From The Shark Tank To Your Eyes.

I thought I'd share a linking story with you.

The other day I went onto Twitter for the first time in as many days. There I noticed that a reader had posted a link to a story I had written for Noobpreneur.com. It was about the difference between a brand and a logo. The interesting thing was that she, got the link from another person's Facebook page. That person was Barbara Corcoran. I was wondering who she was and it turns out that she is one of the investors in the Shark Tank television show. Barbara liked the article and linked it to her Facebook readers. So from Noobpreneur, to Facebook, to Twitter and onward to @shayrealestate and her followers and who know how many more links.

It's a classic internet trail and one that shows you that you never know who is reading your opinion. Barbara's generous sharing put my opinion before the eyes of thousands who might not otherwise have read it. 

Do You Want To Improve Your Way Of Doing Business?

If you happen to be in the Windsor Ontario area on March 22nd, there is an all-day business event called "Build and Grow Your Business." Presented by GLISC an industrial sales networking group, this event features 7 experts on a range of topics. Every one of the geared to provide valuable information that you can use right now. As the President of GLISC, I can assure you that the opportunity to network and learn is at its peak during any of our popular events. Check out the info on our website. If networking with an industrial base appeals to you, we'd love to have join our group.

How To Avoid Blurry Positioning

If you find yourself in the role of consultant, how you express that role speaks to your brand. How you position your brand, is what defines it. Ideally you should embrace the services that best show your passion to your audience. I recently had this discussion with a client of mine. Their consulting services were equally divided between two audiences. Essentially the same solutions but to two disciplines. They had a passion for one, and a responsibility to another. This intrigued me.

I wanted to know why they felt it necessary to split their attention between the two. The client felt that because they were two distinct audiences the service should also be split. On the surface, this seems logical, but from a brand perspective it divides the message. In order for your brand to stand out, it should have a singular thrust. The more fractured the message the larger the risk of confusing your audience. You really want to fine tune your discipline. Choosing one strong direction absolutely focuses your consultancy. I advised my client to choose the avenue where they were most passionate. I felt that that would be the most powerful. They would also enjoy themselves more. And shouldn't you have fun in your business?

I showed them that if they embraced their passion and put all their energies is succeeding in that area, their clients who are entrepreneurs would by nature bring their other businesses into the fold.They would get all their business naturally. Initially, my client felt that targeting the two areas was the better strategy, but now focusing on their passion gave delivered their ultimate goal more organically. It was also a more honest and natural approach. My client is now much more focused and excited to take their brand in a distinct direction. Compared to their competition, they are no longer a generalized service but a differentiated one. They will be seen as a strong leader in a category populated by generalists.

All too often businesses feel the urge to be all things to all people. This is fine when you have the customer through the door. But the process leading up to that awareness is a little more refined. In order to capture new business, you've got to distribute a message that resonates and gets them to notice you. This is where branding shines if done properly. Strategically. Keeping focus pays off. Avoid the temptation to sell everything all at once. One caveat of this strategy is that if you forget to mention it - you don't do it. And for every service mentioned you also invite competition for that that service. Focus the message reduces the competition and delivers your brand powerfully.

The 10 Biggest Family Businesses in the U.S.

When it comes to family businesses, blood and money really do mix. Some of today's biggest and most successful businesses have pledged to keep it in the family to ensure that the original ideals and vision of the company remain intact. Generation after generation, family members are groomed to take over the business and carry on the family tradition of hard work and leadership. Check out these 10 family businesses ...read more

Embrace The Limb

Considering all the words I write on branding, essentially all I'm saying is that if you're not playing, you're losing. That's not to say that  you're not successful, but that you're not being the best you can be. I'm saying that marketing can be a little easier when you compete as a leader not a follower.

Most companies advertise by using campaigns to inspire consumers to buy in the moment. They use any number of proven techniques to get the attention of you the consumer. A number of these techniques have even taken on a life of their own. Ie: When something is new and improved, or there's 50% more etc., you see these statements contained in a burst, or a banner, or a peeled back page - these visual gimmicks are called violators in the industry. There are violator companies out there, who do nothing but generate these cues. Color is used for its psychological effects, sound and smell are often brought into play. Tantalizing visuals are also used to stir those emotions. As this paragraph outlines, there are any number of tried and true ways to advertise and they are consistently used by everyone who advertises.

The one thing that every advertisers does not use is positioning.

Why?

Because to position wisely, you must be a leader. As we see in life, not everyone is cut out to be a leader. There are vastly more followers than leaders. Many businesses like the tried and true. They don't enjoy going out of their comfort zone and they pay a high price for this. It is much easier to do nothing and be content with what you have. A lot of people are afraid of "Leader" because they fear being called out on it. This is  a just fear if they're really not a leader, but are pretending to be. It's not enough to say you are the Leader, you must BE the leader. Act like one and win like one. Without knowing it, we all lead in some way. It's within all of us. Maybe it's the 'no brag rule' that our Mother's instilled in many of us, or a childhood shyness we never quite outgrew. If you ache for your brand to lead, then positioning should be a must-do in your business bucket-list.

This is where I typically come into the picture in the role of Brand Consultant. I take heads of companies through the maze of their business environment and deliver an awareness of their brand. This clarity provides the fuel that satisfies their hunger to lead. Often times, the positioning developed accurately reflects an area, they currently dominate but have not articulated effectively. I inspire them to "bold-up" as it were. If you couple the Leadership Positioning with traditional marketing, then you have a very powerful message to resonate with customers. Without positioning you are simply one of many. Your competitors are many as well. Without Positioning, everyone is saying the same thing in different ways. All the slogans while inspirational, don't resonate. Leading gives the customer something to embrace and understand your value.

As a category leader, you must embrace the limb. That is to say, you have to climb out onto the limb first, then with all confidence embrace it. To benefit from this precarious location you have to put in place processes that encourage and sustain your leadership. Brands grow or decline with time. Depending on the foundation laid out, your brand will go in one of these directions. Establish a strong set of Brand values and stick with them. The leadership position you embrace, must where to these values as they are the foundation defined.

The Near-Sighted Brand

Sometimes I think I should put an branding eye-chart on my website for companies who have a hard time seeing the truth about their brands. If they were only 20/20 they'd be able to take on the competition from a leadership position and have clarity in their actions. If these 5 observations leave you squinting then maybe it's time you addressed your branding optics:

1) "It's not time to address my brand as we're too busy. When things slow down a bit, maybe we can do something."  The time to address branding deficiencies is now. Waiting only compounds problems and when a slow down occurs, companies are more likely to follow the leader than adopt a long term strategy than leads. Because branding addresses the entire corporate experience, striking while the iron is hot, not only emboldens you but invigorates the whole stake-holder group.

2)  "I do so many things - how can I not promote them all?" The rule is the more services you promote the more it costs you. Going to the door with one strong message is not only more powerful but it allows your prospect to differentiate you from the rest of the pack. Focusing on the one core service that makes the money makes you the leader in that area. Once you get through the door, then it's the time to expose the prospect to everything else that makes you great.

3) If you've got a different logo on your building, your vehicles, your branded attire or your stationary and website then you've got an identity problem. Your only option here is to corral all of your images and decide on one that speaks to who your brand is. Maintaining the status quo will only make your prospects cross-eyed and think that maybe you own multiple companies.

4) Ignoring the professional image. When ever I see home-printed brochures and business cards, amateur logos, static websites and absentee sales efforts - I am dumbfounded as to the person's lack of respect for themselves and their brand. At the alter of cheap, these brands tell prospects that they are not leaders. If they don't respect their brands enough to put their best foot forward, what harm might they do a customer who gives them an opportunity? Sales are hard enough without making it more difficult than it has to be.

5) When new brands strike amazing success they do so because they have outstanding brand values. Staying true to these values keeps the brand on-track. But if it comes to pass that the brand is careening out of control and headed for disaster, then chances are good that it has failed to live up to those original brand values and has tried to cut corners. Stakeholders can never forget what the brand stands for. It's not enough to just say it but they must live it - forever.

If these situations look like some people's brands that you know - make them aware of this article. It beats getting bottle glass spectacles.

DoYou have A Mobile Brand?

So I guess that was 2011. It was a pretty good year for the Branding Experts' brand. Interesting opportunities and a growth of my brand strength within my marketplace. I have an affirmation of my promotional strategy from reputable online experts Hubspot. I turned to them this week to see if there was anything they could add to my existing efforts. Their honesty impressed me with this reply after our half hour telephone discussion - "If only you had a problem I could help you with ... your marketing and sales philosophy matches perfectly with Hubspot's." I regularly download ebooks from them and subscribe to their newsletter. They put out great no B.S. info on current online topics for business. FYI: I am not an affiliate - just a fan.

As part of my Christmas week re-evaluting efforts I am in the process of redeveloping my website. My stats made me aware that almost 25% of my visitors have done so on a smart phone. That lead me to add to my list of to-do's a mobile version of my site. I wouldn't have even considered it if it was under 10%. I plan on having the landing page offer you the visitor a web or mobile choice. This will also help me see if they actively choose the mobile version.

I strongly believe it will help my brand image among prospective customers. You could wait and see, but leaders accept the obvious and do it now. It's all about making it easier for customers to find and benefit from your assistance. If you've been following my opinion for any period of time you know my strategy is to lead not follow.

Have you checked your stats on this lately? What are your customer's actions telling you?