Marketing Brand YOU: How to Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd

Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

Looking for a gig as an employee or a contractor these days requires more than just an error-free resume or a killer project list; you need to establish a personal brand to set yourself apart from the crowded marketplace of others who have the same or similar qualifications.

What is personal branding? Personal branding is the way you clarify and communicate what is special about you, so that you don't have to talk so hard (or hope for the right question) to explain exactly why you're the best candidate for the gig (be it a job or a freelance assignment). With branding, you are communicating more information on more than simply a verbal level.
Your personal brand is communicated through all visual and verbal communication, including your resume, cover letter, portfolio, personal web site, interview outfit, handshake, contact card, and even your personal interests and behavior. If any of these are inconsistent with the image you wish to project, your brand is compromised or at least weakened.

When developing your personal brand, ask yourself these questions:

What do you want people to understand, think, and know when they see you/your resume/your email?

What is the essence of your value to an organization?

What makes you stand out? Your accomplishments, strengths, personal qualities, or just your hair color?

I once worked with a character actor who was wrestling with his personal brand because his primary value to directors was that he had a forgettable face. He is neither handsome nor ugly, tall nor short, and even his hair was a nondescript color. Although his credits are impressive, new casting directors never remembered him enough to call him back, even when they have been very enthusiastic about his auditions.

After we did some work with the questions listed above, we decided to brand him as the "red sweater guy." Why red? Because red communicates passion, which is how he feels about acting, and the color stands out and is memorable, even though his face is not.

To every audition, he wore a red sweater. On his resume attached to his black-and-white head shot, he wrote in red ink under his name, "the guy in the red sweater." He began introducing himself as "Chris, the guy in the red sweater," as well as identifying himself on his phone messages and voice mail as "the guy in the red sweater."

The result? The guy with the forgettable face became memorable, and effectively communicated his passion for acting by building a brand around a red sweater.

Correctly branding yourself will make you easier to remember, and will communicate much more than you can ever say in a cover letter or even an interview.

Marketing Brand YOU: How to Set Yourself Apart from the Crowd © 2006 Veronika Noize. All rights reserved.

About the authorVeronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is the author of "How to Create a Killer Elevator Speech" and "How to Double Your Business in 30 Minutes a Day." A dynamic speaker and unconditionally supportive coach, Ronnie helps small businesses attract more clients. Ronnie's web site is a comprehensive resource with free articles and valuable marketing tools for small office/home office business professionals. Visit her web site at http://www.veronikanoize.com/, or call her at 360-882-1298.

Does Social Networking really create relationships?

by Taylor Ellwood

One of the questions I'm asked about social networking is whether it really creates relationships the way that in-person networking creates relationships. It's a good question to ask, and is often asked by people who want to determine if they really need to be on these different social networking sites, in order to do business. My answer is that social networking does allow you to create and sustain relationships in an online environment and that some of those relationships can even lead to business. However, just as a relationship in in-person networking needs mutual work from everyone to be successful, the same is true with relationships you cultivate on social networks.

I teach people how to automate their social networks as much as possible, because I think it's important to know how to manage your networks effectively. But I also think it's important to spend some time cultivating your online network. It can help you quite a bit in promoting your business and more importantly establishing relationships that can last a lifetime. That last part is more important because your business may change or go away, but the relationships you create and the networks you build can be there for you through all periods of your life, if you allow them to be.

Networking is a relationship building activity. What that means is that some kind of relationship needs to exist in order to make networking viable. People go to networking meetings on the premise that by getting to know each other, they can confidently refer business to each other. The idea is that people do business with the people they know. This principle also applies on online networks. We connect with people we know online, and we do so to either strengthen an existing relationship or to create a new one. So while we can automate our online networks, we also need to balance that automation with some focus on building relationships on those networks.

I don't think that spending lots of time on online social networks is the answer, even as I don't think spending all your time at in-person networking events is the answer. But I do think choosing to spend some time participating on the networking sites you find useful can really go a long way toward creating relationships that can help you build your business and also help you out in other situations. To discover what networks are really useful for you, spend time on those networks, even if it's just devoting a few minutes to post a response or two in the forums. If you find that you get responses, spend some more time on the site. Keep building your presence, and thus your relationships.

As you get to know the people on those sites, don't hesitate to tell them about what you do and what a good lead would be. They might be able to help you and help someone who needs your services. Remember that networking works because it's not just people doing business with people they know, but people also doing business with people who are recommended to them by people they trust! Cultivating online relationships in your network can help you and help people that your network knows. Additionally, there may come a time when someone in your online network needs your help and you can help them.

I don't spend a lot of time on the social networking sites. I spend perhaps two hours, maybe up to three on a given week, but I limit my time on them, because I have clients to take care of, articles to write, and other activities to do, to keep my business on track. But the small amount of time I do spend on those sites is focused on building stronger relationships or creating new ones. And in building those relationships, sometimes I've gotten some business, but throughout I've never lost sight of the main reason I'm on those sites. I want to help other people out. That's why I do my business and that's what motivates me to build a strong network, so that I can help other people and someday they can return the favor if I need help. And the truth is, you are only as strong as your network is, and that includes online networking too.

Taylor Ellwood is the Business, Writing, and Social Media coach. He focuses on teach businesses how to automate their business processes and gets great writers published. Visit his blog at http://www.imagineyourreality.wordpress.com. Visit his website at http://www.imagineyourreality.com

Networking is Not Selling

By Kaya Singer

You've probably all had the "used car salesman" experience at networking groups. You meet a new person, and doing the normal protocol, you politely ask them what they do. They immediately launch into a passionate pitch about how wonderful their product or service is, and implies that you'll be dead next week if you don't buy it. You don't ask them anymore questions, hoping the conversation will end so you can move on.

This probably sounds a bit judgmental. It's not meant to be. I know it's hard to understand the difference between networking and selling. It can come from feeling passionate about your offerings , but if you tell everyone too much it can feel like a sales pitch rather than relationship building.

Here are a few tips that can help even the best networker be better.

1. Play ping pong. Get to know the other person. If you both do that, it will be more like a ping pong game without it getting stuck with one person holding onto the ball too long.

2. Move around the room. Think of yourself as a spider building a web and each person you meet helps the web to grow more beautiful.

3. Ask for business cards. If someone pointedly asks you about your products, then contact them later to see if they want more information. Even if someone says they're interested they won't really be able to focus right then.

Networking is about building connections, making contacts and finding possible strategic partners. Once you have done that well, the selling process is half done without you focusing on it all.

Kaya Singer

Small Business Coaching Services

http://www.awakeningbusiness.com/
Helping you clear your focus and grow your business.

How to Increase Your Sphere of Influence

Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

What is influence, and why would you want to increase your sphere of it?

Influence is the ability to effect change in the actions, beliefs, and choices of others.

Increasing your sphere of influence will boost the number of people who hear your message, and that alone will have a positive impact on the bottom line of your business. As your influence grows, so does your reputation, increasing your value in the marketplace. More visibility and more credibility add up to more business (and more profits).

The good news is that becoming influential does not require wealth, beauty, or even above-average intelligence. The better news is that the more power, influence, and access to others of influence you appear to have, the more you will have.

The bad news is that becoming (more) influential does require some effort on your part, and it can be elusive for those lacking in personal integrity. Pursuing influence for the sake of self-aggrandizement or the exploitation of others is never a good idea, as people have an uncanny way of divining your true motives, and the backlash can be brutal.

Remember that to have the ability to influence is to wield great power, and that power should never be abused. To quote Spiderman's Uncle Ben, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Assuming you've chosen to use your considerable talents and influence for the greater good, here are my four suggestions for increasing your influence:

1: Connect with established communities. Join local groups, clubs, associations, organizations, and committees to access ready-made networks. Attend meetings, participate in the activities, and make yourself visible within the organization.
Even if you hate networking, you can connect easily with others online through virtual networking groups such as Linked In, Plaxo, Biznik, Twitter, and even FaceBook.

2: Make your voice (meaning your ideas, values, and areas of expertise) heard, through active participation in discussions (live or virtual), blogging, articles, letters to the editor, petitions, public speaking, private conversations, press releases, statements to the media, direct mail, signage, and even advertising. Start by establishing your specific expertise first, and as you become more known, you can add to your message.
Warning: Nobody likes a "know-it-all" and acting like one will diminish your credibility. Position yourself as an expert on a specific topic, and maintain your humility.

3: Cultivate relationships with other people of influence. Influence has a halo effect, so association with others of influence, such as leaders, "movers and shakers," or celebrities, extends your sphere of influence.

4: Choose to lead, and others will follow. The truly influential generally have "herds" of followers. This in no way implies that the followers are sheep, but that the leader is valued and trusted by a number of people?even those without a personal relationship with the leader.
To start your own herd, create a way for your followers to receive the benefit of your skill set, expertise, or efforts. Volunteer to head up a committee, send out a newsletter, produce an event or series of events, or start a special interest group to begin building your herd.

Keep in mind that you must give to get. The more you have to offer, the more quickly your influence will grow.

Read more articles or view Top 10 lists.

About the authorVeronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach, is the author of "How to Create a Killer Elevator Speech" and "The 30-Minute Networking Secret Complete Toolkit." A dynamic speaker and unconditionally supportive coach, Ronnie helps small businesses attract more clients. Ronnie's web site is a comprehensive resource with free articles and valuable marketing tools for small office/home office business professionals. Visit her web site at http://www.veronikanoize.com/, or call her at 360-882-1298.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Need A Killer Elevator Speech

By Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach

It is my firm belief that virtually every person in business for her- or himself needs a killer elevator speech. Yes, that means you, too. Wondering why a killer elevator speech is so important for you? See if you recognize yourself in any of these scenarios:

1. You want a great response to the question "what do you do?" because you've noticed when you reply that you're a consultant, the conversation stops right there, the other person's eyes start to glaze over, and you start to panic because you don't know how to revive this conversation without saying something that you know is guaranteed to put your listener to sleep, and in your heart you know that very few people want to be "educated" about insurance, investment opportunities, or anything else a consultant is selling.

2. You want a clear, concise and wildly attractive (as in magnetic) value message that you can use in your sales presentations, on your web site, in the voice mail messages you leave, in your own voice mail greeting, on your business cards, and when you introduce yourself so that you stand out from your competitors.

3. You want to attract clients to you rather than chase them down. OK, maybe I'm just plain lazy, but I find it much easier and quicker to get clients using the principle of attraction rather than going on endless (and often fruitless) client scavenger hunts.

4. You want prospects to self-qualify by indicating interest in your deliverable(s). You never know who is going to respond to your offer, or want your service (it's not like people wear signs). Having a killer elevator speech that attracts your ideal clients helps you identify your prospects immediately (even when you don't recognize them on your own).

5. You want to attract your best prospects to you so that you can convert them into clients quickly and easily. I don't know about you, but I prefer to close sales as soon as possible with as little effort as I can get away with. I've found the best way to do that is to attract the people who really want and need my services, so that the sales process is relatively short and painless for both of us.

6. You want to be perceived as credible, competent, and professional. If you're tap dancing around what you do, and refuse to (or can't) be specific about your value to your clients, you're not going to be viewed as a top resource. People respect the professional who knows what she does for her clients, and can articulate it in a few well-chosen words. They can also tell when you're so desperate for clients that you're willing to say anything to get the sale, whether or not you're a good fit for the client's needs.

7. You want everyone you meet to remember you, what you do, and who would be an ideal referral for you. People can't refer to you if they don't have a clear idea of what you do, and they won't remember more than 10 words about you, guaranteed. That's why your elevator speech needs to specify both your ideal client as well as your deliverables or client outcomes, and be memorable.

8. You don't want to fumble for words or say the wrong thing to a prospect or potential referral partner. After all, the first time you're speaking to your prospects is very much like an audition or a job interview. Your prospects are drawing conclusions (or making judgments, however you like to frame it) about you, your capabilities, and your potential value to them, all within the first 3.5 seconds of meeting you. Does it come as a surprise that you make a far better impression when you're prepared?

9. You want permission to explain in more detail what you do for your clients, so you need a compelling, concise and attractive elevator speech that prompts people to ask for more information. Remember, the two questions that people ask themselves when you're talking about your business are: Is he talking about me? Do I want what she's offering? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you will be granted about 30 seconds to make your case. If the answer to both questions is no, then it's time to move on. And frankly, it's better to know that sooner, rather than later.

10. You don't want to bore people to tears within 30 seconds of meeting them. The sad truth is that most people have the attention spans of gnats, thanks to our culture of instant gratification and self-centeredness, but you can use that to your advantage by crafting an attention-getting elevator speech that speaks directly to the deepest desires of your ideal clients. Unless, of course, you enjoy being known as a bore.

There may be a few reasons you need a killer elevator speech that I haven't listed here, but these should be enough for you to at least consider developing your own killer elevator speech. So, what's keeping you from getting your own killer elevator speech now?
Read more articles or view Top 10 lists.

This article was written by Veronika (Ronnie) Noize, the Marketing Coach. Ronnie's web site is a comprehensive marketing resource for small office/home office business professionals. For free marketing resources including articles and valuable marketing tools, visit her web site at http://www.veronikanoize.com/, or email her at Ronnie@VeronikaNoize.com.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Need A Killer Elevator Speech copyright 2003 Veronika Noize. All rights reserved.

Networking: How I Built My Business

Networking Groups

I have built my business from nothing to extremely busy by using Networking Groups. It took more than 60 days (kudos to you Ronnie!) but it is very doable for anyone with persistence. The main local group I use is i Take The Lead - I also attend many free groups and events. My group is having a guest speaker tomorrow - Abigail from Straight Edge Solutions - she has many innovative marketing ideas. I always take something helpful for my business away when I listen to Abigail.

For my local readers - I invite you to come and hear Abigail as well as check out the possibility of advancing your business through Networking Groups tomorrow morning. We meet at Shari’s near Vancouver Mall - It is next to Azteca. The meeting is from 7:30 to 8:30 am - take an hour out of your morning and learn how to build your customers and client base. 80% of my business comes from groups like this one.

Contributed by:

Dotty Scott, Owner of DottyPremium Websites

www.PremiumWebsites.net

Tag Lines?

Do you network much? What is your opening line, when you introduce yourself. (Elevator Speech) Some professionals use tag lines - the one or two line descriptors that often come after a product logo or company name. It is one of those things that looks simple but isn't.

Some suggestions and ideas.

*First, decide what you want to communicate with your tag line.
*Second, prepare to brainstorm.

*Third, ask others to critique your tag line.

Examples:

- Wal-Mart - "Always low prices."

- Kenmore - "Solid as Sears."

- Nike - "Just do it."

- Plumber – “We repair what your husband fixed.”

- Lead With Heart Non-profit Foundation - "Giving back with Heart."
- i Take The Lead, Inc – “Sharing qualified referrals.”

- Mac Repair Tech - "Friends don't let friends use Windows."

Some are even from famous movies or television shows.

-Star Trek - "To boldly go where no man has gone before."

-The Fly - "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Also, find your competitors' tag lines - look at them and strive to be better and different.

Most of all, have fun with it!