Note: This blog post is an excerpt of a speech I presented on March 7, 2013 at a Women in Business Event hosted by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.
When you’re
at a networking event, you are marketing yourself and your company, whether you
own the company or you work for it.
Essentially what you’re doing is creating a brand for yourself and you
are an extension of your company brand.
Today I want to give you a quick overview of what it takes to create a
memorable brand.
People ask
me all the time, “How do I get my name out there without coming across like a
pushy know-it-all?” Developing a
memorable brand takes time, but first impressions go a long way in establishing
your business as credible in the eyes of consumers and in the eyes of other
businesses. Not only do you want to gain
the attention of your customers, but you want to establish a good rapport with
other business owners, managers and community leaders. Here are a few tips that will help you create
your own personal brand.
1.
First, be unique. The
whole idea behind branding is that you distinguish yourself in a crowded
marketplace. If you try and be everything to everyone, you will be nothing to
no one. Your brand has to be unique to your business, and different than other
things out there. And it must also be something at which you are great. Stepping outside the box is essential. What do you offer that your competitors
don’t? Why do customers want to come to
you? If your only differentiating factor
is price, you need to take a closer look at your offerings. What customers really want to know is how you
can solve their problem. Providing them
with a unique experience is what will set you apart. Remember we’re trying to create a positive
memorable impression.
2.
Focus on benefits. When you go shopping for something you aren’t
really buying that tangible item. What
you’re buying is the benefits you’ll get from using that product or
service. Let’s relate that to your
personal brand. When you first introduce
yourself to someone, what do you say about your company? What do you say about yourself? Think about this for a minute. Could you clearly and completely tell someone
about you and your company in less than 25 words? We’ve all had this same conversation with
someone. You’ve just met someone new and
they ask, “So, what do you do?” Well,
since people love to talk about themselves, you might find yourself answering
by saying, “I am the owner of manufacturing company called ABC Manufacturing. We make and sell widgets to the mining
industry, the forestry industry and many other industrial companies. We have clients all over the country who just
love our widgets.” By the time, you got
to “we make and sell widgets...” the other guy has tuned you out. All he wanted to know was what you have to
offer. So think about developing what’s called an elevator pitch. Focus on the benefits to other person in 25
words or less.
3.
Consistency
is the one thing I stress the most when it comes to marketing. In the consumer’s mind, advertising messages
from different media and different promotional approaches all become part of a
single message about the company. Building
a brand requires a lot of work and consistency in every single way you
communicate to the public. I want to
reinforce this one more time. The brand
that you develop for your company is the unique vision that the public has of
you. The way you communicate with your customers is absolutely vital in
developing that positive impression. Take
a second to think about all of the levels of communication you distribute
throughout the day. You post on your
business Facebook wall, you send out emails to current clients and to
prospects, you send out email newsletters.
Have you ever given much thought as to how your communication sounds and
looks? Make sure that your emails
reflect a positive, professional image of your company and are not filled with spelling
and grammatical errors. Anyone in your
company who is going to interact with customers—from the receptionist through
to the collections department—has to understand the importance of creating a
positive interaction with the customer. All I’m
saying here is that you need to keep in mind the image that you are trying to
project. Potential customers may get the
impression that either you don’t know how to spell or that you’re too lazy to
take the time to correct it. What kind
of impression do you want to make?
4. A quality
brand must also deliver on its promise. Your brand must be based in reality. What I
mean is that it must be linked to the culture, style, product and service of
your business and that extends to you as well. Your brand has to be, well,
organic. There must be integrity in your brand and what you promise must be a
close approximation of what you deliver.
Finally, remember that your brand is an integrated effort. A
quality brand is reinforced by everything you do; where your business is
located, your prices, your customer service, as well as your advertising and
promotional activities. So remember that
you are an extension of your company brand.
Remember to be unique, focus on your benefits, stay consistent and
deliver on what you promise. When you
use these tips you’ll be sure that you are on the right track to creating that
positive memorable brand experience.
