Positioning

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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.

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.

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.

Lift Your Brand Using The Halo Effect

May 18, 2010 in Brand, Branding, Event Marketing, Positioning | 9 comments

When things happen to me in threes, I take notice. I recently had three different experiences where my perception of a brand was lifted. (Evidently being a brand expert does not make me immune to the “mind control” brands employ.) All three experiences were with car brands and they all used the “halo effect” to sway my impressionable mind.

The Halo Effect
This brand building strategy is accomplished by aligning your brand (a) with a very shiny person, place, event or other brand (b). The luminosity of brand (b) is so great that it (b) casts a favorable glow onto your brand (a). It’s a clever way to elevate the perception of your brand through association. Think of not-so-smooth Turtle hanging out with heartthrob Vince in HBO’s Entourage and you get the idea.

Leverage The Best of Your Community
My first halo effect experience was at a party that Dave Brown of Holiday Matinee invited me to. Dave and Zack Nielsen of Sezio have an enviable project of spending Ford’s money to promote the Ford Fiesta. Ford gave them a car, cash, creative tools, and instructions to simply talk about the Fiesta. One of Dave and Zack’s brilliant solutions was to tap into their own creative community and throw a party at a cool location (Bar Basic) with great music and people. The event included a few hipster retailers creating pop-up stores within the party. I never would have paid a second look to the Ford Fiesta but as I was leaving the party, I glanced at the strategically parked car thinking to myself, “that’s a pretty cool little ride.” I felt punk’d, but in a good way.

Associate Your Brand with Impeccable Quality
Full Disclosure: I own a Honda Element which was mostly a practical decision based on the functionality of being able to insert my dog, surfboard and wife’s Prius into the back of the car. Even after buying the car, I wasn’t a Honda fan until after being introduced to a series of short documentary films called Dream The Impossible available here. The film’s universal themes in Failure: The Secret to Success and Racing Against Time move me on an emotional level. I also appreciate that while the films were commissioned by Honda, they are not about cars. Using quality imagery, music and story telling, the films are so beautifully executed that they radically shifted my perception of Honda.

Make Fun of Yourself
Many years ago I decided that it was just too much work to be cool. If your brand, or category, is notoriously uncool, a great strategy is to make fun of yourself. This will differentiate you from your competitors that take themselves way too seriously. Humor is always cool. And if you can pull it off like Toyota’s campaign for the Sienna mini-van (previously uncool), then you’ve scored. The hilarious ads and mock hip-hop music video Rollin’ in my Swagger Wagon left me thinking that maybe I should get some kids and a Sienna, err Swagger Wagon. Never thought I’d say that.

I know what your thinking. The car industry has gazillion dollar marketing budgets to shape hearts and minds. Yes they do, but you don’t have to. Take the strategies from above and execute it guerilla style (i.e. on the cheap).

So, how can you use the “halo effect” to cast a favorable glow onto your brand? Consider teaming up with another brand that may be extra-shiny. Doing work for shiny brands can be beneficial. I still have people think that we are responsible for launching Red Bull in the USA because we designed some simple graphics for their first in-store promotion. Getting shiny people to interact with work you’ve done is also effective. If they’ll provide some sort of endorsement, then even better. If there is a way to place your work in a shiny environment, do so. An artist friend of mine Susan Wickstrand Roche has some of her artwork in the hit TV show Modern Family. In short, constantly be searching for opportunties to promote your brand so you don’t have to always do the heavy lifting.

A Simpler Way to Determine Your Niche

April 1, 2010 in Marketing Planning, Positioning | No comments

To attract clients that value your brilliance, you need a plan. Strategic planning has a reputation for being difficult, complicated and time consuming. Typically the process begins with a SWOT analysis looking at your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. I offer a simplified version focusing on your strengths.I recently had an opportunity to see Chip Heath speak about his new book Switch. Chip, along with his brother Dan, also wrote the fantastic Made To Stick. In Switch, they introduce a concept called “Find the Bright Spots.” Bright spots, as applied to your marketing, are successful efforts that you’ve already been doing, and simply repeating them.

Create Your Top 10
First, make a list of the top 10 projects you’ve ever worked on. Yes, I know “top” is ambiguous and purposely so. To be meaningful, YOU need to define top. Top could mean revenue, creativity, great people, fun, social good, publicity or some combination thereof. Whatever your definition of top is, it must embody the type of projects that you’d love to work on next. Marketing is all about the work that you seek.

Discover What’s Working
Next, create a grid with your top 10 projects listed down the left side. Across the top, list the following questions to ask about each project:

How did this client learn about your firm?
Why were you hired? What other reasons did they hire you?
Type of project by service?
Type of client by vertical market (biotech or tourism for example)?
What time of year were you hired?
Any professional affiliations of the key decision makers?
Gender and age of the key decision makers?

You should be asking these important questions each time you get hired (and not hired). There is no expiration date on asking. Don’t assume why you get hired and then go out and repeat the wrong the things.

Let The Patterns Define Your Strategy
As you can imagine, you are looking for patterns to emerge in the grid you’ve created above. If you notice a large percentage of projects in a certain vertical market, this defines your niche. A certain service that shows up frequently can further define your specialty. If you see a pattern of why you get hired, then this becomes the positioning for your next ad campaign, tagline and website messaging. The goal is to market “with the current” of what you are already doing well.

I know there are bright spots in your marketing or you wouldn’t be in business. Don’t focus on the problems. Yes, there is something innately satisfying about figuring out what’s broken and then fixing it. But if you focus on what is working, the “bright spots,” this path of least resistance will bring you success with greater ease.

Is Your Personal Brand Outstanding?

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

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.

Hate to Sell? Become a Thought Leader

July 10, 2009 in Positioning, Presenting, Public Speaking, Thought Leading | 2 comments

For those looking to stretch their marketing budget, I can’t think of a more cost effective way to attract clients than Thought Leadership. The more a prospect can experience your writing or speaking, the more they perceive you as an expert, and the less “selling” you have to do. Here are some tips on positioning yourself, or Principals within your firm, as Thought Leaders.

1. Designate Ambassadors
Designate someone in your firm to be the Thought Leader for each vertical market sector in which you seek work. For example, Aquatic Design Group is a market leader in designing and engineering competitive swimming pools. They happen to have an Associate who is a former collegiate All-American swimmer. Combined with strong writing and speaking skills, he has instant credibility within this tribe.

2. Know Where Your Audience Is
Ask your best clients which market specific trade publications they read and which conferences they attend. Then introduce yourself to the editors of these journals as a resource for journalists looking for a quote. Once the relationship is established, inquire about submitting an article. For national conference speaking opportunities, you’ll need to respond to a RFP a year in advance. But there are plenty of local trade organizations hungry for great speakers. For example, I put together a panel and am emceed the SMPS San Diego Luncheon on Social Media. While it’s tempting to write or speak to your peers, remember to focus most of your efforts where potential clients, not competitors, congregate.

3. Create a Content Ecosystem
Start with writing to develop mastery in articulating your subject matter. Then move to speaking using content you’ve written about. Give away free samples of your knowledge. Leaders demonstrate confidence by sharing their abundant expertise, not hoarding it. Tell real success stories and don’t be afraid to offer up your failures and share lessons learned. This is what makes you human, and will draw people to you. Communicate that you care about your audience’s world and challenges, and you will be invited in.

Thought Leadership requires an investment of time. This guide should help you get started. Be sure to promote your speaking or writing wherever you can. Also, find multiple channels to distribute your content to maximize ROI. For example, an e-mail marketing blast shoud get repurposed into a blog so it’s archived and searchable by topic. You can also create a printable .PDF files to be distributed at events where you are speaking or given to clients you are courting. Whether writing or speaking, you will be perceived as an expert and clients like to hire expertise.

Networking

January 13, 2009 in Networking, Positioning, Pro-Bono Work | No comments

Inspired by last month’s advice on Marketing Plans, you have now defined your target markets and even specific clients you’d like to work with. So, how to convert these prospects to clients? The following four business development tips have been successful for me. Let me know if these, or others, are effective for you.

1. Get Involved Where Your Clients Gather
Focus your time where your clients congregate. Since our niche is the A/E/C industry, I’ve found SMPS, AIA, and USGBC to be fertile ground for connecting with potential clients. It’s not enough to simply join an organization or show up for meetings. The place where meaningful relationships are built is working side-by-side on a committee or serving on the board of directors. People hire people they know. So embed yourself where clients can get to know you on a personal level.

2. Volunteer Where You Are Passionate
Give your time to causes that you are passionate about. Even better if you can donate your services where they may be noticed by a potential client. Let me give you an example. I’m passionate about sustainability. So serving as Marketing Chair of the USGBC-SD Chapter allows me to demonstrate my craft (see nametags in lower right) and exposes LecoursDesign to potential clients. Volunteering also allows you to practice new skills that a paying client might find too risky (you rarely get fired volunteering). Lessons learned in managing e-news blasts for USGBC directly inform this e-advice blast you are now reading.

3. Obey the Law (of Reciprocity)
Give and you will get. The universe supports this in Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. According to Michael Port in Book Yourself Solid, share what you know, whom you know, and how you feel. You’ll be amazed with what comes back to you.

4. Position Yourself as an Expert
I’ve found the best way get in front of my target audience as a Guru is through public speaking. When I speak on Creativity, Branding, or Marketing at conferences or workshops, it always amazes me how many people come up afterward to give me their business card. If public speaking isn’t your thing, make it your thing by joining a local Toastmasters chapter because public speaking is a learned skill. I’ll be speaking next on Jan. 20 at The San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Pecha Kucha Night. You can also complement speaking with writing. The trade publications your target reads are always hungry for fresh content. Propose an article where you can share useful knowledge (see tip #3 above) while demonstrating your expertise. Then be sure to send copies of your recent article to your target audience.

FREE .pdf of this advice