WEEK 16

BRAND YOURSELF: YOU, INC.

Close your eyes and imagine the president of the United States or Madonna or Martin Luther King Jr. You can probably come up with a pretty clear image of what they look like because these people have attained celebrity or even legendary status. This is what you want, too, and proper branding can deliver it, but first, you need a central brand focus—something unique that is totally you, something that will excite you and everyone around you.

A real estate colleague of mine in Montgomery, Alabama, Sandra Nickel, is known far and wide as “The Hat Lady.” She wears a distinctive hat wherever she goes. Her hat logo appears on her business card, on all of her correspondence, and even on her web site “Invest in Montgomery, Alabama” (www.investinmontgomeryalabama.com). Sandra has a solid team of real estate professionals who handle the daily business. She functions as the rainmaker, ensuring that the phones keep ringing and the Internet remains abuzz with the voices of interested buyers and sellers. She tells the story of Midtown Montgomery and volunteers tirelessly to improve the community. In the process, the Hat Lady attracts a lot of attention . . . and lots of business.

This is what branding is all about, and when you do it right, your brand becomes synonymous with the products and services you sell—just like Kleenex is to tissues.

NAILING DOWN MY BRAND

Several years ago, I decided to form a brand around an 11-foot-tall, 500-pound nail. The nail already had some local appeal and a good story behind it. I purchased it on eBay for $3,000 (the seller donated the proceeds to a local charity), and then I proceeded to parade it around town and loan it out for charity events. Now, all of my marketing materials have the BigNail on them. I even have a web site about it at (you’ve probably guessed) BigNail.com, where you can read all about it. (BigNail.com is the site to go for more information on branding.)

I am not suggesting that you have your own 11-foot, 500-pound nail custom built for you, but you should have something that sets you apart from the competition and will appeal to your target market. Then, you should drive home that image in every piece of your marketing materials, including your web sites and blogs.

ASSEMBLE A MARKETING PACKET

To establish a brand presence, the first thing you will need is an attractive marketing packet that you can deliver to prospects before meeting with them. You should have a standard packet for prospective clients and put together custom marketing packets to introduce yourself to reporters, potential partners, and other professionals you may want to team up with. Your marketing materials should all include the following:

• Your name.

• Your photo.

• Your logo or company logo.

• Complete contact information (phone and fax numbers, e-mail address, mailing address, and so on).

• Web site and blog addresses.

If you are artistic, you can design the marketing materials yourself and take them over to a local print shop to have them produced in quantity. Otherwise, hire a graphic artist to draw up some designs from which to choose. The proprietor of the print shop can recommend local artists, or a colleague may refer you to one. Try to find someone who can design everything for you, including your web site or blog when you are ready to add those components to your marketing campaign.

Your marketing packet should include the following materials:

• Folder: A legal-size folder into which you can place all of your other marketing materials. Since the folder is the first item that prospects will see, make sure it has an impeccable design.

• Business card: Your business card is a key component of your marketing packet, and you will also hand it out to everyone you meet, even if they are not receiving the full packet. Don’t try to trim corners. Use high-quality card stock with raised lettering. Your business card should include your logo, a photo of you, your job title or a brief mention of what you do, your phone number, e-mail address, and main web site address.

• Letter of introduction: A one- or two-page letter introducing yourself and describing some of your major accomplishments and your commitment to clients can help prospects get to know you better.

• Resume or curriculum vitae: Your resume or curriculum vitae should highlight your knowledge, education, certifications, areas of expertise, experience, professional associations, community service, and other items that establish your credibility and expertise. (If you choose to do something more extensive, consider creating your own unique selling proposition or USP. You can check out my USP at www.aboutralph.com/about_ralph/ralph_roberts_unique_selling_proposition.html.)

• Statement of benefits: Why should this prospect hire you rather than one of your competitors? What can you offer the client that others in the field cannot? Put down in writing a list of key ways the person will benefit by choosing you.

• Testimonials: Prospects generally place more trust in what other people say about you than what you say about yourself. Whenever a client thanks you for a job well done, you should ask for two things—referrals to friends and family and a testimonial that you can quote in your marketing materials. Use these testimonials in your marketing packet.

• Press clippings: When a newspaper or magazine prints a story about you, they can usually provide you with reprints of the article, so you do not have to purchase stacks of the magazine or newspaper. Always order reprints and include them in your marketing packet. Positive press reinforces the message that you are a credible authority who delivers on promises.

Once you have a logo and brand identity, you are prepared to start spreading the word about your brand and establishing a brand presence through shameless self-promotion, as discussed in Week 17.

 

Ralph’s Rule: Consistency is critical in branding. Everything should have a consistent appearance and color scheme. Creative people tend to want to add some variation because they are afraid of coming across as boringly consistent, but this is a common mistake. Consistency tattoos your image on the minds of your clients, prospects, competitors, and others in the industry. It gives you a recognizable face.