Recently, I broke up with my Samsung Galaxy 5 and found a new love… an iPhone 6! I was in search of a phone that was versatile, reliable, easy to use, and delivered more than was promised. I found that in the latest smartphone produced by Apple. This innovative company has mastered the concept of over-delivering on their unique promise of value by offering stylish simplicity that boasts a deeply loyal, connected community.
Likewise, as an entrepreneur who leads the way, you must build a personal brand that builds your reputation within your connected community. Your brand will teach them to expect that you will not just deliver on your promise, but you’ll over-deliver your value. And this creates a sense of anticipation for your next great offering.
Rise and Shine!
Your foundation as a Complete Leader is the way you stand out from your competition by over-delivering and doing more than expected. Remember, your promise of value will be weighed against others who only do just enough to satisfy their clients. Focus on bringing as much value into the lives of your clients and customers as possible, and you will make a memorable impression that leads customers to you again and again.
You can use my five helpful tips on honing your brand:
- Be relatable. Make sure that you are approachable, authentic, and honest in all your communications with your clients and prospects. If possible, face-to-face interactions are extremely valuable – even if that means over the Internet. In this age of machine automation, look for ways to keep your professional voice and touch personal.
- Share. Be known as one who is resourceful and generous. Don’t be afraid to give away resources for free. That means with no strings attached – no requirements for email signups, payments, or referrals. Sharing your resources builds credibility and authority in a big way. One very powerful technique is regularly distributing free information that solves a problem for your clients. Many entrepreneurs do this with a newsletter or blog.
- Respect your clients. Your customers’ feelings and thoughts are important. Make sure that you respond quickly without taking anything personally. Regardless of your client’s behavior or words, it’s essential to remain calm, kind, and professional at all times. Treat every complaint or issue as an opportunity for you to build relational capital. Feedback is critical to the success of your personal brand. Remember the words of Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, “Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”
- Personalize your interactions. Seek to make each customer’s experience personal. For example, personalize emails by simply adding customer names. Take the time to acknowledge special events such as birthdays, anniversaries, and accomplishments. This way, communications feel more like a friend’s note rather than a faceless company out to make a sale. Reassuring your customers that you are a real person and not a machine goes a long way to reinforcing your brand as the complete leader.
- Stay in front of your clients. With the use of email, social media, and “snail mail”, it is easy to keep in touch and maintain a constant presence before clients. Remind them of your value by providing useful information and resources in addition to promoting your product or service. Using mailing companies such as Send Out Cards allows you to broadcast important information and reinforce your brand at the same time.
Delivering value is arguably the most important aspect of your personal brand as the Complete Leader in business. Whether you are just starting your business or have an established company and are making tweaks, over-deliver on your unique promise of value. Plug into your connected community. This will keep them coming back for more.