brand « Dave Stelzl's Blog

Taking Branding to the Next Level

September 25, 2009 — 2 Comments

Building your brand is a full-time job, and necessary if you’re to be seen and treated like the trusted advisor. Everything you do online, in person, or in writing contributes to the image you project. The above video is a perfect example of taking branding to the next level. Getting client testimonials online can be a powerful way to reach out to new businesses. Do this:

When major problems are solved and your client knows it, record it. Written or video, both contribute to your brand.
Marketing events should always be recorded! It costs about $300 to hire a professional videographer. Record attendee reactions, the speaker, and highlight the message just as Sklar has done in the attached YouTube video. Don’t forget the client testimonials after the event.
Use local media and press releases whenever you hire someone, promote people within, or set up an event. Create market buzz by being in the news, even if you have to send out the press release yourself.
Target your message to buyers. Highly technical material may appeal to IT; budgets come from the top.

Sales people – don’t wait for your marketing department to get on board. With today’s technology, there is no excuse for not building a personal brand with your clients, your events, and your success story.

Getting their Attention

February 19, 2009 — Leave a comment

After snow on Wednesday, we completed our Richmond, VA. executive security luncheon today with perfect weather and about 40 attendees – mostly business leaders. What makes an event like this successful? Well funded through sponsorship, relevant information, credible delivery, and a strong follow up plan. Some notable sound bites from our opening;

– Still no suspects on the $9 Million ATM heist.
– 3 arrests made in connection with the Heartland hack – which has affected 101 banks and over 300,000 credit card accounts.
– Over the past week over 200,000 identities have been compromised between Kiaser, University of Alabama medical center, and the FAA.

With about 70% of attendees going on to assess risk, I fully expect 90% of them will find there are things that should be done to increase security. Most of these will go on to add or increase some level of managed security. In addition to the event, this solution provider was able to get the attention of a local news paper and TV video spot. When dealing with a recession, marketing, branding, and differentiation are all essential parts of driving forward.

In Marketing brand, Information Security, Marketing, Technology

The Power of Your Brand

November 6, 2008 — Leave a comment

In Peter Montoya’s book, The Personal Branding Phenomenon, he writes, “The law of Specialization says that a great Personal Brand must be precise, concentrated on a single core strength, talent or achievement. The result of this concentration is the compelling, instantaneous frission of certainty that occurs when people come into contact with a great Personal Brand.” A few pages over he writes, “Diversification is tempting. It is normal to want to sell to the widest audience possible. It seems logical. But that impulse is a trap. Trying to be the solution to every problem results in a watered down Personal Brand message and overextended resources”…people start questioning, “If he does so many different things, he can’t be very good at any of them.”

Technology integration is highly specialized. Becoming the “Wal*Mart” of technology is a bad move. When you enter Wal*Mart, you enter for the best price. You don’t expect highly capable sales consultants to help you sort through various options – no, instead you expect to “Save Money, Live Better”. What is your personal brand with your clients? Is it about saving money? For me, I’d rather be seen as an expert than a penny pinching option.