Credibility Builder #1 – Your Professional Label – Positioning Yourself as THE go-to Authority in Your Field

This may seem incredibly obvious, at least when it comes to other people’s brands, but it’s a lot harder to spot when it comes to you.  But your professional labels, those job titles you give yourself can either add or detract from your credibility and your BRANDING effort.

Let me give you an example… Back when I was in the entertainment business, I oversaw promotion on a ton of shows, everything from Law & Order to Married With Children, as well as many talk shows: Ricki, Sally, Maury, yes, even Jerry… Both of these professional labels would have been accurate professional descriptions:

She’s a talk show publicist.  Okay, nothing wrong with that, right?

Or, try this one…
She’s the head of corporate PR and the Spokesperson for Universal’s Worldwide Television Group.

Which one sounds more impressive, more credible?

Even if you have a specific designation, like a client of mine who is a clinical psychologist – we now describe him as a Positive Psychologist, Teen Expert and Bestselling Author.  Who do you think sounds more poised to position him as a speaker, media star and breakout success?  Not that there is anything wrong with seeing clients in the office all day – he’s just ready for a bigger platform where he can help more people.

Consider a client of mine who’s an executive recruiter.  In describing herself, she told me she did what everybody else did – arrrghh – I coached and repositioned her as Virginia’s #1 Executive Search Firm.

If you know that you are NOT branding yourself well enough – or defining your professional label effectively enough, you are welcome to register for my current Branding Course, and to learn how to dodge the mistakes and embrace the abundant opportunities to make your brand work for you!  http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

PS: My upcoming expert in my branding class is Social Media Guru, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos. (Her expert Q&A represents a $497 gift to my course participants.)  Be sure to tune in and get YOUR expertise solidly out there to serve you and your business.

Confirming Your Credibility to Position Yourself as THE go-to Authority in Your Field

When we talked about the 3 biggest mistakes you may be guilty of making right now, the #1 offender is definitely that you may not be confirming your credibility persuasively enough to position yourself as the go-to authority in your field.

I’m going to assume that you have a ton of amazing information, products and services to offer your clients. I see stellar authors, speakers, psychologists, real estate professionals, people in all walks of life all the time. But like you, they’re not experiencing the success they deserve.

Why? Because they have not established themselves as the authority in their fields, or their cities, or whatever you consider your market. Notice I didn’t say an authority in your field. I said the authority. Because I want you to be one of one – not one of lots of people who do something similar if not exactly the same thing you do.

My personal mission in life is to stamp out the generic. We’re not generic people or generic professionals. So why should our marketplace positioning be generic? And by the way, I’m not suggesting that you turn yourself into something fake or phony for the sake of being different. Rather, I want you to find a way to position yourself in order to reach the right audience in a credible and compelling way.

It’s also very possible that you take your experience for granted and undervalue your own worth. Women particularly tend to be guilty of this – but it’s a huge mistake for anyone. I often tell people that the first sale is to yourself, but if you don’t believe your credibility, no one else will either.

I want to point out that having credibility and creating the perception of credibility are two very different things. This week, we’re going to look at what makes you a credible authority, then how you create and confirm that perception in the eyes of your audience.

Stay tuned to my blog and be sure to respond back to me through my inbox if you have questions.  And if you know that you are NOT branding yourself well enough, you are definitely welcome to sign up and tune in to participate in my current Branding Course, and to learn how to dodge the mistakes and embrace the abundant opportunities to make your brand work for you!  http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

PS: My upcoming experts in my branding class is Social Media Guru, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos. (Her expert Q&A represents a $497 gift to my course participants.)  Be sure to tune in and get YOUR expertise solidly out there to serve you and your business.

3 Branding Mistakes You May be Guilty of Right Now!

In entrepreneurial or executive life, it is essential that you capture the mindshare – that is, the heads and heart – of your customers, clients and colleagues.  Many companies and professionals, however, are driving business opportunities away without even realizing it.

As a branding expert and coach, there are some very basic mistakes that I see entrepreneurs make over and over again that not only aren’t winning them new business, they’re actually driving business away.

This week I want to talk about 3 Biggest Branding Mistakes and how you can avoid them. This week, I’m going to tell you what they the branding mistakes are and get into some practical, simple ways you can avoid them and turn your branding around. Don’t panic!  It’s not about throwing out everything you’re doing, but about making some tweaks to your brand message, marketplace position and marketing materials so you can gain the competitive edge.

Here are the 3 biggest mistakes that you may be guilty of making right now:

1. You’re not confirming your credibility persuasively enough to position yourself as the go-to authority in your field.
2. You haven’t created a compelling call-to-action on your website, in your marketing materials or in your sales conversations.
3. You have failed to establish a consistent emotional connection with your customers.

As skilled and knowledgeable as you may be in real estate or financial services or fitness or whatever you do, it can be very difficult to assess your own brand.  This is why I want you to get some objectivity about how you’re positioning yourself in the marketplace, and then some quick and easy things you can do immediately to elevate your brand.   Consumers have lots of choices and you’ve got to give them plenty of reasons to choose you.

For today, sit with those three mistakes and hold yourself accountable.  Consider your products, services and brand.  Are you doing a great job – or are you leaving money, clients and opportunities just out of your reach?

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker
http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

PS: Upcoming experts on my branding course include Marketing Guru and Author, Paul Keetch and Social Media Expert, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos.  Sign up and tune in to participate in my class, to learn how to dodge the mistakes and embrace the abundant opportunities to make your brand work for you!  http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Are you in an identity crisis, as a company or a service provider?

I feel like every client I work with right now is in the process of redefining themselves – partly due to the economy and needing new revenue streams, and partly from seeing their huge investments in SEO not paying off.

If you’re redefining yourself, your company or products, share some of your process or dilemma here and what you’re doing to create a new branded identity.

Libby Gill, Branding Expert, Bestselling Author, and Executive Coach

Bestselling Author of: You Unstuck

http://libbygill.com/brand-web-strategy

The 1-2-3 of Building a Brand that Attracts Sales, Clients, Experts and Joint Venture Opportunities

Many wonderful things happen when your brand is CLEAR and COMPELLING – when you are promoting yourself FROM your brand, rather than promoting a scattered array of products, events, joint ventures, etc. – that do not have a clear and compelling focal point.

1. The number one task is always to feature your core message and expertise first. In this way you are constantly building your online recognized expertise. That has many wins – but the main one is building your audience – the one that is attracted to what you do and how you do it.

2. The second task (and win) is simple but not easy – it’s to build your products and events FROM your brand – from your core expertise and passion. In that way you hold the mindshare of your client base.  Capture the mindshare WELL, and you naturally capture the MARKET share. In other words, you may not be the only one out there doing what you do, but if you capture the hearts and minds of your audience well enough, it will be YOU that they turn to, rather than another provider. This is where branding really comes to the front: Who you are, what you do, and how well do you communicate it through events and products.

3.  Finally, there’s another win that almost comes in through a side door – it’s affiliates and joint venture partners. When you are well known and respected as an expert in your field – one who produces great products and events – OTHER experts want to work with you.  It’s like becoming a magnet for other amazing experts – in your field and in other fields.  Everyone wants to hang around with you!  And little by little, THEIR client / fan base becomes YOUR client / fan base — simply because your branded expertise is introduced to them (and it’s too compelling to ignore).

I have gotten to work and partner with some incredible experts – experts on everything from online marketing and social media – to some of the best goal setting and time management experts out there.  Why?  Because my brand is clear and compelling and my client base / fan base rocks.  They know that I’m here for them and bring my expertise to everything I do.  Why do they know it?  Because every product, paid event, webinar – and even my free radio shows – feature my brand and my branded expertise. And yours can (and should) too. 

Simple?  You bet!  Easy?  Nope – not easy.

I’ve built an entire career around supporting remarkable executives and business owners identify their core ideas and passions, build their brand around that core, and promote their products, services and events under that umbrella of their brand.  If you’ve hit a wall around the SEO idea and are ready to try marketing that works – back up and start with the 1-2-3 of your brand.

To meet and work with some of the GREAT experts I’ve attracted to support my clients and fans, sign up for the remainder of my Branding Webinar. It started on July 7^th, but you can still join us.  You will receive the download of last week’s class to listen to at your convenience. Register now as I teach How to Capture the Mindshare in order to Capture the MARKET Share. http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

PS: Upcoming experts on my branding course include Marketing Guru and Author, Paul Keetch and Social Media Expert, Mary Agnes Antonopoulos.

When it comes to branding, there’s one questions you MUST be able to answer every single day:  How do you stand out from the Herd?

In order to do that effectively, you need to know, specifically who’s IN there herd. In other words, who are your primary competitors?  Don’t just have an idea – invest the time to get to know at least the top five or six as well as you can.

Next, what do you offer that they don’t? It can be a tangible product or service, or it can be an intangible about the way you conduct business or create relationships. Target and Tiffany both sell jewelry, for instance, but they have very different customers and the ways they articulate their brands are as different as night and day, obviously.  In reality, neither one is better – they just have different “best customers” and different brands.  BOTH are very successful.

So decide for yourself where YOUR brand stands.  Who is YOUR ideal customer or best client? Be as specific as you can: age, gender, education level, income level.  Don’t be vague here – even though “everyone” might BE your customer, everyone is not your BEST customer. And if you stick with the idea of “everyone,” you just might end up working with no one.

Once you have an idea of who your herd is, what they look and sound like, and who the customers are, you can move into your own unique brilliance as a company, an expert, and a brand.  And you can BEGIN to know how to articulate all of this in order to capture the mindshare AND the marketshare.

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

PS, My Branding Webinar started on July 7^th, but you can still join us – there’s still room for 1 or 2 more participants. Register now to join me as I teach a small group of business accelerators how to Capture the Mindshare in order to Capture the MARKET Share. http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Your Brand and Your Leadership – as an Executive and a Company: Failure is Not an Option – Part One

Your BRAND is who you are, as a person and as a company – and it has CLEAR objectives.  Absolutely.  When a clear objective is presented and a team is asked to resolve it – as opposed to a vague problem that requires consideration – the team can spring into action. This type of go-get-‘em behavior and creative problem solving will become as much a brand signature for you as your name and logo, believe me.

Let’s take Apollo 13 example: “Houston, we have a problem.” In the 35 years since the Apollo 13 space mission, these words have been repeated as a universal metaphor to connote a critical situation. When people are overwhelmed by the challenges facing them, this phrase effectively communicates the gravity of the problem. What usually follows is the other famous quote from the movie “Apollo 13”: “Failure is not an option.” It is a clarion cry for a solution.

Problem or Predicament? The saga of Apollo 13 is so well known that leadership trainers and executives have utilized it as an example of effective leadership. On closer review, the leadership was effective because of what it was not. It was not presumptuous or overbearing.

The crew returned safely from its mission because Gene Kranz, mission flight director, issued a clear and specific directive to the mission control team: Return the crew safely to Earth. That is the type of leadership that people thirst for from their corporate and government leaders. Too often, leaders do not issue clear objectives. Instead, teams are presented with predicaments to ponder, instead of clearly articulated problems to solve.

“Failure is not an option,” does not connote leadership. It is for that reason that Gene Kranz did not utter those words, despite the depiction in the film. That pronouncement would have been useless to the Mission Control team that was trying to solve a life-or-death crisis.

If in fact the phrase is not historically accurate, then what is its origin? According to Mike Bostick, when Apollo 13 researchers gathered information for the movie, a scriptwriter interviewed his father Jerry, a mission flight controller. Jerry Bostick’s actual statement was, “We just calmly laid out all the options, and failure was not one of them.” That clear and reasoned approach to solving a problem was rewritten and given to actor Ed Harris, who played the role of Gene Kranz. So, the team’s deliberative decision-making and problem solving was synthesized into an oft-repeated sound bite.

Leadership = Objective Setting + Decision Making

The Mission Control team did not strive to be innovative. Their innovation was a byproduct of effective problem-solving. To facilitate innovation and organizational effectiveness, we must first expunge the sound bites from our leadership vocabulary. “Give it 110 percent,” “Think outside the box” and “Failure is not an option” should be replaced with:

Leadership that is objective-focused.

Collaboration that utilizes the unlimited cognitive bandwidth of the team.

Decision-making and problem-solving methods that have certifiable efficacy.

THAT alone will brand you as a company and a LEADER who definitely has the right stuff.

To learn more about my upcoming Branding Course, go to:  http://www.libbygill.com/branding - and to inquire about working with me as your executive mentor, visit my website: http://www.LibbyGill.com

Until next time, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

PS, My Branding Webinar starts in DAYS – there’s still room for 2 more participants. Register now to save your space: http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

WHY does marketing fail? ANSWER: BRANDING 101

Hi everyone. Just a note to remind you to REGISTER for my upcoming branding course — if, of course, you’re tired of dumping money and time into SEO and marketing products and events that don’t sell. You see, your BRAND has to be cohesive and COMPELLING to engage your potential clients and customers.

I have launched some BIG names (like the Dr. Phil show) and some small businesses (that became big!). And I designed this series to be affordable and IMPLEMENTABLE. At only $497 the course costs less than one coaching session with me.

The series includes guest expert interviews, invaluable downloads, worksheets and TOOLS that you can use during the class and long afterward. And if you miss a session, no sweat, you’ll get a free downloadable MP3 for each class included with your registration.

Register at: http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Your friend, Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Keynote Speaker, Best Selling Author

Branding 101: CRAFT A STICKY MESSAGE

Once you’re very clear on the value you offer others – whether that’s within a corporation or your own business – and how you’re different from the competition – it’s time to craft that into a message that’s sticky, meaningful and memorable.

Ask yourself the following: Can you make your message fit on a Post-It note? (That’s what I call Post-It Positioning, and it’s something that I cover in my branding courses A LOT. http://www.LibbyGill.com/Branding) Post-It Positioning is short and succinct, goes right where you want it to land, and it sticks.

What’s the most important thing you want your audience to remember?  How can you say it with humor or punch that gets their attention?  Who’s gonna forget Pop, Pop Fizz, Fizz, oh what a relief it is.   Alkaseltzer.  Or …I wish I was an Oscar Meyer weiner. Both of these brands incorporated their brand name into a catchy little song.  You deserve a break today.

A PR firm I’ve worked with is owned by a fellow whose last name is Morse, who for obvious reason calls his company Morse Code PR.  His tagline, or positioning statement, is “Connecting the Dots”. Now, because he provides the kind of service, unlike most PR firms, where he is really concerned with promoting all aspects of your business and connecting clients with people who can help them grow and expand – Connecting the Dots is more than just a catchy slogan.  It’s an authentic expression of who he is and what he does.

Stop today and ask yourself: What’s my core message? Maybe it’s on your business card or website, or maybe it’s how you describe yourself or how other people describe you at the office. Listen for things they mention, like:  You’re the Logical Thinker, the Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get it Done Person.  Those are all clues to your brand message.

Remember, it’s ALL branding, and you have a PERSONAL brand. That’s vital to recognize.

Now let’s talk about some of the negatives and how to counter them to protect – and promote – your personal brand.  Those sales objections you need to be ready to deal with.  I love to get objections on the table as soon as possible so that you can counter them to your customer right away.  Or be able walk away if the customer isn’t right for you and not waste time converting a client that would not be happy (and would make YOU miserable).

But if you think or you know that this is a good customer for you, then how can you reframe any perceived negatives as positives?  One of my clients is an attorney who never went to college, she skipped over it and went right on to law school.  At first, she thought that would be perceived as negative when people asked where she went to school.  But she didn’t hide it, and when she discovered that people thought she was brilliant when they found out she’d tested out of college, believe me she used that as a selling point from then on.

So if you’re a one-woman shop and your competitor is huge, you’ve got to create what I call your “Success Spin,” and position yourself as hands-on, boutique, and in partnership with your client – as opposed to the Big Box store approach. Basically, you’re the Mac guy.

If you’re the PC (that is a large well-established company), you may be full-service, one-stop shopping, part of the community.  Get it?  Whatever the position you’re in, owning it and getting it out there in a memorable, Post-It Positioning way is VITAL to your brand identity and the ability of your growing client base to FIND you and REMEMBER you.

To learn more about my upcoming Branding Course, go to: http://www.libbygill.com/branding

Until next time,

Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

PS, My Branding Webinar starts in less than ONE weeks – there’s still room for 3 more participants. Register now to save your space:
http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

From clients, friends and fans to Brand Evangelists! By Branding Expert, Libby Gill

Before we start this week’s exercise, remember that your brand is much more than your logo or your company name. Those are only expressions of your brand. Your brand is actually who you are and how you communicate that message in order to stand out from the herd.

Once you’re ahead of the herd, and your people, clients and followers like your brand, the next step is turn them into brand evangelists who spread the word about your company and product. THAT is the lottery of branding.

Take a few minutes today to stop and consider how you evaluate the success of your brand. If you’re in a corporation, you may get formal 360 degree evaluations, or maybe you get more informal feedback from colleagues. If you’re a business owner, you can do client satisfaction surveys. I know that as a speaker, I always solicit feedback simply because I want to make sure my message is relevant and compelling.

After a great keynote address, course or teleseminar, I always tell groups that if you think my message is relevant for a company or organization you’re associated with, please let them know about me. See how I convert them into brand evangelists?

THAT is what you need to be focusing on every single day. Because building brand evangelists can literally launch you and your business into a new dimension.

To learn more about my upcoming Branding Course, go to: http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar

Until next time,
Libby Gill
Branding Expert, Executive Coach, Keynote Speaker

PS, My Branding Webinar starts in less than two weeks – there’s still room for 3 more participants. Register now to save your space:
http://libbygill.com/mindshare-branding-webinar