Be Your Own Brand - BYOB

Brand differentiation is the business development subject of the discussion today. It is one of the most poorly understood pillars of professional services marketing. A surprising number of executives and marketers believe that it’s simply not possible to differentiate firms that offer similar services to similar clientele.In fact, this way of looking at the marketplace is the very reason that differentiating your firm is essential.

Differentiation is not about being different for sake of being different. It’s about helping your audience make smarter, easier, more confident buying decisions.

Finding a differentiator for your professional services firm is not an easy task. Many firms struggle mightily only to come up with a differentiator that doesn’t really differentiate them at all.

A differentiator is a characteristic of your firm that separates you from key competitors and gives you a perceived advantage in the eyes of your target audience.

Have you been competing for work that you are more than qualified to perform, only to be underbid by your competition? Or maybe you have been the one underbidding, which leaves you with paper-thin margins and stalled growth.

If you want to stop competing on price alone, it may be time to develop a stronger differentiation strategy.

I believe that “Being your own brand, is what I call a fedex moment. Absolutely, positively, must be there, for survival in today’s new market reality. This is your lynch pin for achieving the success you deserve, in your chosen professional services practice.

We all know - at least intellectually - that marketing is essential if we want to grow a prosperous law or other service oriented business. And yet, a number of things get in the way... and often derail our best intentions when it comes to marketing.

One thing that gets in the way is the idea that "we shouldn't have to market." We confuse marketing with the dreaded word “selling”. We’re a profession! And an honorable one at that! Professionals shouldn't have to market... in fact it feels a bit cheesy (and unprofessional) to be marketing... But the (sad) truth is, lawyers and the like are subject to the rules of the marketplace.

For good or for bad, whether we like it or not, we have to market - especially if we want to do do the work we want to do, and make the money we deserve.

It is a safe bet that anyone who feels that marketing is selling simply does not understand marketing. Marketing and sales are so often used interchangeably as to appear synonymous. Nothing could further from the truth.

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Be Your Own Brand-BYOB is dedicated to the professional services provider. Our subject will focus on business development and marketing for the solopreneaur professional. Having said that I encourage your input as to what subjects you would a like to learn more about. Getting business to come to you? Developing a fast track marketing effort?

What about social media?

You get the drift so drop me a note at [email protected] thank you.

As this is the second introductory podcast of the Mister Kenny’s BYOB network, perhaps some time spent on introducing your host of this journey Ken Miller. Aka Mister Kenny, would be a good idea. Further, we will take a look at what preamble existed to start this venture.

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BYOB is dedicated to the professional services provider. Our subject will focus on business development and marketing for the solopreneaur professional. Having said that I encourage your input as to what subjects you would like to learn more about. Getting business to come to you? Developing a fast track marketing effort?

What about social media?

You get the drift so drop me a note at [email protected] thank you.