I was taken aback by a quote I heard at a conference last
week hosted by the local chapter of the National Speakers Association.
In the middle of her presentation, Erin Donley quoted an old
acquaintance of mine, Yasmin Nyugen , CEO of Vibrance Global.
The Quote?
“You can’t see the label from inside the bottle.”
That’s why it is so difficult for individuals to craft our
own marketing. If you are a professional of any kind you know how difficult
this can be for you to pull off by yourself.
Rob, my branding buddy, said when I phoned him to tell him
about this revelation, “You just figurin’ that out ol’ son? Y’all find it easy
to work through what a product should be all about when you’re marketing it but
even the pros need help when it comes to their own Persona.
Yup, I used your word for personal branding ‘cause when it
is a professional of any kind it gets personal in a hurry. You know that. Y’all
been doin’ it for years with your consulting clients. That’s really what your
30 Second Marketing program is all about.
Most people go blank when you ask them what their brand is
and how they make sure people understand it.
All the emphasis these days on social media makes it harder
than it has ever been.
A whole lot of what you know about persuasion is based on gettin’
to people one on one but the game has changed. Now, br’er rabbit were tryin’ to
get folks to join us in the briar patch even when we know we have to build each
relationship one on one.
You, me–all of us have to understand social media is a conversation with a crowd.
Think about your aunt Hattie and the ladies in the parlor
quiltin’. The word ‘I’ never gets said. If you listen you’ll notice that most
of the questions are directed to the group not to individuals. Like you’re old
auntie said, It’s just good manners.
So when you’re tryin’ to get likes and followers you have to
picture yourself out in the pasture talkin’ to a herd ‘stead of sittin’ down
for coffee with a prospect.”
How do you cope with personal branding?
Jerry Fletcher consults on marketing, including personal
branding, with professionals, consultants and small companies that want to take
it up a notch. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com
Jerry Speaks about building businesses based on Trust on
three continents. See him in action at www.NetworkingNinja.com