PRACTICE MARKETING blog

Last night, I attended an awesome networking event with some of the most influential leaders of Long Island. Luckily, it was my book release party (and 30th birthday). It was the biggest event the bookstore (I AM Books in Huntington, NY) ever had; and my book sold out. (This is bitter-sweet since I don’t have books for my speaking engagement on Friday; or for a real estate trade party on Tuesday; back-of-the-room sales is a Thumb-rule; this is a faux-pas.)

My main intention of the event was of course to drive book sales… but not only to sell out the room, but to promote the book as an awesome gift: 100% of my book sale profits from last night is being donated to the Cross Island YMCA Strong Kids campaign, which grants memberships to lower-income families. I’m the campaign chair for 2008, so it seemed natural to me. We raised over $1500 last night for Long Island youth. PLUS, those who purchased more than 2 books got my audio-book(s) for free. Now they have an extra copy - hopefully autographed - to give as a gift to a “stranger.” My colleagues will pollinate future orders.

I have achieved my January “book sales quota,” and I now working on February. But this success isn’t luck… And while it’s based on strategic design, I know there’s a greater power at play.

I wanted to invoke my spiritual beliefs to bless the success of my book. I invited my aunt, Geetha, to perform a short pooja (Hindu blessing ceremony). It was only fitting that I have my immediate family in the room, including my grandmother. As one of my colleagues mentioned as he was leaving, “It was like I attended a family event.” I responded, “It is.” My network was introduced not only to my family, my culture, my beliefs, and my intentional personal brand. Unfortunately, the video of the ceremony has been lost to the Universe!

Words cannot fully express how grateful I am for the wonderful reception I felt last night… while the cupcakes weren’t fully appreciated, folks ate up the snacks and my sense of style (4-button peach suit and deep purple shirt). I nurtured the success and am grateful for the forces that coalesce to continue the book’s phenomenal success.

We must plant the right seeds at the right time in the right soil. We must water appropriate and tend to the weeds. But still, we cannot grow the fruit. I believe God does the Growing in response to our successful Strategic Habits. Together, everyone achieves this TEAM.

Thank you.

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From resolutions to goals to habits to achievement.

In order to sustain a 365 personal brand, we must schedule in our Action Goals in order to achieve our Result Goals.  And of course, today is the first day of the rest of your life.  It also feels apropos given the season…

You won’t have the time.  You won’t find the time.  You have to make the time.

What’s your Vision for 2008?  My clients know that I make goal setting a very simple process… with 5 cascading goals:

• 1000 days (2 - 3 years from now)
• 300 days (1 year from now)
• 200 days (six months from now)
• 100 days (3 months from now)
• 30 days (1 month from now)

Progressively, it becomes more short-term (in alignment with the long-term), more tactical, more practical, and more action-oriented.  The more we achieve our day-to-day action goals, the more will achieve our Vision for 2008!

The SMARTest goal setting process is simply ____what____ BY _____when_____.  This goal-setting formula will keep it specific, measurable, results-oriented, resource-focused, and time-bound, in a simple, one-liner.

The most important daily action-goal: Smile, with a deep breath, and affirm your goals!

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Yesterday I was meeting with a colleague, and potential client.  But half-way through the conversation I realized that he wasn’t quite ready to leverage his personal brand.

Personal branding is getting a lot of buzz, and most of the time we talk about the tactics, techniques, and sometimes strategies.  But all of that is the HOW.

None of the tips, tricks, and thumb-rules that we implement are important without the WHY.

I tend to ask a lot of questions during my 1-on-1 sessions - especially during the first couple of meetings.  And definitely during my “sales process.”  My colleague was answering my questions to the best of his ability, but something just didn’t feel right to me.  And while their answers aren’t irrelevant, what they say isn’t as important, as their emotional response, our rapport, and how I’m feeling on the inside.  After all, more than competency and character - it’s about our charisma.

Branding, especially personal branding, is an emotional experience:  For our prospective clients, and for us.  If we don’t feel our passion and purpose, then how can we expect our clients to?

So I asked him, and I do with most of my clients about their projects, “WHY are you doing this?  What’s the point, the purpose?  Why is it worth it to you?”  And more to the point, “Are you passionate about — not the end result, but the process… the crap that will have to be done?”  In other words, “do you have the Craving?”

There are many C’s to personal branding… just scroll down to the lower left and you’ll see the Categories.  The pre-C to all of the techniques of personal branding, is whether or not you are ready to build and leverage your personal brand.  If you don’t have the inner craving to be rich and famous in your niche target market Community, then don’t even bother.

Business, life, and especially personal brand marketing, is about having fun.  As you live your purpose, you exude the passion, and attract the profits.  What’s your passion?  What are you yearing and Craving for?

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I just finished working out, and eating while watching TV.  Sometimes, life is simply great.  The TV turned on to a local station replaying Wheel of Fortune… celebrity edition, no less.  I think, “hey, why not?”

I already talk about the Wheel of Fortune game show to make another point (more on that later).  And now, they’ve done it again:

The first category was “People” — not “people.”  The category was branded with the People magazine logo and the phrase referenced what would be found inside People magazine.  I wonder if People magazine paid for this “branded category.”  No doubt it’s clever promo for the magazine.  And it’s interesting to viewers and players of the show.

My point is not to herald Wheel of Fortune (tho I do)… rather, this instance reminds me of how innovative we can be once we view our clients as partners.  Together everybody achieves more.  Cooperate & grow.

How have you partnered with clients to market your practice(s) or to add greater value to your clients?

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Tradeshows are an excellent opportunity to be in a room full of the people you want to meet.  Ripped from the pages of my new book - more on that later - here are some do’s and don’ts:

1) If you’re gonna walk a show, DON’T sell to the vendors.  At least grab their card and call ‘em later… reference that you stopped by their booth.  Keep their booth clear so they can generate business: …a golden rule.

2) Set up during the time allotted: Many shows require you to set up the day before.  Do so.. and network with the other vendors.  Many small businesses set up their own booths.  And it’s a great time to develop relationships in a laid-back atmosphere.  But DON’T distract ‘em while they’re working.  Or at least help out.

3)  Sell knowledge products at your table: Record an audiobook, produce a booklet for sale, or create a DVD… turn your presence into a point-of-sale, and make money while marketing.

4) Collect every business card and/or e-mail contact info: Obviously follow-up with those who show interest.  And the rest go on your e-newsletter database (hint: have one).

5) As a fellow vendor, meet’n'greet the other vendors.  Often, they make great prospects… or at least referral buddies.

We’ll be at the NYC XPO on November 28th at Jacob Javits.  Hope to network with you there.

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It happened to me again: I was commenting on somebody else’s blog, and I got inspired to elaborate on my point here. (You can read my comments, featured on other people’s blogs, on the lower right hand side of this page, later.)

Branding is all about pulling prospects to you (or your product) with an emotional connection… We’re moved by great brands; great brands are movements. The Culting of Brands is a great book on this subject.

Corporate Brands force this emotional connection: After all, it take mighty marketing mavens to have us fall in love with what is really a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar, conglomerate. But we do.

Personal Brands, on the other hands, have natural emotional connections. We are a naturally inspired, moved, and are attracted to other people. As we start focusing on what makes our character and charisma distinctive, we immediately differentiate our competency. As we focus on a community to which we can relate, we naturally develop personal brand appeal.

A happy medium between corporate branding (what I call a “forced emotional connection”) and personal branding (aah, “natural emotional connection”) is Mascot Branding. For those of us who don’t want to really capitalize on ourselves, or make our business dependent on our reputation (a vulnerable position as Martha and Imus both felt), we can leverage the personal brand appeal of a MASCOT.

We can think of many other famous companies who use mascots to personify their own service, or their “evil” competitor, a lousy or great customer: In fact, we can vote on them and see the winner parade at NY’s Advertising Week “Favorite Icon”.

Marketing a mascot is just like marketing any other personal brand. We can build a whole world around our mascots even, as the Caveman’s Crib is doing: It’s an experience worthy of its distraction — learn a few “immersive experience” marketing lessons from playing around on the Caveman’s Crib website.

If you don’t want to leverage your reputation, or want to embellish your own personal brand… consider the route of the Mascot. For example, Adam Schwam, founder of Sandwire - a computer technology services company, regularly uses mascots in his marketing and advertising. I interviewed him last summer for a book that I’m writing. Since then we’ve grown a cool relationship; we’re working on writing a “marketing technology” column together and more. (In fact, his illustrator, Michael Mastermaker is the one who drew me for the cover of my Audio-Books.)

I’ll be visiting a new client this afternoon. I know he wants to sell his business after a few years, so he may not want to develop and leverage his own personal brand. Let’s see if he can think outside-the-box of what’s traditional for his industry. By creating a legendary mascot, he would immediately set his company and his “commoditized” service apart. When he’s ready, he can also very easily sell the rights to the business & its mascot - an income-producing asset.

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