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Treat Your Clients/Customers/Prospects Like You Treat Your Pet 0

When we work with clients on developing their natural talents as part of their personal brand, we see trends.  Personal branding is about the emotional quotient you trigger to get clients/prospects in action to get to know you and work with you.   The best emotion to trigger is joy.  We ask clients what daily activities bring about that sense of joy for themselves.  We ask for two reasons:  1)  so that they can do the activity over and over again for their own benefit AND 2) by doing this activity and having joy/happiness, you develop a strong personal brand and attract people who want to be around you, be like you and do business with you.

One common trend in responding to this question is that most clients really find being with their pets (ie, walking their dog, playing with their pets) brings them joy and peace. You should see the look on their faces as they describe the activities they love to do with their pets- their faces light up and they relax and have a sense of ease and grace about them.  Clients don’t often make the connection regarding what the joy they have with their pets has to do with their business and personal brand.

I also have a dog.  The sense of innocence and love and joy my dog has when I come home is indescribable.  Not only does she make my day, she resonates from a very genuine, pure and innocent state of being herself- no agenda, no plan of action, no thought for what’s to come. She is just being present to being with me and happy to see me.

So, what if you related to your clients and prospects from the same place you relate to your pets?  Now, please don’t take me too literally. I obviously don’t mean to treat people like animals.  But I do mean to view all clients and prospects as if they:

- have no agenda when they see you;

-are truly happy to see you, even if their actions don’t resonate this;

-have true intentions to be with you and give their best to you.

In return, relate to your clients like you do your pets, by:

- being completely present to them;

-not reading too much “meaning”  into their words and actions;

-accepting them as they are- the good, the bad and the ugly.  Just as you do with your pet.

Posted on: 03-5-2012
Posted in: Behavior, Business Brand, natural talent, Personal branding, prospects

Come Out Of Hiding in 2012! 0

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As business owners and employee, we try to do a little of everything as best we can.  It is hard enough to run a business or be a good employee and get the substantive work done. Then there is the other type of work that has to do with networking and showing up and representing.  This is where it gets harder and harder and harder, especially if you are fixated on the substantive work.

I often get feedback from clients and those in my networking/personal branding classes that they feel it is good enough to show up at a networking event.   Why do they have to be happy about being there or resolve to do things differently while at the event.  Or worse, there are those folks that have the following excuse about why they don’t show up in public and sell their personal brand- they often say that their work speaks for itself as a first impression and so no one needs to meet them or see them.

So my questions for you are:

Do you feel your work speaks for itself and sets a great first impression so you don’t have to show up in life?  If you do show up at events, do you believe it is good enough that you are there and so you don’t put forth much effort?

If you answered “yes” to either question (be honest with yourself!), then you are missing out on developing an effective personal brand and missing out on life!

Folks, it is not good enough for you to assume your work speaks for itself.  While you may produce superb work product and that is very important, you need to make sure we see there is a dynamic human being standing behind the work product.  At some point, everyone produces work that is on par with one another. How do you stand out from the other  “good work producers”?  It is only from actually knowing you and your quirks and personality (ie, your personal brand) that anyone will remember you…and your work product.

Guess what? The only way to get to know you and your quirks and your personality is to get out in public and do it with a passion and purpose. So it is not good enough to just go to networking events- I need you to want to go to networking events and want to meet people and genuinely be interested in meeting people and sharing yourself, both personally and professionally, with people.

So be high-impact and genuine:  don’t hide behind your work product, show up. Don’t just show up.  Show up and be genuine in your interest in being there and connecting with others. It’s a fabulous personal brand builder.  I promise.

Here’s your challenge for January 2012:  Attend a networking event/meeting, etc that you normally would not attend because you “don’t have time” or it makes you uncomfortable to go.  Go by yourself.  Go with the intention of standing out, being interesting and being interested in others at the event.  Email me and let me know how it went.

Posted on: 01-9-2012
Posted in: Behavior, Being Memorable, Business Brand, Networking, Personal branding

Are You “Cheap”? 0

Do you avoid paying your fair portion of the bill when you go out to lunch with a big group of business associates?  Do you have all sorts of excuses to avoid paying your business/life coach or vendor on time?  Why should you buy your assistant the expensive holiday gift- after all, you share your assistant’s services with a partner in your firm, so the partner should buy the nicer gift since he/she makes more money than you as an associate?  Do you not go to feed the homeless with the rest of the office because there is no money to be made or prospects to be found at the homeless shelter?

So we all know of the stereo-types regarding cheapness.  Obviously we can’t assume someone is cheap and attribute a negative personal brand to him/her, just because of a stereotype.   It is unfair and not often true.

However, we have all seen the above-mentioned questions in the first paragraph play out.  And- make no mistake about it, we have ALL taken note of your cheapness in these situations.  We just don’t say anything to you.   Maybe we don’t consciously realize we think you are “cheap”.  However,  we’ve stored away the causal connection between: 1) you, as a (insert your career title here) and, 2)  you as a cheap person.  The further conclusion we likely draw is that you are petty, greedy, a hoarder and all about yourself.   Guess what folks- you now have a really negative personal brand that will require some serious work to rehabilitate!!

If you come across as cheap it means  we do not want to do business with you.  After all, you may rip us off or deny us our fair share of services, kudos, or kindness. No one in business wants to refer business to someone who is cheap. Not only do we not do business with you, but we likely don’t even want to be friends with you socially.  You’ll likely be the one to bring the $2 bottle of wine to the holiday gift exchange.

So stop and think- are you cheap?  Have you done things that could be seen as cheap or stingy?  Or do you freely give of yourself and your time because you care about people and want to help?  You have complete control over this personal brand perception maker/breaker.

EMAIL US AND SHARE A “CHEAP COLLEAGUE” STORY THAT HAS LEFT YOU WITH A NEGATIVE PERSONAL BRAND  PERCEPTION OF THAT PERSON.

Posted on: 12-12-2011
Posted in: Behavior, Business Brand, Careers, Community Service, Corporate Image, Personal branding, Poor Image
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