If you haven’t taken a look at the coaching market recently then get ready to find more personal brands than tourists in Times Square. Personal brands are usually a great fit for coaches, consultants and specialists. But with so many personal brands in such an over crowded market how do you build one that resonates and sticks with your audience?
Know your solution. As a service provider you’re used to being faced with other peoples problems all day long. But, did you know you were specialized to answer just one? There is an overarching problem (among smaller issues) that your services are perfect for. If, for example, you are a business coach then even though you help your clients with confidence, sales and packaging the ultimate problem you help your clients fix is: How do I create constant cash flow in my business? Get clear on what problem it is you are specialized at finding a solution for. Knowing this will help you pin point exactly who your market is, where to find them and how you’re different from others in your industry. Most of all, it will help establish you as a specialist, which is a wonderful distinction factor.
Benefits. Benefits. Benefits. Did I mention benefits? Most people who have attended workshops or are frequent networkers will often tell me that they are very clear on their benefits. But, if your benefits sound like a grand solution then they might not be converting as many clients as you potentially could. An example of a grand solution benefit would be a Business coach asserting she helps her clients gain more confidence in their sales process. Sounds nice, but not exactly motivating. No one wakes up at 3am thinking: “If only I had more confidence in my sales process!” It’s time to play a game called ’so that'. Write on a piece of paper your top five benefits. Then, ask yourself ’so that?' And finish the sentence with a clear situation that would usually arise in your clients day-to-day occurrences. So, a business coach would now say: I teach clients about confidence and sales so that they are converting more prospects into paying customers with grace and ease. This benefit now pin points a common thought many clients would have: how can I get better at sales? Because confidence sounds nice but what people really want are results.
K.L.T. I know there is a lot of talk right now about ‘being authentic’ but it’s true that being genuine not only increases your popularity but will also boost your know, like and trust (K.L.T) factor. Not to mention, if someone has to remind you that you need to be authentic then you probably aren’t doing a very good job at it. It’s important to be professional and courteous but if you don’t feel comfortable in a pencil skirt then, please stop wearing them! Your audience with resonate more with the ’real' you and will respect you for showing vulnerability.
What are your tips and tricks on building a personal brand? Tell us below or email us at [email protected].
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