Our target audience assigns us value and opportunity based on how they perceive us. Understanding their perception through feedback helps us measure, assess and test the reality of their perception vs. ours. It helps us gauge whether we’re close to our desired brand. There are many forms of feedback. Formal feedback can be gathered through […]
Personal Brand Management
Case Study: Are You the Same Person?
Does your personal image match the person who shows up online or in your marketing materials? In personal branding, we can spend hours and dollars developing our message, our value proposition, defining our talents and passions and even targeting our audiences. Yet it can all fall apart if our interactions, in-person and online, don’t present […]
Networking Beyond the Decision-Maker
Do you know someone who could be described as an “ultimate networker?” The person in the room who is looking over your head while he talks to you because he’s always trying to find somebody more valuable? That person is missing a golden opportunity. They are only on the hunt to meet decision-makers. If your […]
Is Your Elevator Speech Authentic?
Believe it or not, a common mistake made with elevator speeches is forgetting to say what our product or service is -clearly. We also forget to say how we’re relevant to the buyers or key stakeholders who should be concerned with our brand. We don’t tell the person who’s listening why they should care! An […]
Nurturing Your Intentional Network
A network of viable contacts is critical in today’s competitive business climate. Your network serves not only as lead sources for new business, but also as a sounding board, support system, cheerleader, news source and industry expert. Your network is the “circle of influence” that will guide you through your career, if carefully planned and […]
Authenticity in Marketing
“Branding without authenticity is just marketing.” I’ve made this statement in presentations and consistently receive positive responses and head-nodding. But how many people really believe that to control and manage your reputation, and design a legacy for how you will be known, you need to be authentic? What is “authenticity” anyway? I see authenticity as […]