The Power of Celebrity

Our celebrity culture is incredibly pervasive. The media is dominated by coverage featuring celebrities and their controversial lives. They’re already some of the highest paid people in the world, so why would it make sense to send your product or service to a celebrity – for free? The answer is simple, really. Get your product or service used by a celebrity – and therefore create the perception of an endorsement – by someone famous, and you’re in big business.

How big, you ask?

Well, even very famous people eat, drink, travel, go shopping and generally behave like normal consumers, albeit ones with much greater spending power and the ability to influence the buying decisions of others simply by what they choose to buy for themselves. This aspirational effect, whereby people seek to emulate their favorite celebrities, presents a golden opportunity for brands.

Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are photographed vacationing at the St. Regis Bora Bora within days of each other and the resort is booked for months afterwards. Gwyneth Paltrow wears her favorite pair of Blue Cult jeans with front pockets and it sells out of every store from NYC to LA, causing retailers and buyers to name the style “The Gwyneth.” Jennifer Aniston cuts her hair while starring in the television sitcom “Friends” and thousands of women run to their hairstylists with tearsheets from magazines, requesting “The Rachel” cut.

In fact, some of the biggest brands with the biggest budgets already understand the power of celebrity. Penelope Cruz and Cindy Crawford sell lipstick for Revlon, Ellen Degeneres sells membership to American Express, Kate Walsh sells Cadillacs, and Tiger Woods used to sell numerous brand names before the public became privy to his salacious affairs.

Having a celebrity associated with your product or service provides two very important things to your brand: aspiration and credibility. Many people aspire to “live like a celebrity” and pour over publications such as People and USWeekly that provide them with countless bits of information about what celebrities are wearing, what products they are using, where they are traveling, eating, shopping etc. This makes it very easy for the general public to mimic the lives of celebrities – and patronize the very same brands that celebrities are using.

There also seems to be a universal belief that “if Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are using this product, then it must be good.” The cache and credibility of having the “right” celebrities associated with your brand is priceless.

Here are the main credibility enhancers of having a celebrity associated with your brand and how it can take your business to the next level:

• An A-list star wearing or using your product or service gives your brand immediate credibility in the eyes of the consumer and can immediately stimulate sales
• A celebrity name associated with your brand earns the respect of the media and almost always guarantees media coverage
• Retail stores and buyers are much more likely to sit up and take notice and take you more seriously when you have a celebrity clientele
• From a style and design standpoint, celebrities give trends (and the products and services they use) validation.
• In our celebrity-obsessed culture, celebrities grab attention-getting headlines more than anything else

The bottom line: celebrities sell. When a star wears it, uses it or promotes it, the world follows. Nothing creates more excitement and desire than the aspirational lives that celebrities lead. If a fan can wear exactly the same dress that Halle Berry wore, eat at the restaurant that she frequents, take a yoga class at the same studio or use the same color lipstick, then she is able to recreate a little bit of that perceived glamour and inspiration for herself.

In today’s cluttered and competitive marketplace, a perceived celebrity endorsement can give your product or service the instant recognition and legitimacy that would normally take years to earn. From a marketing perspective, it remains one of the best ways to build name recognition, get publicity and skyrocket sales.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

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What The Saints Can Teach Us About Success

Not only did the New Orleans Saints win the 44th Super Bowl to become world champions, they won the hearts and minds of a nation rallying for the comeback of one of the world’s most beloved cities. To the surprise of millions, but not to their long-suffering and loyal fans, this team and the city they call home overcame every kind of adversity imaginable to hoist the Lombardi trophy and earn the admiration of their fans.

There are a few things we can learn from the New Orleans Saints, and their head coach, Sean Payton, about success. It takes a lot more than a handful of great players and months of drills to create a winning team like the Saints.

If you are looking to create huge success in your business, look no further than these takeaways from the Super Bowl champs:

Hold a Bigger Vision and Know Your “Why” – Sure they were playing for themselves and their teammates. Sure they were playing for their coach. But the bigger vision that the Saints held for the entire season – and what brought them to the Super Bowl – was the love and respect for their city and their fans. The team’s bigger “why” was the city and the people of New Orleans.
Make sure you are clear about your vision for your business and WHY you are in business in the first place.

Don’t Get Sidetracked By Temporary Setbacks – One bad game. An injured player. A flooded city. This team came up against obstacles and challenges on a regular basis, but they never wavered or lost their vision. With focus and determination, they never lost sight of their end goal.
Setbacks and challenges are inevitable, defeat is not.

Focus on Collaboration and Teamwork, Not Individual Gain – The Saints are a tight-knit crew. From the outside looking in, they were often viewed as a motley cast of characters – a once-injured quarterback, a washed-up tight end and a slew of undrafted athletes. Boy did they prove everyone wrong. And they knew it. Capitalizing on underestimation, they focused on collaboration and teamwork, not individual egos or personal gain. Players shared equal time on the field and the ball was touched by many. Drew Brees became the glue that held everyone together and the team quickly realized they were much more powerful as a cohesive unit.
Check your ego at the door and realize you can’t do it all alone.

Find A Mentor – Sean Payton believes in his team and he showed it time and time again with the risks he took on the field. A coach who has faith that his boys are winners is willing to go for it on fourth and two; take a chance on the extra two points and allow an on-side kick that creates a turnover and puts points on the scoreboard. Payton consistently showed his players that he knew they were up for the task, and ultimately, they lived up to his vision.
Find a mentor who believes in you and is willing to hold your bigger vision on days that you can’t see it.

Never, Never, Never Give Up – Winston Churchill may have said it first, but the New Orleans Saints have been living it for years. From fumbled balls and injured players, to fans with brown bags on their heads, to a Superdome with holes in the ceiling, a drowned city and talks of a relocation, this team has overcome every type of adversity imaginable. But they never gave up.
Even during your darkest hour when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, hold your bigger vision and never, never, never give up. We often experience our greatest breakthroughs as we make our way through difficult challenges.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

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How To Craft Your Uniqueness Statement

The average person has an attention span of merely 15 seconds. You don’t have a lot of time when someone asks you the inevitable question, “What do you do?” In the personal branding process, it’s imperative to have a Uniqueness Statement that establishes rapport and sets you apart from the rest. 

A Uniqueness Statement (often referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition or USP) is an opportunity to make an emotional connection with your target market by touching on the qualities and values that you stand for, and by highlighting the benefits that a potential client will receive by working with you. There’s nothing worse than being caught off guard when someone asks you about your work, or feeling unprepared or flustered, and not taking advantage of an opportunity to make a powerful connection.

A Uniqueness Statement will:

• Increase your confidence when speaking about what you do
• Help you present yourself with polish and professionalism
• Build credibility
• Differentiate you from the rest of the pack
• Help build rapport with your prospect
• Create excitement about your products and services

So how do you build a powerful Uniqueness Statement? Here are four steps to get you started:

1. Identify Your Target Market – Who are your clients? Who do you most want to be working with?
2. Communicate Your Area of Specialization – What is your “Zone of Genius?” What do you do better than anyone else?
3. Highlight the Benefits of Working With You – How have your clients benefited from working with you? What have they achieved as a result of your working together?
4. Motivate Them Into Action – After meeting you, how could they learn more about you or even work with you?

For example, you’re not just a fashion stylist. You help female executives over 40 build chic, well-curated wardrobes and present themselves with flair and confidence. Your last three clients purged half of their closets and now can’t wait to get dressed each morning. One of them received a promotion at work and another met her husband-to-be. Anyone can sign up on your website for your weekly tips on “How To Build A Wardrobe That You Love.”

Or, you’re not just an herbal acupuncturist, you help mothers between the ages of 35-55 who have struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome regain their energy and vitality through custom immune-building programs and treatments. Within six months, most of your clients have renewed energy and are sleeping better than they have in years. A recent client just climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro after battling chronic fatigue for more than 10 years. For more information and to get your article “Ten Tips For Increasing Your Energy TODAY,” potential clients can sign up at your website.

You get the idea. Anyone can be a doctor, lawyer, event planner, financial planner, personal trainer or freelance writer. But only you can be YOU – in all of your unique glory.

Much of the work in crafting your Uniqueness Statement is in practicing your message and perfecting its delivery. Remember, this is a living, breathing statement about who you are, so it’s going to be a work in progress and will evolve over time.

I know you’re wondering, so here’s mine – as of today.

I teach female entrepreneurs and small business owners how to build powerful, confident personal brands that attract more clients and position themselves as experts . Through my proprietary system I help them develop and implement an effective marketing strategy that will build their buzz online and off. Results often come quickly; recently two different clients tripled their business in less than a year by gaining clarity around their personal brand and implementing a solid marketing plan. If you are interested in learning more (as I hand them my business card which has this exact information on the back of the card), you can sign up for my free e-book “101 Ways To Build A Powerful Personal Brand” at www.shebrand.com. You will also get a subscription to my bi-weekly newsletter, “SheBuzz” that is filled with marketing and client attraction tips and ideas. Clients are waiting. Are you ready?

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

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Why Should I Choose You?

When a potential client asks, “why you?,” do you have an answer? Are you prepared to communicate your unique message about what makes you special and different from everyone else in your industry? Why should someone work with you?

A brand is either positive, negative or neutral. If you don’t decide what your own personal brand is, others will do it for you. You exude your personal brand in everything you do – from the clothes you wear, the tone of your voice, the manner in which you treat people to how you communicate your brand message. Your personal brand is the great separator – it distinguishes you from everyone else and it’s what makes you stand apart from the rest.

In the personal branding process, it’s imperative to have a uniqueness statement that sets you apart. The average person has an attention span of merely 15 seconds, so that’s about the amount of time you have to effectively communicate your message. A Uniqueness Statement (often referred to as a Unique Selling Proposition or USP) is an opportunity to make an emotional connection with your target market by touching on the qualities and values that you stand for, and by highlighting the benefits that a potential client will receive by working with you.

A Uniqueness Statement is not just about winning people over or making a sale. It’s about:

• Managing brand credibility
• Building rapport
• Creating understanding
• Separating yourself from the crowd
• Communicating your values
• Touching on the features and benefits of working with you

You want to be the kind of person and have the kind of business that people want more of. Be interesting. Be dynamic. But don’t be boring. In today’s marketplace, if you aren’t sensational, you’re pretty much average, or worse, invisible.

So how can you be sensational and answer the question, “Why you?” Be interested in other people. Be thoughtful. And create a Uniqueness Statement that illuminates your brand. Determine what emotional appeals and benefits your product or service delivers to your target market and be able to communicate them easily and effectively. Practice, practice, practice. As Michael Jordan once said, “I’m not out there sweating for three hours every day just to find out what it feels like to sweat. “

Much of the work is in practicing your message and perfecting its delivery. Become spectacular at delivering your message, exhaust people with your consistency and you will build powerful brand equity and an emotional connection to your target market.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2010

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Do You Have A Vision For Your Business?

It’s the time of year when many feel inclined to write out their resolutions for the New Year. I’m a big proponent of writing and reviewing goals every few months, but I have found that having a powerful business vision is what propels me forward and serves as a constant reminder of what I want my business to be. I have also found that true success and personal fulfillment come from living and working in harmony with my purpose in life.

Spend some time before the end of the month thinking about where you want your business to be in a year. Write your business plan as a simple, clear visualization. It should be in the present tense, as if it has already happened. The more descriptive the better. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Where do you want your business to be exactly one year from today?
• How do you want to feel one year from today?
• What have you accomplished?
• What are the most important goals you have achieved in one year’s time?
• What does success feel like?
• What is your dream scenario?

Remember, no dream is too big or outrageous. Give yourself permission to envision exactly what it is that you really want – even if it feels a little scary or even impossible. Nothing is impossible. But you have to set the intention first, and then believe that it can happen.

Even if your conscious mind has a hard time wrapping itself around your plan, your even more powerful subconscious mind will be set in motion. A well-written business plan turns your desire for success into an intention. And once you have the intention to succeed, providence moves and you will find doors opening in unexpected places that lead to success and fulfillment. Stretch yourself a little bit out of your comfort zone and put your ideal scene on paper.

Writing out a business visualization brings your dreams and desires down into concrete terms. An old proverb says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Every flight needs a flight plan and a destination. Every successful business and career is based on a vision.

Writing a business plan will help you connect to your higher purpose for being in business in the first place. Our purpose usually involves service of some kind – contributing to and helping others. We have a primary purpose and secondary purpose. Your primary purpose is all about how you are being, every moment of the day. It’s not a matter of doing or having – it’s about how you are being with others, how you treat them and how they remember you.

Your second purpose is your work in the world. This is the work you are here to do – otherwise referred to as your mission, your vocation or your calling. Writing your business plan – how you see yourself and your business one year from today, will enable you to not only live your purpose, but will allow you to live on purpose. Once you have the map, it’s a lot easier to make it to your destination.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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4 Tips To Build Your Brand

Here are four things you can start doing today to build your personal brand:

1. Work on Your Appearance - First impressions  count. People make up their mind about you in less than one second, so you better make sure that you look the part. The way that you dress supports or detracts from your personal brand.

2. Be Interesting and Interested – Are you well-rounded and dynamic? Do you really care about the people you are speaking with? Be thoughtful and show interest in what others are saying.

3. Build Your 15 Second Commercial – The average person has an attention span of 15 seconds. You better make sure that you can communicate your brand message in a unique and compelling way in this amount of time. And remember, it’s not about making a sale, it’s about building rapport.

4. Spend Time With People Who Are Smarter and More Successful Than You – They say that you become the five people you hang out with the most. You automatically enhance your brand by the caliber of people you spend time with.

The truly great are excellent at what they do because they are willing to put in the effort and go the extra mile. If you don’t spend the time crafting your own personal brand, others will do it for you.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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How to Build Your “Know, Like & Trust” Factor

Marketing is moving online at a rapid pace and there has never been a better time to bypass the traditional mediums of advertising and media to reach your target market directly. One of the best ways to build your “Know, Like & Trust” factor online is through remarkable content. Consumers are heading to the Web in droves to research whatever interests them at the moment. Ultimately, they want valuable content that will improve their lives.

Google provides three-quarters of a billion search results a day – the perfect platform for useful content. The Web allows smart marketers to deliver compelling content that people actually want to consume.

In order to attract more clients, establish credibility and build trust, you must create remarkable content and publish it online for three important reasons. First, remarkable content builds your personal brand and positions you as an authority in your industry. Second, it is easily and quickly spread on social media sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Digg. And third, it attracts links from other web sites pointing to your web site. In other words, you want your content to prompt other content producers on the Web to “remark” about you (and your products and services) and link back to your site. These links send you qualified visitors, and they signal to Google that your website is worthy of ranking.

Keep it simple and create content that you can produce rapidly and that people can effectively spread online. Here are a few examples: 

• Blog posts – Personal and professional musings about your industry and your area of expertise.
• Articles – 500-700 word articles that can be published on article submission sites such as ezinearticles.com and ideamarketers.com.
• White papers – Five to seven page papers that educate your marketplace on an industry trend or challenge.
• Videos – Short (under two minutes is best) videos about a topic within your area of expertise.
• Webinars – Live online PowerPoint presentations.
• Podcasts – Ten to twenty minute audio programs or interviews with industry experts similar to radio shows.
• Webcasts – Live video shows viewed online.
• Special Giveaway – Provide 10-100 pages of special content on a hot topic in your industry. This can be set up as a pdf download right on your website. Tom Peters and David Meerman Scott are well-known marketers who give away generous amounts of valuable content for free.

The interesting thing about remarkable content online is that the more you give, the more you get. The more valuable and noteworthy the content, the more links to your site and the better it will rank in the search engines. You want to move away from the mindset of hiding all of that remarkable information behind closed doors and instead, use it to attract more clients by building the “Know, Like & Trust” factor. And you don’t have to reinvent the wheel – you can repurpose the same content for your blog, newsletter, article submission, speaking engagements, webinars and workshops.

In our rapidly changing business environment, the entrepreneurs who are going to thrive are the ones who engage their clients and build long-term relationships. Offering remarkable content is an opportunity for your target audience to get to know you better and develop trust in you and your brand. It also happens to be one of the most cost-effective ways to market yourself in the online marketplace.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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Do You Have An Online Action Plan?

We are living a revolution in the way people communicate. Practically everyone turns to the Web first when researching products, services and people to do business with. If you want to build your brand and your business, then a great Web presence is critical.

I am asked on a regular basis, by clients, friends and strangers alike, “How do I stand out and where do I begin?” Once you’ve got the basics covered – your brand attributes, collateral materials, tagline and focus, what’s the best use of your time and money? When you are clear about who you are, what you stand for and how you can help your target market, you are ready to start building a powerful personal brand presence online.

There are six main areas where you actually have some control over how people will perceive your brand through what you put out on the Web – both visually and content-wise.

1. Website – Are you still relying on a static, brochure-style website? If so, you will eventually be invisible online (if you aren’t already!) Statistics show that when someone visits these types of sites, they click around a couple of pages, never to return. Nothing on these sites compel them to stay. If you want your brand to compete, you’ve got to create something interesting and interactive; remarkable and consistently fresh content, resources, links, blog (#2), freebies (#3) and a way for people to sign up to join your list.
2. Blog – Starting a blog is a great way to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry and build your personal brand presence online. Including a blog on your website -  with lots of new, remarkable content – will turn a brochure-style site into a living, evolving destination for your target market and a magnet for the search engines.
3. Pink Spoon – Also known as your “Free Taste” or “Giveaway,” this is a content-rich item that you give away to your target market just for signing up on your website. It can be in the form of an e-book, white paper, video, webinar, tip sheet or anything else you feel would be relevant and helpful to your target market. And yes, you are giving valuable information away for FREE! People do business with people they know, like and trust. They also do business with those they feel are the authorities in their industries. In order to build your personal brand and position yourself as the expert in your field, you must build a relationship with your target market and be willing to educate, inform and share.
4. Newsletter – Also known as an “ezine”, this is a great opportunity to stay in touch with your target market on a regular basis. It can consist of a feature article, list of resources, tips, images, links or anything else that would benefit your readers. Once people sign up for your Pink Spoon, they should be automatically subscribed to your newsletter.
5. Article Submission – Have you Googled yourself recently? One of the best ways to take some control of what comes up about you is to send your own articles to submission sites such as ezinearticles.com and ideamarketers.com. These sites request a personal bio and link back to your own site, and the search engines often pick up on this content. Articles that you submit to these sites will attract links from other sites pointing to your website. Also, good content is easily and quickly spread on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Digg.
6. Social Media – Social networking, news and discovery sites provide a great way to reach and engage potential clients. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Digg, Delicious and Stumble-Upon all have different uses, but most share the ability to connect to others and interact and share information. The keys to effective social media are to tell your story in an authentic manner, participate by following up and commenting on others’ posts, offer valuable information on a regular basis, be courteous and respectful, and don’t overwhelm your community with sales pitches and self-promotion.  And this goes without saying: don’t ever post anything you wouldn’t want your mother to see.

Remember, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can repurpose your content for multiple use – on your blog, in your newsletter and for article submission. You can also link your blog to Twitter and Facebook so that every time you post, your followers will be alerted to new material. Select one or two of the areas above to focus on and go from there. There are millions of resources out there to get you started. All you have to do is Google them.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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Your Personal Brand Questionnaire

In order to communicate, express and exude a powerful, confident personal brand, you must be able to answer the following questions (they might seem a little repetitive, but humor me here):

1. How do I make people feel?

2. What three words best describe me?

3. What words would others use to describe me?

4. How do I want to help people?

5. How does someone benefit from working with me?

6. How would I describe my unique gift in one or two sentences?

7. What do I do differently from others in my profession?

8. What are the results someone will achieve from working with me?

9. How do I “WOW”  friends, family, clients, and even complete strangers?

10. What imprint or legacy do I want to leave on this planet?

When you have answered these questions and feel excited about your responses, then, and only then, are you ready to put a strategic marketing plan into action.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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What Are People Saying About You?

In personal branding, as in life, the little things matter. Every move that you make and everything that you put your name on reflects your brand.  Brand and reputation are closely linked. Companies are constantly evaluated by the way they are perceived by the competition, the media and their customers. You are constantly being judged based on perceptions as well.

A brand is all about perception, and as frustrating as it might be, you don’t always have control over how potential clients or the public sees you. That said, with the right focus, strategy and consistency, you can certainly influence how your personal brand is perceived. Pay attention to what you are putting out there – everything from how you dress, how you communicate, what activities you participate in and who you choose to work and socialize with, contribute to your overall brand image.

Cultivating your brand means investing time, effort and eventually money into determining what you want to communicate and how you want to communicate it.  Once you have clarity, content and a plan of action, you will be well-prepared to implement it.

Here are four important areas to consider when determining your personal brand strategy and how you might influence perception:

1. Brand Attributes – These are the adjectives or “descriptors” that best describe you. What are the qualities that you want to exude and be best known for? When you make decisions about your brand collateral, website, promotional materials etc., ask yourself if they truly represent the attributes that you have chosen.
2. Brand Identity – Visual continuity is a critical aspect of brand building. It’s important that you create a “face” for your business and that this is replicated in all facets of your image. This not only includes your logo, letterhead, packaging, website, advertising and promotional materials, but also your personal wardrobe and presentation style.
3. Brand Definition – Make sure you clearly define your brand in a way that you want others to perceive you. In one sentence (often referred to as your tagline), you should be able to eloquently communicate what you do and how you can help the other person. For example, my tagline is “I help female entrepreneurs build powerful, confident personal brands with style.”
4. Brand Message – In Politics, one of the Golden Rules is to stay “on message”. This means that everyone on the team understands and is able to clearly communicate the same brand message. A thread of continuity should run through all aspects of your business – from employees to your website and collateral materials. Whether I speak to an employee, peruse your website or receive a letter from you in the mail; I should walk away with a sense of your brand attributes and an understanding of your message.

A strong brand contains an element (or elements) that its target market emotionally connects to and therefore stands out in that consumer’s mind. In order to be memorable – and to influence the emotional connection that a potential client has with your brand, you must be consistent with your brand attributes, identity, definition and messaging in everything that you do.

©Liz Dennery Sanders 2009

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