If you’re a business owner or business leader who has considered becoming the face of your own business, there are several things you should consider first. The whole idea behind a personal branding approach is to position yourself as an asset to your customers in a unique way, and share your knowledge and expertise about a particular subject. The goal is to become a sought-after expert in your industry and market, and to be the person/business that your customers turn to because they think of you first (for all the right reasons!). Consider this checklist…and if you can answer ‘yes’ to all, you’re an excellent candidate!
ARE YOU AN EXPERT?
I’m sure you can think of times when someone misrepresented themselves or their capabilities. Don’t be that person. If you are truly knowledgeable about a particular subject, share that knowledge. Put in the work that it takes to be the person whom others trust to give them the right advice. If you aren’t knowledgeable enough, keep learning until you are. Otherwise, don’t even think about this approach.
DO YOU HAVE A UNIQUE POSITION?
Yes, it’s possible to be a successful ‘talking head’. You simply have to outspend your competitors. All it takes is lots and lots of money to reach out with a generic message and become recognized in your market. Hey, even a blind squirrel gets a nut sometimes. But if you have a truly unique point of differentiation (you or your business), your message will come through louder and clearer than just your face and voice.
CAN YOU DELIVER THE GOODS?
Even if have an excellent point of differentiation and you are truly an expert, if you can’t (or don’t) deliver on what you are promising to your customers, it’s only a matter of time before those ‘first time’ customers you get with all that great marketing become ‘only time’ customers who leave bad reviews.
DO YOU HAVE A GOOD REPUTATION?
This means with the public, your customers, your peers and your employees. And it goes beyond delivering the goods. It’s about being a nice person. Are you well known in your community for being kind and helpful? For giving back? If not, fix it immediately. Rumors about unkind or unfair business owners spread fast.
CAN YOU COMMIT?
Being the face of your brand takes serious commitment, but there are definitely serious rewards. It means you’ll get involved in your community, do local appearances, speak to organizations regarding your expertise, maintain a consistent presence among your customers, inspire your employees through leading by example, create endless content to share your expertise and much more.
DO YOU HAVE AN EXIT STRATEGY?
Let’s face it…with a BrandFace© approach, you become your business and your business is you. When it’s time to sell or pass the baton, think long and hard about how you’d do that, and whether it’s in your best interest to take this approach. It absolutely can be done, but the transition takes commitment as well.
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