How a Great Personal Brand Can Lead to Entrepreneurial Success

You must read this article if you're skeptical about the importance of branding yourself and your company. If you're already sold on the concept, then read it anyhow. It's thoroughly enjoyable. What does YOUR brand say about you?

Dan Schawbel, a personal branding expert, posted this on Facebook and I found it both interesting and applicable to most of my clients and colleagues, particularly those wh

o are entrepreneurs (a personal brand is important even if you work for someone else). You can find Dan on FB at http://www.facebook.com/personalbrandingexpert.

Here's the article from the Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704631504575532493871407232.html

Bet on the Power of Your Brand

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Sin City. The Hangover. With the exception of a failed ad campaign about a decade ago that touted it as a “family destination,” Vegas has worked effortlessly to build its brand as the place where adults go to play.

Interestingly, I’ve just returned from a trip to Las Vegas that seemed more like a trip to Disney World; ironically, I flew out of Orlando, where there were less children running around than there were in my hotel on the Strip.

Every year, my husband and I take a few days off from parenthood to vacation alone. Like many couples, it’s our chance to get away from it all, have some peace and quiet and do things (like eat dinner at a fancy restaurant at 10 pm and then go dancing) that you just can’t – or shouldn’t – do with young children.

Therefore, we choose to go to Vegas because it’s the perfect destination for us. We stay at a high-end, modern-looking hotel at the end of the Strip. It’s located inside a resort that has the best pool in town and has all the amenities and conveniences that we could possibly ask for during a grown-up vacation. What we never had seen, and what we certainly didn’t count on, were the hoards of crying babies, scampering toddlers, hyper kids and tweens that seemed to have invaded the resort.

Whatever became of: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?” Perhaps these kids DID “happen” in Vegas and mom and dad were taking them back to visit. Kidding aside, it just didn’t make sense. We’ve been going to that hotel for the past five years and had never encountered the issue. Other than “The Lion King,” which has been playing at that venue for a couple of years, there were no other events scheduled for kids. In fact, most other events were definitely Vegas-like in nature, meaning that kids were not the target audience.

So what could it be? We were perplexed and a little annoyed. Our kid-less vacation had taken a turn we didn’t expect.

In Vegas, you expect to see 20-somethings passed out in the elevators, not 20-month-olds passed out from a day chock-full-of activities. You expect to find some interesting items floating in the pool, but the Silly Bandz I found threw me for a loop. I couldn’t understand the child phenomenon, but I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

I finally got my answer when I went to the spa, where I was the only customer. Now, this particular spa used to be one of the finest in Vegas. In fact, two years ago I would have had to make an appointment weeks in advance just to get in for a pedicure. This time, the appointment book was empty. Apparently, busy moms on vacation didn’t have the time or money to pamper themselves.

So I asked the spa employees about the child situation and they mentioned that during the summer (now that the economy is in the dumps), locals are booking low-cost rooms at the hotel just so that they can use the many water park-like facilities. Wow! The “staycation” phenomenon has even affected one of the largest tourist destinations in the country. And with a city like Vegas, where the heat is oppressive and there isn’t a water park in sight, booking the cheapest hotel room at the resort with the best pools is practically a deal for the locals. I suppose that they know the REAL Vegas and, as locals, can ignore the seductive marketing campaigns and take advantage of the many attractions that the city has to offer.

As a communications and branding exec, I thought about this and I realized that the Vegas board of tourism is experiencing what other companies are probably experiencing, too: the loss of their brand during harsh economic times. In an effort to drive business any way they can, they’re focusing less on their typical customers and taking business from wherever they can get it. This, while perhaps important or necessary in the short-term, is a destructive move that will not only kill the brand that they’ve worked so hard to create, but it may kill the city’s economy altogether.

If it’s the locals with children who are being wooed to the hotels, then the gambling, hard partying, bachelor/bachelorette and DINK (dual-income, no kids) crowds are being ignored. And even if they’re not being ignored, then they’re certainly being turned off by the gaggle of kids awaiting them as they step through the doors.

Naturally, it’s challenging to think of the long-term financial effects when in the short-term the bottom line needs to be met. However, in the case of Vegas – or this one resort, in particular – what will happen when the kids are back in school and the casino’s target market has been turned off by the ambiance? Plus, does the resort understand the damage that having so many kids is doing to the building itself? Kids run around, ding and scratch walls, break stuff and get things dirty (yes, I realize that not all kids do this, but the ones that I had the pleasure of seeing during this trip do). That ruins the resort, both physically and from an image perspective. That increases maintenance costs. That damages the upscale reputation of a hotel known for its coolness; George Clooney and Brad Pitt graced its halls during Ocean’s Thirteen.

I won’t be staying at this resort during my next trip to Vegas, but I hope to once again be able to visit and see that its reputation has been restored to match the image it created. However, given the economy and the damage that it’s inflicted to its own brand, I don’t know how quickly it will recover. I wonder what its marketing department is doing to ensure that the brand won’t suffer too much in the long-term? I also wonder if the marketing department is even aware of the damage that the loss of control of its brand has had for the hotel.

They took a risk and bet on the short-term gains that an upsurge in families would do to increase their bottom line and keep them in the black for the year. Let’s hope the house wins on this one.

Quality versus Quantity in Relation to Clients and Prospects

This post is by Jonathan Mead for Copyblogger: "How to Build a Successful Business with a Small Audience."

I found it interesting, particularly in this new social media frenzy that we're facing, where everyone wants to "friend" or "tweet" everyone else, without really focusing on who their target audience is and how to best reach those people. A few happy, great clients can be better than thousands of mediocre ones whom you cannot serve. Plus, scores of "followers" doesn't always equal a successful business; it may help with your PR efforts, but are you attracting the right client base? Social media is great, but there needs to be a strategy in place before you spend time (which is money, particularly for the small business owner) spreading the word about your business to potential clients.

Selling Girl Scout Cookies: Why the 5 W’s and the H are the keys to any successful sales pitch.

My daughter, a Girl Scout, was gearing up for their yearly cookie sale. Her goal was to sell 200 boxes. It was an ambitious – but attainable – goal. The door-to-door sales period started in mid-January and, before taking her around the neighborhood, I asked that she practice her sales pitch. After all, she wasn’t the only Girl Scout in the area; therefore, she needed a great pitch in order to beat the competition.

I told her to go work on what she was going to say when a potential customer opened the door. After about 20 minutes, I checked on her progress. Assuming that the pitch was good to go, I thought we’d head out the door that day and start the selling marathon. Boy, was I wrong.

To ensure that the pitch covered all the basics, I asked for a demonstration. Happily, my daughter began telling me all about herself, how cookies are delicious, how the potential customer should really buy a few boxes, and on and on and on. Stopping her after a few minutes of sweet, but totally useless information, I reminded her that she had left out the essential information: the five W’s and the H.

The what???

The 5 W’s and the H, I explained, are the basis for all sales pitches (and news articles, for that matter). The letters stand for who, what, when, where, why and how. In the case of the cookie sales pitch, my daughter needed to tell her potential customers the following – and only the following – information:

• Who: who she is (first name only), the fact that she’s a Girl Scout, and her troop number. The “who” must be limited information, per Scouting rules.
• What: what she is selling. Cookies, yes. But, what kind of cookies? How much does each box cost? What is her favorite flavor? Know your product! Also, what is she trying to accomplish by selling the cookies? What’s her goal (for example)? “What” can have several meanings. Think of several “whats” that may be asked and be prepared to answer each.
• When: how long is the pre-sale period? When should customers who are kind enough to pre-order expect their cookies to arrive? Will cookies be available again after the pre-sale period?
• Where: where will customers be able to get their cookies? Will they be delivered to their homes or offices, or do they have to pick them up somewhere? Where else will the cookies be available (booths, at-home sales, etc.)?
• Why: why should they buy them from her instead of another Scout in the neighborhood? Why should they buy cookies, period? Why should they support the Scouts? Why are cookie sales important? I could go on and on…
• How: how does the pre-sale process work? How does she plan on reaching her goal? How do the Girl Scouts work?

After a little coaching (and a lot of groans, moans and resistance), my daughter finally had answers to the 5 W’s and the H. Ironically, the pitch was only used a couple of times due to inclement weather during the pre-sale period, but at least she learned a couple of valuable sales lessons: don’t ever assume that you are going to make the sale and never assume that the customer knows what you know. Brief, thorough information is the key to a winning sales pitch.

It's not what you say...

We've all heard this since we were children: "It's not WHAT you say, it's HOW you say it." However, many of us tend to forget this important advice. After all, if it weren't a wise statement, then parents and grandparents wouldn't have been pounding it into our heads for centuries.

But why is it important? Is it because we might offend someone? Sure, that has something to do with it. But the real reason that it's important is because, ultimately, your goal when communicating with others is to have your message heard, understood and - hopefully - followed.

The Coffee Experiment

Here's a good example of what I'm talking about (and I must admit that I'm shamelessly stealing it from an articulate priest who gave a sermon that I still remember over a decade later). 

A priest had the awful task of raising funds for a trip that he and a few others were taking to a faraway village in Middle-of-Nowhere, South America. Clearly, the "where" was not important. What was important, however, was getting us, a fairly well-to-do congregation consisting of younger professionals and families, to donate a significant amount of money for this mission. He accomplished his goal; in fact, I'm certain that he surpassed it. But how? 

Did he preach for an hour about these poor children in this remote village? No. He mentioned them, of course, but that didn't captivate the audience. Did he tell us that it was our duty to give money to this cause? Not exactly. Did he yell? Heck no. So, how did he get our attention, and our money? He talked to us about coffee.

Gourmet coffee shops were just starting to take over Atlanta back then, and most of us were addicted to this new delicacy. We were so addicted, in fact, that many of us purchased coffee daily; some of us even imbibed more than once a day. This priest noticed that. He understood his audience. He also ran some numbers and realized how much we were spending per day on coffee. Quite a bit, as it turns out. 

He casually pointed this out. "How many of you drink coffee?" Almost all the hands went up. "How many of you drink gourmet coffee?" Again, most hands were raised. "How much do you spend on coffee every day...four dollars, five dollars, ten dollars?" Heads nodded in agreement. 

"So, could you give up having one cup of joe per week?" Everyone seemed to think that this was a reasonable request. "Okay, then. You know, for what you'd spend on one cup of coffee, you could feed a child for a month." Gasp! Really?!? Oh my goodness. Yes, we can give up one measly cup of coffee and use that money to feed a child for a month, we thought. Heck, we can give up at least two cups, if doing so can make such a big difference. Wow!

This priest was able to raise funds without asking for money at all. In fact, he just asked us a series of questions and put things into perspective. We didn't feel bombarded by a fund raising speech, bored by a long-winded sermon, or guilty from hearing about how ungrateful we are for all we have. We gained self-awareness, we donated freely, and we were happy with the outcome - and with the priest. A win-win for all.

And that is the goal of all communication. You want to win the debate, win the client's business, win your boss's approval, win your employees' trust...the list goes on. But in order to win, one must spin. Spin the message so that it attracts the audience. A good public relations expert (or in some cases, a good priest) knows how to do that with ease. You can learn, too. After all, you wouldn't have read this if you didn't think you could.

I have years of experience in saying the right - and wrong - things, and will share stories, tips and ideas that I've picked up along the way. Check back often for new posts.