What’s The Best Positioning For Expert Brands?
The amygdala (/əˈmɪɡdələ/; plural: amygdalae; also corpus amygdaloideum; Latin from Greek, ἀμυγδαλή, amygdalē, 'Almond', 'tonsil'[1]) is one of two almond-shaped clusters of nuclei located deep and medially within the temporal lobes of the brain in complex vertebrates, including humans.[2] Shown in research to perform a primary role in the processing of memory, decision-making and emotional responses (including fear, anxiety, and aggression), the amygdalae are considered part of the limbic system.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amygdala
"If only people could see..."
I have the best job in the world. I help successful coaches, trainers, consultants and service professionals grow their business based on their expertise fast.
Clients come to me because they want to build a loved and respected brand that sells a ton at the same time...
And even though they are great at what they do, they don't seem to have a big reach with their message. They feel frustrated because they know they can help people if only those people could see how valuable their help is...
How could they not feel overwhelmed and frustrated if it seems we live in a world of the shortest attention span ever and important messages are getting lost and missed by the very people who need to hear them most?
And still...
There are brands and people who don't seem to have problems to get the full attention and devotion of their audiences. Fees don't seem to be an issue. Clients can't wait to invest in working with them.
This is what I tell them...
People have all the attention in the world for your brand... if it's positioned right. Fees are not an issue with the right positioning. Getting people ready to become clients is not an issue with the right positioning.
So what's positioning and why is it so important for people like us?
Positioning is about the place (or position) your brand occupies in the mind of your market place.
It makes the difference between being invisible and ignored or becoming a relevant resource that commands attention.
How does positioning in the mind of your audience work?
When we meet a person, the oldest part of our brain (sometimes called the "reptilian brain") positions the person as...
a) a "friend",
b) an "enemy", or
c) someone to be ignored.
With over 7 billion people on the planet, the most common positioning to get is... to be ignored.
"That default positioning turns people literally invisible so their message doesn't have a chance" - Ana Rosenberg
An enemy is someone to be avoided. It's a person who is here to take away from me. (One of the most valuable things I have is my attention and time and this person is going to take it away from me).
The positioning to aim for is that of a friend, meaning a valuable, relevant resource. (In reptilian mind language: "this person is here to be paid attention to because they're here to give me").
With the right strategy, this is doable for expertise brands like ours because they are already relevant, valuable resources.
The first step...
For your message to be heard and for people to see the value of your good work... they need to trust and believe you first. (The amygdala is deciding second per second whether a person is to be trusted or not, no matter what words come out of their mouth or their websites).
So, how can you position your brand as a trusted, valuable, relevant resource?
What is a brand, anyway?
"Your brand is what people say about you when you're not in the room" - Jeff Bezos
"Your brand is the perceived promise of an experience" - Ana Rosenberg
Most people associate a brand with names of companies, logos and colors and fonts. That is a small outward expression of a brand.
A great definition of a brand: “A brand is a desired perception”.
In other words, a way people think about your company and the way they feel about you and your work. And it’s a brand created with this depth what attracts high-value clients.
"Your brand isn't what you say it is. It's what they say it is" - Marty Neumeier
What works for brands like ours...
Not having the right branding keeps experts, coaches, trainers, consultants and other service professionals from having the right clients, having visibility and not making the impact they want to make in the world.
Using Labels – For example, I’m a life coach, I’m a business consultant, I’m a certified Reiki Master.
Branding A Modality - For example, Coaching LA, Reiki NY, NLP London, etc.
One of the biggest problems is that you don’t have the time to explain your modality. People are looking for solutions to a problem (and they are not looking to learn about a modality they may not know about).
Even if you had the time to explain your modality, people cannot comprehend how powerful it is and they doubt it will work for them.
By trying to brand with your modality, you are limiting yourself to people who know what your modality is and you are leaving out all the people who could benefit from it.
Most experts use this model mainly because it’s familiar. We hear doctors saying “I’m a doctor” or dentists saying “I’m a dentist”.
Some other modalities are not understood and well-known yet.
So you can focus your time on trying to sell people what they don’t understand or want or you can choose to do things differently: you can create a brand that works, get clients and let that do some of the selling for you.
What works for people like us...
Let me show you the deepest core of a brand that you can create to bring you your ideal coaching, healing, or consulting clients more easily, a brand that will dramatically increase the perceived value of your work and bring in more highly qualified clients than you can imagine.
It’s about presenting yourself to the world in a consistent, valuable, compelling way.
A High-Value Brand – High-value clients are looking to solve high-value problems. So your brand needs to announce that you are here to make a real difference.
One formula that works for experts like us is…
An Outcome Brand – It’s based on the outcome you help your clients get.
It has 3 elements:
1) High-value – Value is the heart of this type of brand. (Many people talk about value so let’s define value first. Value is to get your clients closer to the results they want to achieve. Anything that gets them closer to getting what they want is value).
2) An Audience – This is a group of people who would greatly benefit from your work.
3) Communication of value – The value of your work needs to be communicated in the right way so that it is seen, valued and chosen by the people who are already there ready to hire someone.
NEXT STEP
Start reflecting about the value you provide. What outcomes do you help people get closer to?
Till next time remember…
Your awesomeness is portable. You can take it with you anywhere and everywhere.
Ana
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