Hard to believe the first month of the new year has come and gone. One-twelfth of the year is over. Have you set your big WOW goals for this year? Are you well on your way to meeting them or are you still working on setting up your vision?
For us, it’s the latter. And it’s easy to get stuck in the onslaught of posts about planning, predicting and creating visions to start the year off right. To push through the “stuck,” many are trying something different. Instead of goals and resolutions, they are creating their list of 100 ways to fail fast, or 30 things I refuse to do this year.
I like the flipped perspective. Sometimes we use that approach with branding clients to help them make decisions about their positioning platform or target audience. You see, it’s human nature to want to be everything to everybody, to not turn down work, to try not to disappoint. So often when clients have a really hard time narrowing down their services or target or marketing approach, it’s easier to create the list of what they “are not” or what they won’t do (or don’t want to do).
Simplicity Rules.
“Of course I know my company and what we offer,” you say. Really? When you describe who you are and what you do, does your audience have to work to understand? Do you rely on big words or industry jargon to get your point across? I hope not. If you can’t succinctly describe who you are and what you do, you have a branding problem.
Listen, we get it. Describing yourself can be tough. Positioning can be hard. Because we all SO want to get it right. But sometimes we overthink it. One of the easiest ways to think about this is from the perspective of your favorite or best clients. How would they describe what you do? And how would they say it? Even thinking about your brand message from that lens can provide clarity. Or you may want to ask them directly.
Honing the Edge.
I always look forward to sitting down in January with some of my favorite people. Business coaches, great clients and my own team…. When we take a step back to review and plan, it helps me to see growth and successes that I might have missed, identify new opportunities and ideas and shift my perspective. This year, I’m involving the entire team in an end-of-month working retreat to reflect, sharpen our tools and dream a little bigger. We’ll be trying to look through a new and improved team lens, and I’m really looking forward to the possibilities.
Why the need to shift perspective? Well, any small- to mid-sized business (SMB) owner or CEO has a lot on his or her plate. We’re reminded to work “on” our business more than “in” it, because we need to have that higher-level perspective. Shifting perspective keeps us on top of changes in our industry, observant to the changing needs of our clients and able to be more visionary and strategic.
Uncommon. Connection. Real.
Smart service businesses are getting clear on their positioning. What does this mean? It’s more than defining the great services you offer and to whom. It’s about defining how you are different and identifying your unique point of view and how you are making yourself relevant to your prospects. And it’s about being able to convey those differences and relevance in how you communicate, look and engage. And while much can be done internally, this requires outside perspective and objectivity. When you know makes you uncommon, relevant and better, incredible things happen.
As marketers to advisory, consulting and professional services firms, we’re seeing some shifts in how brands are showcasing their uniqueness. One of the things we’ve noticed is that more SMB leaders are taking more personal responsibility for their brands, particularly around storytelling and really becoming honest about their businesses. They are sharing personal stories of success AND of failures. They’re being real. They are sharing perspectives that help them connect to prospects and clients on a more personal level. Human beings need connection, and we’ve always loved stories. So when we can be drawn in on an emotional level, we take note and can often relate on a personal level. This type of connection can help change and enhance perception. That’s what branding is: the perception of you or your business in the mind of your client or prospect. Advisory firms, typically thought leaders, have incredible opportunity to shift perceptions. And any shift can have an enormous ripple effect.
What kinds of shifts are you making to create possibilities this year?
We’ve seen amazing shifts happen for advisory businesses when they engage in our 180 Positioning Process. Part competitive analysis, part SWOT analysis, part audience identification and part baring of the soul, this rebranding effort brings real clarity to an organization. We help businesses figure out what truly sets them apart and how to communicate why that matters. So while they come away with a unique positioning, a new logo and visual identity and brand messaging that will serve them across a multitude of communications channels, they also come away with clarity of vision and purpose. When the key leaders of an organization are clear and able to share that with everyone in the organization in a way that they can embrace it, it enhances the corporate culture. It’s a subtle shift in perception that can change your whole team’s outlook, for the better.
— Wendy Baird, president
