3 Surprising Secrets to an Unforgettable You

August 13, 2013 by Leave a Comment

How unforgettable are you?

What do you do to stand out in your crowd?

Here are three surprising secrets to an unforgettable You.

 

1.  WHAT’S YOUR PERSONA?

Madonna doesn’t identify with Madonna.  She works for her.

(Remember Madonna was studied at
Harvard Business School as a brilliant marketer.

Marilyn Monroe was walking down 42nd St.
huddled against the rain, when a friend
mentioned her latest movie.

“Oh,” she said, “you want to see Her?”
And without changing a thing, this
wet bedraggled woman turned It on.

Within minutes she was in a stampede.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN FAKING IT.

Just the opposite.

It means bringing out that huge, authentic,
possibly wild self inside, and turning up the heat to a “10.”

This huge, charismatic self is your persona.

This is not a facade.  It’s being YOU, on purpose.

It’s not the you that guzzles coffee in your pj’s.

It is the you that lights up a crowd
because you’re so definite, so real, and so powerful,
that you turn heads as you pass.

So who are you?

A leader, artist, rebel, teacher, thought leader,
guide, a safety net, a best friend, a cheerleader,
the Guy or Gal on speed-dial, the Golden Girl
or Guy?

If you think you can’t share your private story,
think again.

If you’re a coach, expert, or any kind of leader,
your real story – yes, that one – will draw
people to you in a way that nothing else can.

And it’s the rocket fuel that can push your
business through the roof.

 

2. BRAND QUESTIONS FOR YOU

What gives you an edge?
Push it.

What opinion do you wish you could share,
but it might scare people away?
Share it.

What about you bothers some people?
Bring it on.

Do not be afraid to turn some people off.
You will turn the right ones on.

Suzanne Evans is constantly offered diet plans.
“Fat is part of my brand!” she yells.
“When I want a diet I’ll get one!”

Are you trying to be all things to all people?
Stop it.  You’re a wallflower.

What clothes define the most powerful you?
Wear them.

Does something piss you off?
Let us know.

Are you afraid of your own power?
Test your limits.

Do know you know you have to work on
your brand?  It doesn’t just “happen.”

What’s the point of all this?

If you’re not leading, you’re chasing.
Stop chasing.  It’s a treadmill.

Apple chased Microsoft for 20 years.
Few people wanted Cool Computers in the 80s.

But when the market wanted cool phones and ipads?Apple’s core genius stuck gold.  And they exploded.

By the way, Steve Jobs was one of the
Brilliant few who made the message
as important as the product.

That’s Brand Genius.

 

3.  MAKE THEM FEEL

Really make them feel.
So they can’t get enough of You.

Give them that real, authentic story
you think no one wants to hear..

Your market is waiting for you to
pick up that torch.

It’s your turn in the spotlight.

Take it.

* * *

Six stand-out brands:

 

www.lewishowes.com

www.susanharrow.com

www.lizdialto.com

www.doubleyourdating.com

http://www.copyblogger.com

http://www.sethgodin.com

Filed Under: Branding, Marketing

2 Keys to Becoming an Unforgettable Brand

July 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” –Maya Angelou

Not only is this at the heart of all relationships, of great speaking, and chance encounters…

How you make people feel is the heart of great marketing.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Branding

3 Signs You’re About to Make More Money

April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

I don’t have to tell you that all of us would love to make more money

The problem is, so many times we change course, almost at the precise instant when the money is about to come in.

So how do you know when you’re getting warm, and the money river is about to cascade through your door?

My friend Dina had been plugging away at her business for 4 years.

All of a sudden, she had a breakthrough.

She started to make almost twice the income.

“I can’t believe this!,” She said.  “It’s wonderful, but it came out of nowhere.”

Not really.

There are actually three signs, subtle but real, that you’re about to make more money.

It happened to me last year, and I noticed the difference in ME “before and after.”

Here are three surefire signs….

 

1.  SURPRISE

You’re surprised.

You find yourself actually getting excited about a part of your business you’ve been ignoring.

All of a sudden, the idea of one-on-one clients is really cool, it feels good.

Or launching a weekend and selling high-end packages sounds more exciting than a trip to Paris.

Or you really like blogging, who knew?

Or you’re a natural on video.

Or you just found out how to automate part of your coaching, so you’re shocked you’ve now got 30 free hours a month.

 

2. RELAXATION

9 out of 10 people who make a big shift and start to make more money, have had some kind of personal experience that leaves them deeply relaxed.

All of a sudden, selling clients into your programs is actually easy. You don’t take everyone. You enjoy the ones you do sign.

Selling High-End packages and doubling your income in a weekend leaves you jazzed and full of energy. Not overwhelmed and crazy.

When you blog, you sound like yourself.  You find you’ve got a lot to say.  Readers respond to you differently.

All of a sudden, making videos is a breeze.  You’re so relaxed in front of the camera. People relate to it. You get tons of views.

You’ve got free time! You don’t fritter it away. You work on a Big Dream. You feel an amazing sense of accomplishment.

 

3. FUN

This is the secret sauce.

You’ve re-discovered something in your business you really, really like.  And it’s fun.

This is closely related to the surprise.

One-on-one clients feel good, it’s fun. Wow!  How do you get more? (Speak.  Hold Preview calls)

A weekend selling high-end packages is an amazing idea – you could make a year’s income in three days. Where do you start?  (Call Sponsors. Promote 6 months ahead.)

Blogging is cool. Now how do you get 5,000 readers in the next 4 months? (Work your tail off and guest blog)

Video is fun, you’re having a blast. Now how can you get a devoted fan base? (Drip a 1-minute video twice a week – everywhere..)

Half your coaching programs are now automated!

What do you do with all this free time?

(Double your client base, write a book, dust off your Big Dream)

“Fun” it’s not a business concept That we usually think about.

Is it?

Do you?

The truth is, relaxation comes before fun..

But you won’t notice it until you’re actually having fun.

And the reason these are signs you’re about to make more money is simple.

Enjoying what you do again is a powerful engine that will pull you forward, effortlessly.

If you have any of these three signs happening in your business, look for the other two.

You’re about to make a financial leap.

 

Filed Under: Branding

Did you Burn that 100 Dollar Bill?

April 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment

You didn’t, did you?

Of course not.

Yet how much extra time do you give clients?

Spend on Facebook?

“Tackle that email” first, instead of your VIP project?

If you answered yes, you’re burning up $100 bills every day.

Last time we talked about being in business to be liked.

As long as you have a business mentor who keeps you on track – you’ll be OK.

If you don’t, here are 5 more tools that will help you stay liked and stay solvent.

1.  Raise your Rates.  You don’t have to tell me how much you’re charging.  I know it’s not enough. Practice saying the new rate out loud, to friends, until your voice doesn’t wobble. A colleague was in a $10K sales mastermind in Spain.  You know what they told him? “If they don’t throw you out of the office, you’re not asking enough.”

1A.  You know why the gurus charge $22K an hour? Protection. If they didn’t, they’d be mobbed. Good fences make good neighbors. The right rates keep you prosperous, and bring the right people.

2. Don’t mistake business for friendship. In these days of “relationship marketing.” It’s easy to make that mistake. Especially for women. Joanne, a coach, realized she was treating all her clients like houseguests, catering to their every need. When she realized she’d rather be respected first, and “liked” second, she eventually had a whole new business. Spell out exactly what you will do in your contract, and have a phrase ready for every boundary you set. Keep it in the THIRD PERSON. “There are 2 sessions per month and one group call.  There is no roll-over.” “The fee is $1,200 a month.” Not “my fee” but “the fee”. “It’s 10 minutes to the hour. Time to recap.”

3. Protect Yourself. Clients don’t mean to be grabby.  They’ll just take what you’ll give. Remember Carol King? “They’ll take your soul if you let them. So don’t you let them.”

4.  Create excellent packages with mouth-watering names so people clearly know how to work with you. If you are hiding behind unclear or unappealing packages, you are hiding. Stand out.  Name those packages. Make future clients feel comfortable and welcome.

5.  You have too many things on your to-do list and no time to build your business. I am quoting Eben Pagen, whom I admire, when I say that it’s not time management you need, it’s Energy Management. You are giving your all to the trivial stuff. It’s maddening. Take your laptop to a café to work on your most important project – the one that will bring you more business. Dis-able your email and turn off your phone. You know how good it feels when you throw out 10 lbs. of old files? Amazing, right? That’s how you need to feel – every day. That’s when your business will soar. That’s Energy Management.

Once again, you can have a good time, you can have wonderful clients, and you can make a lot of money.

There’s a light at the end of your tunnel.

And…

2 spots just opened up in the Private Fast Track Program for entrepreneurs who want to reach that light this year.   Contact me if you know that’s you.

Filed Under: Branding, Numbers