Marketing-U is her business (20 years of advertising and marketing)

Craft your reputation, even before you have one.

Personal branding

We need to be a self promoter. People will not beat a path to our door without promotion.

How do I do it different? Distinct?

Same process as used by big company

How to describe "it" (myself or service) (what do my current fans say about me)
Look at competition
What are my clients need, wants and desires?

Survey is good. To find out what they say, rhythm of language. Results of survey may produce a tag line or brochure copy. Customers may articulate expectations and I can find out what they say about our service.

Can I deliver these expectations? Must offer consistency over time.

Banding allows me to shape perception. Want to move forward these perceptions that make me stand out.

How is it I want to be perceived? Reshape expand or grow, or play up an aspect.
Look at those businesses or individuals who have a position I would like to hold.
Lexus studied Steinway pianos. Brand objective, known as Steinway of automotive industry.
Communicate that I am also on the same path as one I admire. Need to know where I am going. How do I want to be known Craft my reputation before I have one.

Look at competitors. Nobody does "it" like me. What do competitors promise and deliver. Create a "war wall" of brochures from competitors.
Also what they fear?

Ask what are clients most afraid of. What if this doesn't happen? What if they don't get my service? If I don't know what they are afraid of, how can I be of service to their need.

Have to be able to deliver what I say I will.

To create a brand, should we focus on one thing and then move to next? Or should we try to promote more than one skill and see which one flies?
Metaphor:
Brand is the overarching umbrella where I can hang different things.
Think of it like a shopping mall and my brand is like the shopping mall, might have 4 anchor stores, people may walk thru to get to mall.

What does McDonalds stand for? People come for happy meal or what ever.
Know what happens on Oprah, without having to see it.

Branding is the glue. Every person or business has one essential truth. All marketing efforts emanate from essential truth.

What is the essential truth of Disney? Family friendly fun.
When they started making racy films, they changed the brand to Touchstone.

Most people spend more time planning vacation than their brand.

Create focus group or brand club.

Hard to get your arm around what is my truth. To build my brand.

Same strategy weather myself or product

How does my distinctive voice resonate within the heart and mind of the unique slice of the public who is my audience? How does my voice touch them?

Strategist is branding person, or rather branding requires strategy. What is it I stand for? Think about; tone, place, audience.

You go to specific people when you need certain things. Can count on them for that. Already a buzz on me, means I already am my brand, just need to name it.

Have to understand my brand before communicate. Brand is at the center. Reputation. We have been doing this for a while. We may be further along than we know
Leverage with an eye to where I am going and where I want to go.

What is my promise when I show up as an author?

Client is my reader. Need to incorporate language. See us as more then author of "X" book We like to hide behind our book.
Create promise of who we are. Who are we when we show up?

Take a month to do the real thinking.
Choose to do. Begin. Commit do it for a period of time.

http://www.marketingu.net
Debra S. Valle offers a number of products and services.
"Selling the Brand When it is You" is an e-book to help us make our brand. Includes a workbook. Also has a tele-class and seminar to assist in branding.

How will I be known? That is the question. Branding is the answer.