LESSON 1
Why Feelings Matter More than Facts
What the heck is a “brand” anyways?
Ask three different people and you’ll get three different answers. Without a shared definition of what a brand is, it’s no wonder there are so many different approaches to building one.
In this lesson, we’re going to cut through the clutter and get to the heart of what makes a brand. You’ll learn:
- Seth Godin’s definition of a brand
- Why emotive advertising is 3x more powerful
- The difference between a brand that has value and one that doesn’t
- The first step to building a brand strategy for your firm
Listen here…
LESSON 2
How to Make Your Brand Stand Out
Do you look and sound the same as all your competitors?
There’s an easy way to find out. Print out the about page of your website alongside the about page of your closest competitors. Then black out any specific references that would identify each firm.
Then show the about pages to one of your clients and see if they can figure out which one is yours. Chances are, they’re going to have a hard time telling you apart.
In this lesson, we’ll look at four specific ways to make your brand stand out from the pack. Or, as Pia Silva says, to “badass your brand.”
Listen here…
LESSON 3
Three Steps to Tell Your Brand’s Story
Let’s assume you’ve got your brand image all lined up.
You know exactly how you want buyers to feel when they interact with your brand. And you’re even doing the kind of work that lines up with the image you want to portray.
But how do you get that message out there? How can you convey your brand’s story to your buyers so they can see for themselves how your brand is unique?
That’s what we’re going to tackle in this third and final instalment on branding.
Listen here…
INTERVIEW
How to Badass Your Brand with Pia Silva
Running a small service business is no small task.
As the founder, there’s no doubt that time is your most precious asset. And yet, you’re probably wasting a ton of it doing things like:
- Customizing every project to “meet the client’s needs”
- Chasing prospects who will never do business with you
- Doing work that doesn’t make the best use of your skills
All these things are a drain on your time and energy. They’re preventing you from doing your best work, working with your best clients, and ultimately making your firm more profitable.
The fix? Read Pia Silva’s new book, Badass Your Brand: The Impatient Entrepreneur’s Guide to Turning Expertise into Profit, and listen to this interview.
In our conversation, Pia and I dig a little bit deeper into the topics she covers in the book. You’ll discover:
- Why “saying no” is the best thing you can do for your business
- The unconventional sales process that will help you win more deals in less time
- What it really takes to stand out in your industry and get noticed
- Why you don’t need to be edgy to be a “badass”
This interview will be 100 times more useful if you pick up a copy of the book first.
Listen here…
Additional Resources
- Agile Coaching Tip: What Is an Empathy Map?
- How Emotions Influence What We Buy
- Seth Godin’s Definition of ‘Brand’
- Seth Godin: The brand is a story. But it’s a story about you, not about the brand.
- Brand Thinking: Seth Godin, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, and Other Mavens on How and Why We Define Ourselves Through Stuff
- Badass Your Brand by Pia Silva