DO YOUR MARKETING MATERIALS MAKE YOUR SPINE TINGLE?

DO YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MARKETING MATERIALS, AND THE PERSONAL BRAND IMAGE YOU PROJECT MAKE YOUR SPINE TINGLE? OR, DO THEY LOOK LIKE YOUR EIGHT YEAR-OLD CHILD DESIGNED THEM? IF ANY OF THEM GIVE YOU SHAME, THEY'RE YOUR "MARKETING PACKAGE BLUNDERS". FIND OUT WHY YOU NEED TO FIX THEM, AND GET TIPS HOW. IF YOU DO, YOU'LL SELL MORE OF YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES!

Do your small business marketing materials, and the personal brand image you project make your spine tingle? Or, do you make excuses about how they look, apologize because they're outdated, or find yourself saying to others you're "working on getting new ones printed" soon?

A Story about a "Perfectly Polished" Woman...Almost

About a year ago, I met a woman at a business conference at a local college. She approached me to ask some questions about the small business coaching services I offer. She was a very attractive woman, tall, with classically refined features, and perfectly manicured and polished nails. She wore a well-cut designer suit, clutched a high-end handbag, and wore shoes to "die for". I thought, "Wow, this woman puts on a winning image", and I felt a little embarrassed, because I knew I was not as well "put together" that day.

Then, as she turned to walk away, I spotted it...

...a plastic tortoise shell hair clip.

Her dark, shiny hair was pulled back by a clip that looked like it had layers of hair grooming product residue on it. A corner piece of the clip was actually broken off. Everything positive this woman had projected was immediately tarnished by the negligent afterthought about her hair accessory.

I assumed the woman must have been in a rush that morning, and grabbed the first hair clip she could get her hands on...because she looked so fabulous in every other way.

Recently, I saw her again at another small business conference, and she looked fabulous, just as before. We spoke for a few moments, and as she turned to walk away, there it was, AGAIN...

...the dirty, broken tortoise shell hair clip.

I then realized that she had no idea the hair clip had a negative affect on her entire appearance. She must have thought no one would notice, or, because the rest of her outfit was so polished, it wouldn't matter.

Wrong.

Details Matter

My point here is not to ridicule this woman: but, how one bit of negligence can ruin the the presentation of your entire small business marketing package, and, guess what...there goes the sale! (The same applies for men, too.)

Seeing her made me realize that I had a few "marketing package blunders" of my own---especially when it came to the personal brand image I was projecting.

I realized that if I wanted to project being a polished, knowledgeable professional, and be on track to grow a million dollar business, I had better start looking like one!

That's what made me decide it was time to redefine and update my personal brand image, have professional photographs taken, create a new website for my small business marketing and coaching business, and invest in a few more high quality pieces of clothing for my wardrobe.

Even getting eBook covers professionally designed is part of my "marketing makeover" plan. (My new personal brand image has not been released yet, but will be in fall 2008.)

I know my attitude, and the actions I am taking will pay off immensely. When I started the Internet business segment of my small business marketing and coaching business, I was just "playing around". Now, I've decided, it's time to get serious.

Are you just playing around? Or, do you want to be taken seriously by your target audience. Do you want to set yourself apart from your competition, and sell a lot more products and services?

Assess the *Tingle* Factor of Your Marketing Materials

Take about 30 minutes this week and objectively assess what personal brand image you are projecting, and inventory the quality of all of your small business marketing materials. This includes your website, photographs of you, business cards, brochures, product packaging, business forms -- anything that your prospects or clients see. Do they look consistent, professional, up-to-date, and polished? Or, do some of them look like your eight year-old child designed them? Do they make your spine tingle in a good way? If any of them give you shame, they're your "marketing package blunders", and need rework!

Make a list of:

1. Which marketing materials need rework.

2. What you're going to do about them, and by what date.

3. Identify who can help you fix them.

I recommend you outsource and get some professional design work done on your marketing materials, or development of your personal brand image.

If you do, you'll be more confident in the small business marketing image you project, and you'll see your business sales rise, as well.

By Bonita L. Richter

WHY SELF BRANDING IS THE BEST WAY

WHY SELF BRANDING IS THE BEST WAY TO BUILD A HUGE NETWORK MARKETING ORGANISATION

IN NETWORK MARKETING WE ARE TOLD TO LIST OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, WORKMATES AND EVERYBODY WE KNOW. WHY? BECAUSE IT IS EASIER TO DO BUSINESS WITH PEOPLE THAT KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST US. THIS PRINCIPLE IS GENERALLY TRUE. PEOPLE GO TO A MECHANIC WHO DID A GOOD JOB BEFORE OR RE-VISIT RESTAURANTS WHERE THEY HAD GOOD SERVICE.

Unfortunately most people only know us a particular role; as a relative, friend, workmate, etc. But they do not know, like and trust us as an entrepreneur; especially when we are first starting out and haven’t made much money yet. In fact they are often very cynical.

On the Internet however, prospective customers/distributors do not see you as a relative, friend or workmate. They don’t cast up past failures or previous Network Marketing ventures. They don’t question what do you know as you’re just a labourer, housewife, too young, too broke, whatever. All they know is that you are involved with the service/product that you are promoting and if you promote it well they will think you are an expert.

Many Network Marketing companies provide duplicated websites, which are about the services/products or the opportunity. There is nothing to make the prospect know, like or trust YOU. To overcome this you do need to be bold. You need to BRAND YOURSELF.

Branding is how the big boys in Network Marketing make mega-bucks while teaching you how to approach a cynical warm list! Why do you think the big boys sell CD’s, DVD’s and books rather than keep their secrets to their own organisation? Apart from making money on these products, it is also a great way to attract prospects wanting to work with them, without them having to do what they are teaching you to do. They don’t need to approach their warm list any more. They don’t need to advertise their opportunity either. They just promote themselves through their products and have people come to them wanting to work with them. That really is the one big secret in Network Marketing that those at the top do not teach to those that have just started. Until now!

It is actually much easier to brand yourself than you may think. Even if you have not yet had any success, you can still share information you have learnt; either from your own personal experience or from wider reading. It doesn’t take long to learn information worth sharing even if you have only just started.

Since I have been branding myself, I have had people tell me that I am an inspiration to them and that they will use my guidelines to set up a network of agents. I have been offered money for information that I was giving away free. Nobody on my warm list has ever treated me so respectfully. Wouldn’t you like to be treated like that rather than struggle to convince the cynics in your life.

Not only will it work for you, but it will work for every member of your team. I know at first it seems presumptuous, especially if you have just started. However, remember, about 95% of Network Marketers fail. Do you want to risk building your financial future with warm list and advertising techniques that fail 95% of the time, or do you want to use the technique used by the hitherto exclusive few right at the very top?

WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING ?

MICHAEL JACKSON, OPRAH AND MICHAEL JORDAN HAVE ALL DONE IT, SO HAS MADONNA. WHEN YOU SEE THEIR NAMES, YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND MAYBE EVEN SOMETHING OF WHAT THEY STAND FOR. (HECK, OPRAH, CHER AND MADONNA HAVE EVEN GOTTEN IT DOWN TO "FIRST NAMES ONLY" - NO LAST NAME REQUIRED.)

What do you think of when you think of Michael Jackson? "The King of Pop," the "Gloved One." Madonna? "Material Girl"? Oprah? Maybe, "the most powerful woman in show business"? Whatever you think of, they are instantly recognizable by name and have personal appeal or charisma.

What else are they? They're aces at what they do and they love what they do. They have a passion for their "product" or "service," to put it simply. It excites people to watch them do their jobs. And, although most of us will never be recognizable to the masses, we can certainly be recognized within our fields of expertise as those who are to be watched by colleagues. This is because our excitement and passion is contagious to others and perhaps because our standards of excellence are what others strive for.

So what is it that you can do to "brand" yourself?

First of all, passion for your work sells. Whatever you do, find something for which you have a passion, that you love to do and that you're good at. When you have passion and professionalism, you'll give it everything you've got because you can't imagine doing anything else. Your attitude alone will beat the guy who's just doing it for a paycheck, but it's also important to keep in mind that you need to be professional, provide a quality product or service and be on time. (But then, it's also much easier not to procrastinate or skimp on quality when you're not dreading your work and just slogging through it, so you'll have an advantage.)

As you develop in your field of expertise with these elements in mind (passion and professionalism), you'll automatically begin to command respect from those you work with, from other colleagues and partners. This, in turn, will ultimately allow you to set higher prices (either as salary or product prices) than your competitors, because clients, customers or your employer will be willing to pay for what they know is "a sure thing." They know you'll provide high quality products and performance that will not disappoint.

By Will Toh Kwang Hwee