Personal Brand

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Speaking Attracts Clients: How to Get Started

July 20, 2010 in Personal Brand, Positioning, Public Speaking, Thought Leading | 5 comments

I have yet to find a better way to attract great clients than positioning yourself as an expert within their tribe. The two best ways to demonstrate expertise are speaking and writing. With speaking, you can make a deeper connection because your audience can experience your thinking in real time. This is akin to the increased emotional impact of seeing your favorite band in concert versus simply reading their lyrics.

David Lecours speaking at IMC-USA

Speaking is harder than writing so fewer people travel this path. This is an opportunity for you to soar but I empathize that standing alone on stage may freak you out. You’re not alone. It’s a primal fear hard wired into our collective consciousness because we relate standing alone to being a potential appetizer for a T-Rex. To shield you from harm, I’ve outlined how to get started, what to speak about and where to speak. Develop this skill and you will attract clients that value your brilliance.

How To Get Started
Speaking is a learned skill. In the four years I’ve been involved with Toastmasters, I’ve consistently seen guests attend their first meeting and sheepishly stand up to say their name while staring at their toes. Within a couple months, the very same people are delivering 5–7 minute speeches to great applause.

Find and join a Toastmasters club. I’m a member of two clubs. There is no better return on investment for your career. You’ll improve your speaking, listening, self-esteem and leadership skills in a fun and supportive environment. I recommend visiting a few clubs in your area to “date before you marry.” Each club has it’s own culture and traditions.

What To Speak About
As an excuse to avoid speaking, I frequently hear people say “I don’t have material that people want to hear” or “don’t I need to be a book author or P.h.D to be a speaker?” Nonsense. We all underestimate how much expertise we already have. You can speak about a problem that you recently solved for a client. If you want to get fancy, call this a case study. Speak about patterns or trends in your client’s industry. Then take a step further and offer some suggestions on how to respond to these trends. Give a “how-to” speech on something you know clients are putting off. You could also create a humorous speech about common mistakes that clients make when working with a firm like yours.

Where To Speak
You are not going to be invited to speak at the TED Conference right away. But there are many venues to practice your craft. Speaking is like a muscle that you need to exercise regularly. Find as much stage time as you can. I’ve spoken at talent shows, conferences, luncheons, breakfast meetings, weddings and funerals. A great place to start is on a panel. Not all eyes are on you and you can distribute the workload among the other panelists. Good panels feel like a candid conversation (with the audience listening in).

Speaking Works
People don’t buy your services, they buy what you believe. Speaking works as a marketing tool because it is an opportunity for you to share what you believe in a non-sales environment. People don’t like to be sold to. So use speaking as a tool to build trust and then enjoy potential clients approaching you with their business card.

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Simple Guide to an Intriguing Self Intro

June 22, 2010 in Identity, Networking, Personal Brand, Positioning | 1 comment

The self-introduction is such a simple and effective way to build awareness for your business. Often called the “elevator speech,” I prefer “self-intro” because delivering a speech in an elevator is absurd. Plus, the goal is to engage in a dialogue, not deliver a monologue. When asked “so, what do you do?,” seize this opportunity. A compelling self-intro is a catalyst for someone to ask you follow-up questions. Before you know it, you’ll be engaged in a stellar conversation. Conversation leads to connection which is the ultimate goal.

I understand that it’s awkward talking about yourself because you fear sounding pompous. As a result, most of us self-introduce poorly. But done well, it’s an authentic, two-way, targeted marketing communication tool that can instantly create a favorable impression for you and your brand.

Self-Introduction Basics
I recommend having two versions of your self-intro. The short version should be about 10-15 words. Mine sounds like this: “I’m a coach helping creative businesses soar.”

Here are the key elements (using my example above). Include your occupation (coach), services (coaching), target audience (creative businesses) and specific benefits received from working with you (soar). The key is to craft something you’d say to a friend. If it is too canned, you’ll sound like a cheesy pre-recorded salesbot and you’ll never use it.

For the long version of your self-intro, start off with a question that demonstrates that you understand a commonly held challenge facing your target audience. I would ask, “you know how creative professionals often don’t like to market themselves? Well, as a marketing coach, I help creative professionals define their core genius to attract clients that value their brilliance. I offer guidance from my 15 years of owning a creative firm.” According to Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, you might elaborate on your services or add an example of a “wow” success story. You could also focus more on the benefits clients receive when working with you.

Common Mistakes
I recently led a workshop on this topic for my Toastmaster’s club. Here are some areas where people struggled. By just stating your occupation, “I’m a designer,” you instantly commodify yourself. Another pitfall is saying what’s true, but not unique. Remember, this is a positioning statement which is about differentiation. Finally, watch for language that looks impressive when written but sounds ridiculous when telling a friend. If you include business cliches like “synergize, best of breed, core competency, win-win or paradigm shift,” then punch yourself in the mouth and start over.

Next Steps
Just as important as the words you choose is the excercise of having to narrow your focus and prioritize. So, start working on your 10-15 words to pique enough interest that you’ll be asked follow-up questions. When your self-introduction is clear and concise, like the premise of a great movie, then others can easily spread your message like a blockbuster referral.

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Is Your Personal Brand Outstanding?

September 30, 2009 in Branding, Personal Brand, Positioning | No comments

Brand You Venn diagram

In a world of endless options (think of the supermarket toothpaste aisle), brands are increasingly relevant because they are a shortcut around intellectual proof. Brands are typically thought of as products (iPhone) or services (FedEx). But I’d like you to consider yourself as a brand. And this is relevant to anyone within a firm who wants to stand out and thrive, not just owners. To paraphrase Tom Peters in his seminal Fast Company article, A Brand Called You, start thinking of yourself as the Chief Marketing Officer of Brand You. Since I brand myself as a branding expert, I’d like to share three ways to build Brand You.

1. What’s Your Story?
A brand is a story told in the marketplace. So step one is to unearth your story. Since people buy with emotion and justify with fact, a compelling story is what helps you to persuade. So, what is it that makes you unique and valuable? What are you most passionate about or proud of?  What would your clients or colleagues say is your greatest strength? Think back to the last few times someone complimented you about your work. Is there a pattern of consistent praise that is unique to you? If you can’t remember, start a victory journal that records your accomplishments and compliments. Still stumped? Do a little market research by asking your friends, family and co-workers. It’ll boost your self-esteem and provide insight. At this point, don’t worry about the exact words of your story. We’ll address that next.

2. Brand Positioning
A brand’s positioning is the mindspace you occupy in your audience’s head. It is the articulation of your story highlighting what you do that adds remarkable, measurable and distinctive value. This positioning statement becomes your networking introduction when someone asks “what do you do for work?” It should be around 15 words and ideally be something that only you can claim. It should include the following elements: “I am a [occupation] providing [range of services] to [categories of clients]. My [unique selling point] provides [specific benefits].” Like the premise of a good movie, your positioning must be clear and compelling so others will spread your story via word-of-mouth.

3. You Deserve Promotion
Brand awareness is the final step in building your brand. Your target audience needs to know you exist and what you can do for them. I’m guessing that Superbowl ads and billboards aren’t in your personal budget so here are some tips. If your employer allows, do some moonlighting (either freelance or volunteer). I learned a ton about e-mail marketing and met many contacts as volunteer Marketing Chair of USGBC. Try teaching or making presentations to demonstrate your expertise. If you are verbally challenged, writing for trade publications is excellent visibility. As long as you are learning, growing, building relationships and delivering on your brand promise, both Brand You and your company will benefit.

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