Are You Brand Worthy Four Simple Questions to assess your brand ability
Are You Brand Worthy Four Simple Questions to assess your brand ability
While out speaking on branding, the question that I hear most is “How do I know if my business or service is brand material?” With businesses opening left and right, and more and more closing each year, I’m glad there are smart business owners open to understanding the issue.
If you’ve found yourself asking the same thing, don’t worry you’re not alone. Perhaps, this can shed some light.
(break)
At a recent luncheon, the same question came up again in a different way. I was seated next to an attorney whose sole practice focuses on elder abuse cases, he asked me in rapid succession (a manner that showed me he’d be great in court):
“Isn’t branding for businesses that make a lot of stuff?”
“Doesn’t branding apply if you want to sell a lot of stuff?”
“Isn’t branding pointless for my kind of business?”
Smiling, I fired back, “yes, yes, and… no”.
Yes, branding is most often associated with businesses that make a lot of stuff. Yes, branding is advantageous if you want to sell a lot of stuff. No, branding is not pointless because every business makes something (or offers a service) and wants to sell it. Branding is about making your product or service known to as many potential customers as possible, consistently, with the most effective use of your time and money. Branding is about repeat business. Branding is about effortless referrals. Wouldn’t that be a benefit to ANY business, especially yours?
To help you gain more brand-worthy clarity, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my business, service or product? If not, is there something more you can be doing in it to turn your passion switch on? It takes an amazing amount of energy and persistence to make a business take hold in the customer’s mind. With more and more businesses competing for headspace, it’s imperative that you set yourself apart. If you are not cooking with the fuel that passion gives you, you’re missing out on a very crucial element that could mean the difference between thriving and closing.
2. Do I have a big vision of my business, service or product? Do you dream of reaching lots of customers in different ways with your product or service? Do you see a way to deliver your product or service to an increasing amount of people with less and less effort? Did you create a mindset or special approach in your field that can be delivered in a variety of mediums, i.e.- speaking, books, audio CDs, consulting, etc. Do you envision moving beyond an hour-for-hour way of providing your service? All of these support a big vision. , Not only do we begin from the inside out, when approaching your brand, we create from where you will be in five years as if it is now. Small vision does just that, keeps you small. The choice is always yours.
3. Is my product or service a real benefit to lots of customers? It’s important that you answer this one as honestly and openly as possible. I was very passionate and had a huge vision for a career as a mime! (Yes, you read that correctly… a mime.) However, no amount of passion and vision would make people buy it on a large scale. Thanks to Marceau Marceau, the mime card had been played out. You may find that by being truthful with your answers will lead to branding even better products and services.
4. Am I prepared to surround myself with a team or the knowledge to accomplish the business success that developing my business as a brand delivers? The plus side of being an entrepreneur is that you may wear many hats in your business. The negative side is that you feel like you have to! The truth is, you don’t! You’re an expert in your field and you need to honor that expertise by supporting it with a variety of other skill sets to make your indelible mark; logo design, copywriting, website design, your marketing plan creation and execution, and others. The important thing is that you realize…you’re in command…because it’s your ship! And being a commander takes knowing where you want to go, gathering the maps to make the journey, and the crew to make it happen.
If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have the makings to develop your business as a brand. You just need the knowledge and practice to do so. If you’re shaky on some of the questions, find out why. Even if you never develop your business as a brand, solid yeses to these simple questions will only make your business more successful and more enjoyable. After all, isn’t that we all want?
© Castle Montone, Limited
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can. Simply include this blurb with it: “Brand Visioneer and BrandU Co-founder, Kim Castle teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to turn their business ideas into a money-making marketable brand. If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank™, get started now at http://www.brandu.com/rd.cfm?id=743"
Are You Brand Worthy Four Simple Questions to assess your brand ability - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Castle's Website.
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Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.
While out speaking on branding, the question that I hear most is “How do I know if my business or service is brand material?” With businesses opening left and right, and more and more closing each year, I’m glad there are smart business owners open to understanding the issue.
If you’ve found yourself asking the same thing, don’t worry you’re not alone. Perhaps, this can shed some light.
(break)
At a recent luncheon, the same question came up again in a different way. I was seated next to an attorney whose sole practice focuses on elder abuse cases, he asked me in rapid succession (a manner that showed me he’d be great in court):
“Isn’t branding for businesses that make a lot of stuff?”
“Doesn’t branding apply if you want to sell a lot of stuff?”
“Isn’t branding pointless for my kind of business?”
Smiling, I fired back, “yes, yes, and… no”.
Yes, branding is most often associated with businesses that make a lot of stuff. Yes, branding is advantageous if you want to sell a lot of stuff. No, branding is not pointless because every business makes something (or offers a service) and wants to sell it. Branding is about making your product or service known to as many potential customers as possible, consistently, with the most effective use of your time and money. Branding is about repeat business. Branding is about effortless referrals. Wouldn’t that be a benefit to ANY business, especially yours?
To help you gain more brand-worthy clarity, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my business, service or product? If not, is there something more you can be doing in it to turn your passion switch on? It takes an amazing amount of energy and persistence to make a business take hold in the customer’s mind. With more and more businesses competing for headspace, it’s imperative that you set yourself apart. If you are not cooking with the fuel that passion gives you, you’re missing out on a very crucial element that could mean the difference between thriving and closing.
2. Do I have a big vision of my business, service or product? Do you dream of reaching lots of customers in different ways with your product or service? Do you see a way to deliver your product or service to an increasing amount of people with less and less effort? Did you create a mindset or special approach in your field that can be delivered in a variety of mediums, i.e.- speaking, books, audio CDs, consulting, etc. Do you envision moving beyond an hour-for-hour way of providing your service? All of these support a big vision. , Not only do we begin from the inside out, when approaching your brand, we create from where you will be in five years as if it is now. Small vision does just that, keeps you small. The choice is always yours.
3. Is my product or service a real benefit to lots of customers? It’s important that you answer this one as honestly and openly as possible. I was very passionate and had a huge vision for a career as a mime! (Yes, you read that correctly… a mime.) However, no amount of passion and vision would make people buy it on a large scale. Thanks to Marceau Marceau, the mime card had been played out. You may find that by being truthful with your answers will lead to branding even better products and services.
4. Am I prepared to surround myself with a team or the knowledge to accomplish the business success that developing my business as a brand delivers? The plus side of being an entrepreneur is that you may wear many hats in your business. The negative side is that you feel like you have to! The truth is, you don’t! You’re an expert in your field and you need to honor that expertise by supporting it with a variety of other skill sets to make your indelible mark; logo design, copywriting, website design, your marketing plan creation and execution, and others. The important thing is that you realize…you’re in command…because it’s your ship! And being a commander takes knowing where you want to go, gathering the maps to make the journey, and the crew to make it happen.
If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have the makings to develop your business as a brand. You just need the knowledge and practice to do so. If you’re shaky on some of the questions, find out why. Even if you never develop your business as a brand, solid yeses to these simple questions will only make your business more successful and more enjoyable. After all, isn’t that we all want?
© Castle Montone, Limited
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can. Simply include this blurb with it: “Brand Visioneer and BrandU Co-founder, Kim Castle teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to turn their business ideas into a money-making marketable brand. If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank™, get started now at http://www.brandu.com/rd.cfm?id=743"
Are You Brand Worthy Four Simple Questions to assess your brand ability - To learn more about this author, visit Kim Castle's Website.
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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