often.

We say “correct” because there are times when a brand message is out in the market place but it isn’t the message the company wants. I once worked with a company that had a brand perception in the marketplace as “sleepy”. That was the word used to describe their over 50 year presence in their market space! Clearly this was not something they wanted their clients to say so we had to attack the brand message knowing we were counteracting “sleepy”.

If you aren’t sure if your company brand is strong, consider how people react when you tell them where you work. Do they immediately know what your company does, or do they look at you expectantly needing more information? From there, you need to determine what message you want with your brand. With that in mind, we are able to build a program to meet that objective!

Recently, Small Business Trends did a survey of their readership asking what we think is important in personal branding. Many of the answers were things we have all heard but a few were worth calling out.

Loaay Ahmed of Knight’s Capital suggested, “A brand vision is to know where you want to be. A brand mission is to know what needs to be done to get you there.” Do you know where you want to be? It is hard to develop a plan if you don’t know where you need to end up!

Rob Ackerman said “Think of you and your image in the third person.” It is an interesting way to look at yourself and your marketing information. Who are you, really?
Barkri of Clink and Inc. said, “It’s like going to the hardware store thinking that you want a drill, when in fact you actually just need a hole.” What is your GOAL rather than the methodology you want to use to get there?

At the end of the day, a personal brand must have goals, direction and careful review.

We will have more on personal branding in a series appearing on our blog over the next several weeks.