Personal Celebrity: How to Build Your Personal Brand
Ever sit in the audience listening to the speaker on stage and wonder, “What if that could be me?” It can be.
The logo, the branded products, even the information they present all started with one idea. Wonder if your ideas can be transformed into a thriving speaking business?
The answer is absolutely YES!
Often we have dreams of making it BIG, but underestimate our brilliance. The difference between you and the speaker on stage is that they understand the steps it takes to build a personal brand, transforming their ideas into a marketable platform.
How to Build Your Personal Brand
Personal Brand Tip #1: Understand the importance of your brand – A brand is typically a visual representation of your business in person, in products and online. Be aware of how you are perceived in the marketplace. First impressions matter and assumptions are made in only seconds, which can mean the difference between a “Yes” or a “No” with a new client.
Personal Brand Tip #2: Build a Brand based on You – Whether you are branding yourself, your business or your idea, it all comes from you. Don’t leave YOU out. This is the perfect example of when you want it to be “all about you.” Who you are, what you love, why you do what you do, what you care about and then make sure it connects with your ideal clients.
Personal Brand Tip #3: Brand Cohesion Matters – Your brand is the experience your clients have with you and you want it to be consistent to fully represent your business and to build trust. Make sure your look is cohesive and congruent in person, in your product and online. If you need to tweak your brand along the way, that’s fine; however, it should still look like “you.” If your brand is not working, start fresh, but don’t keep switching your brand every few months or years just because you are bored. Allow your brand enough time to gain recognition.
Personal Brand Tip #4: Step into your Personal (& Business) Celebrity – When you brand yourself you will become known. This is a good thing because hiding is not effective for marketing! If you are an introvert, like me, this may feel strange at first. Make sure to focus on your why and then fully step into what you are building. Being known will bring additional success and opportunity.
Personal Brand Tip #5: Think BIG from the Start – You can always scale “down” later if you want. The truth is that bigger and faster is easier. Yes, you will have growing pains but with fast growth comes the resources to handle it. It is a much better “problem” to have than struggling to keep the lights on in the office and feeling desperate for clients. Thinking BIG from the beginning means acting like the successful business and entrepreneur from Day One. Ask yourself, “How would I handle this as a successful 6 Figure business owner?” This type of mindset will have you making different decisions as a start-up and will speed up the success.
Personal Brand Tip #6: Invest the Time to Create the Results – Some entrepreneurs tout 20 hour work weeks and month long vacations. That’s lovely and totally unrealistic for a start-up business. You don’t need to work 24/7 and rest is important (make sure you get it every day). But know that if you want big results, it will take a big effort to build your dream. You will be working full time and it will be totally worth it! Those part-time hours and long vacations come later as a result of your effort and the systems you create.
Personal Brand Tip #7: Use Speaking to Share Your Message – Speaking is one of the best ways to build your brand and share your message. Speaking allows you to share your information with a group of ideal clients at one time and gives the audience the chance to check you out, see what you have to offer and decide if they want what you have to offer. Don’t worry if you aren’t a speaker – get the training and get started. It doesn’t matter whether you have a product, service, website, or non-profit, speaking will build your brand faster!
Personal Brand Tip #8: Don’t Set Limits on What’s Possible – I have personally experienced incredible growth and opportunity from creating a personal brand built around who I am and the idea I wanted to share with the world. What is your vision right now? Stretch it – expand it – double it. Do you want your products carried in a major retailer? Do you want to publish a book? Do you want to be on TV? Do you want to create a successful website? Before you stomp on your dream and come up with all the reasons why you can not have it, ask yourself, “Why not?” and “Why not YOU?”. Don’t let anyone put a ceiling on your dreams!
Grab your free gifts, including a video training on t 3 Pillars for a 6 Figure Platform (key for branding), and free download of the Character Code System Overview.
Business 101: Speaking to Sell – The Art of Making Compelling Offers from the Stage
Sales and speaking. Probably two of the most feared activities and you want to combine them? Are you crazy?
If this is you, you are in good company. Most people would rather endure a torturous visit to the dentist than do either. In fact, that used to be me. I used to fear speaking and I hated sales.
If you had told me that I would become a professional speaker, make my living presenting information and delivering offers from the stage, I would have laughed. And yet, that is exactly what I do and I love it.
Why People Fear Making Offers from the Stage
So let’s talk about making offers – the part that scares people the most.
First of all, an offer is an opportunity for the audience to continue working with you. If you’ve done a good job developing and delivering your material, it is only natural that some people in the audience would like to work with you. Sharing how and creating the opportunity to say yes – or no – is the “offer”.
Getting nervous, yet?
People hate making offers for one of three reasons:
#1: Don’t want to be a “salesperson”
#2: The fear people will say “no”
#3: The fear people will say “yes”
Let me answer #2 and #3 and then we’ll spend the rest of the time on #1…
Fear #2: You are correct – some people will say “no”. Knowing that going in is helpful and makes it easier to handle. It is true that no one likes to feel “rejected.” Know that the worst case is someone says “no”; however, you have shared valuable information with them and impacted their life. That is a successful day. Consider your job well done.
Fear #3: People will say “yes”. This is often a bigger fear than hearing a “no”. This means that you now have to deliver – you are a success – your business is launched. There is nothing that will hold you more accountable than someone giving you a credit card payment for a service or product you have to deliver. That is the key – you have to deliver it – and this is a good thing!
Fear #1: The stomach churning dread of being perceived as a “salesperson.” It is common that most people have a negative knee-jerk reaction against anything that is perceived as “salesy”.
Lots of so-called formulas push you to make a very aggressive sales pitch, literally holding their audience hostage during hours of a presentation that is nothing more than a thinly disguised sales pitch. The key objective being “overcoming objections” to “convince” people to do what you want them to.
The BEST offer you can make from the stage is one that YOU feel good about. You need to feel comfortable delivering it, it needs to represent who you are and it needs to serve your clients.
The Art of Making Compelling Offers from the Stage
#1: Know Yourself and Be True – If you don’t like “salesy” offers, don’t make them. You want the “no’s” in the audience to be as comfortable as the “yes’s” in the audience. Give your audience the choice by offering them an out.
#2: Remember they’re People, Not Numbers – Know that you may have zero response or 95% say “yes”. The average is around 35%. Pay attention to stats, but don’t go into an event calculating percentages, dollars or conversion rates. Instead look for quality people who are interested in working with you.
#3: Make it Flow – Make offers that are seamless with the content. It needs to make sense, be an extension of the presentation and still provide value. The best way is to continue teaching content through my offer.
#4: Don’t Plant Seeds of Doubt – Most speaker and sales training will tell you to share the “cost” of what will happen if someone says “no” to your offer. Leave this out because it can be very detrimental if these doubts fester for days or even longer. Instead focus on the benefits of what is possible when we work together.
#5: Offer Quality and a Solid Plan – There is nothing that will give you more confidence in making an offer than knowing you have something WONDERFUL to share with your audience. Offer programs that are very well developed with amazing content and support. Provide added value so you know they are getting above and beyond what they have paid for. When you do this you can truly stand on solid ground when you make your offer.
#6: Know Your People and Anticipate Their Needs – Do the work to have a clear message that speaks to your ideal clients. The bottom line is you want to understand your audience and make sure your offer is the natural “next step” that will best serve their needs. The Character Code™ System helps you really “tune in” to your audience and understand who they are.
#7: Celebrate the Yes’s – Don’t make the “no’s” feel bad. They may have any number of reasons as to why they said “no”. Don’t “fight” for anyone to become a client, don’t overcome objections, don’t argue with them. Instead, fight like crazy for the ones who do become clients and celebrate them.
#8: Be Real – Yes, there is a certain level of “performing” to any speaking event – you must inform, inspire, entertain and transform. Being real and authentic in who you are, what you offer and what you are about will be so appreciated by your audience. Be honest and be real and you will have increased success!
#9: Be Willing to Do it YOUR Way – Don’t worry what others will think if you decide to go against the traditional ways of doing things. Learn what works best for you and customize it to fit your own style. Take this advice, discard what doesn’t serve you and discover your own way.
#10: Lastly, be willing to face your fears – There is no telling what is possible when you are just willing to try. So much in life is about “showing up” and the truth is we make “offers” all the time in life. Not just from the stage, but in all aspects of life, work and play. Wear your heart on your sleeve and just risk it. That is what living is all about and it is worth it.
Tired of attending events with little results? Check out this workshop where Brandy teaches her entire Character Code System! Grab your free Guest Passes for free before they run out!
Business 101: Speaking to Sell – How to Craft a Killer Presentation
Does $90,000 in sales over a weekend sound appealing to you? That’s the reality for a successful platform speaker!
Earning a living getting paid to share your knowledge, your unique gift, does not mean long “sales pitches” that drain the audience or overcoming objections and “convincing” people to buy!
It does, however, mean sharing valuable content and properly monetizing your information, presenting with integrity, authenticity and heart, respecting your audience and their autonomy and generating sales from clients who feel compelled.
Crafting a Killer Speaking to Sell Presentation
A speaker has four key jobs and when crafting your killer presentation, you will need to consider how you will achieve all of them:
#1: Inform
#2: Inspire
#3: Entertain
#4: Transform
Inform – This is the part where you share your CONTENT. Yes, you must have something to say! You’ll want to develop your “buckets” of content and outline the knowledge you will be sharing.
There needs to be real value, real “how” and tangible information your audience can take with them. The effort you put into this is a big part of why you get paid. Anyone can talk over a glass of wine in front of the fireplace and muse about life and how “things should be”.
When you sit down and develop a body of knowledge, flesh it out, organize it and systematize it, you are now monetizing information. People will pay a premium for information because when we receive quality information, we own it. No one can ever take it away. Spend the time needed developing your content is like making deposits in the bank.
Inspire – This is the part where you share YOURSELF with the purpose of reinforcing the content for your audience. It is very important that you get the purpose behind sharing personal stories.
Have you ever felt trapped in the audience where it seemed like the speaker was engaged in a therapy session onstage and you found yourself an unwilling participant? Speaking is not about indulging yourself.
Every story needs to be true and needs to be placed in the presentation because it helps reinforce the content and learn a point from a different perspective. A great story allows the audience to see some of themselves, realize possibilities, connect with the speaker’s humanity and feel inspired!
Entertain – Let’s face it, we all want to have FUN! A dynamic speaker can make the audience laugh and enjoy being at the event. In order to entertain you have to connect with your audience and make sure that it isn’t just you having fun – that they are along for the ride and enjoying it too.
Which means of course, that you DO need to have fun! If you are terrified, nervous or too serious this will be a tedious presentation for the audience. Remember why you are doing this crazy thing called speaking, remember what your big mission is to be able to laugh at yourself and with the audience.
Keep in mind that humor is subjective. Be careful with swearing, especially in front of new audiences. What you think is funny may be offensive to others. Poking fun at yourself in a loving way is effective. If you get into too much self-deprecating humor, the audience will feel sorry for you.
Transform – If you leave out this part then you are just a funny, uplifting trainer or teacher. It is the transformation piece that makes you a well-rounded speaker. This is where your audience comes in at point A and because of the environment you have created and the information you have shared, they move to point B.
Providing transformation for your audience is what will keep YOU motivated and wanting to do this over and over again. Being able to lead a group and watch the “light bulbs” turn on and your audience experience the “A-ha” moments is addicting.
Speaking to Sell Presentation Basics
#1: Be Prepared – This will allow you to “relax”, be yourself and really connect with your audience. Trying to remember what is supposed to happen next will disconnect you from the people in the room and you’ll be presenting in your head.
#2: Vary the Content Delivery – Reinforce the information you are sharing by presenting it in different ways. You will have many different types of audience members in the room. This is accomplished by presenting information visually, auditory, through stories, exercises, writing, partner shares, group shares…mix it up.
#3: Stay Connected – Notice who is in your audience. Be real with them and respond to the feedback they give you. Don’t make them wrong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and you don’t have to agree, nor do you have to defeat them. Your audience is watching how you handle situations, yourself and everyone else as much as they are watching the presentation.
#4: Deal with the Elephant in the Room – Does the audience have money issues? Are you teaching them a tough topic that is getting them “triggered”? Address the thing you do not want to talk about and you create an opportunity for transformation for the entire room.
#5: Make it Flow – Your content, stories, exercises and offer are most effective when they flow seamlessly together. This is a skill anyone can learn and it is worth the effort. Number one mistake a speaker can make is to “tack” an offer on the end of a presentation. Every piece of the presentation is connected.
#6: Keep the Promises – The “promises of the program” are the bullet points and marketing copy you created to promote the presentation. Make SURE you deliver everything you said you would! Starting and finishing on time is another way to let your audience know you keep your promises.
#7: Respect your Audience – Instead of telling them to “stay put” or trying to control the audience with too many rules, create an environment where people feel compelled to do that. Choose to “carry” the room instead of controlling the room.
I just LOVE speaking and training other speakers and entrepreneurs. If you are considering adding speaking to your business, I say, “Go for it!” Speaking is a form of healing and a powerful way to affect change. Carpe diem, my friends!
Want to know a little more about becoming a professional speaker? Check out Savvy Speaker Secrets to get the video series “How Do I Get Booked as a Speaker?”
Business 101: What’s Your Message? How to Develop Your Speaking Platform
It’s one thing to be a speaker and yet another to create an audience…So, how is it done?
Every great speaker has one thing in common: a clear message. We use this message to build our presentation and it is what we become known for.
There are two types of messages you need to develop for your speaking platform: the Core Message and the Marketing Message. Sometimes they end up being the same and very often they are different.
The Core Message is often the “feeling” behind your presentation and is typically something you are very passionate about. It affects you to your “core” and that passion translates to your audience.
Your Marketing Message is a tool that you lead with to attract your audience to you. It represents a need, problem or question your audience wants answered and you provide that answer in your presentation.
Finding Your Core Message: What Lesson Are You Here to Teach?
Imagine sitting on a train platform in Europe and a young woman is sitting next to you. It is a beautiful day and the two of you have just met and chatted while waiting for your trains. Your new friend is now about to board her train headed in the opposite direction and it is unlikely you will ever see her again.
What piece of advice do you share with her as you part? I know you have plenty to say and much advice to give…but if you could only share ONE thing, what would it be? This is your message.
For me, it is “Take a stand, show up and declare YOU matter!”
It comes from playing the victim after a debilitating car accident that left me unable to read for 7 years and the turn around that led to my recovery. This message filters through all my speaking events, client interactions, corporate training…you name it!
It is the driving message in my business, the energy and passion behind why I do what I do and how I show up to serve. This is why it is called the Core Message.
As an entrepreneur and speaker you want to spend some time thinking about your Core Message and identifying it for your business. It becomes the overall theme that flows through all you do.
It may become a tagline and it may not…don’t add that pressure and be open to it naturally evolving into a tagline only if it is right. It is worth spending time on crafting this message AND then there comes a time when you need to just select it and move on!
Creating Your Marketing Message: What Will People Connect With?
This is the message you use to represent your body of work. It is what your audience can expect to hear from you when they show up. You will use this in all your marketing, advertising and promotion.
Ideally you want this message to represent YOU, flow through your Core Message AND speak to your Ideal Clients. This means knowing what your audience needs: their dreams, fears, strengths and challenges. If you aren’t certain, start interviewing past or potential clients.
My marketing message is: Client Attraction Without Being “Salesy”. It speaks directly to my audience and represents the body of my work and my philosophy behind what I do. I also use “Make the Journey from Obscurity to Buzz in Record Time!” as I teach speakers how to launch their platform and get known.
Having your Marketing Message identified and “ready” to use at a moments notice is very helpful! You can and will use it in print, in person, online…and you will test it, see the reaction and tweak it if needed.
Getting Started Building Your Speaking Platform
#1: Write out the vision you have for yourself as a Speaker. How do you see yourself?
#2: Write out your Core Message. Spend thoughtful time considering your ONE lesson you are here to teach!
#3: Write out your Marketing Message. Make sure it is in alignment with who you are AND serves a need your audience is aware of!
As you create your messages and build your speaking platform, seriously consider the “job” and privilege of serving as a speaker. Sandra Yancey once told me, “Responsibility comes with being handled a mic…” which means that this is not your moment to be indulgent and use the stage for public group therapy.
What Sandra meant is that being in the front of the room is a privilege – an opportunity to share your message, passion and wisdom to benefit others. Not only is it an honor but it is the most FUN ever!
Want to know a little more about becoming a professional speaker? Check out Savvy Speaker Secrets to get the video series “How Do I Get Booked as a Speaker?”
Parenting 101: Matching Your Parenting Style to Your Child – Understanding the 6 Personality Types in Children
Parenting is the best job in the world, but let’s face it: we just aren’t paid enough for all the “behind-the-scenes” duties of being a mom! Some days it is just survival as you tell your child to chew with their mouth shut for the umpteenth time and secretly wonder if they’ll become the only adult who has yet to master the art of eating.
Want to know the secret that helped keep me sane as a parent and learn how to roll with the small stuff? It’s a simple shift that has led to a deep, loving and peaceful connection with my daughter. It happened when I applied my Character Code™ system to parenting and matched my parenting style to my daughter’s personality type.
Understanding Your Child’s Personality Type
There are six Character Codes™: The Class President, Cheerleader, Actress, Activist, Artist and Scholar. The system is based on key personality traits that define how people interact with the world around them. Some people are just one type and others are a combination.
As a Class President parent, my focus is optimization. This means that when it came to getting my daughter up for school I figured out exactly how long she could sleep, how much time it would take her to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush her teeth and get ready for school. By my calculations, 7:30 am was perfectly sufficient.
My daughter is a Cheerleader/Activist, meaning she doesn’t move in a straight line. Asking her to do something as simple as putting on her socks (which are 3 feet away) takes 20 minutes because she will walk throughout the house before she arrives at her socks. In that time, she will check on the princess in the castle, play with the frog, walk upstairs and wonder why she is there and eventually arrive back downstairs at her socks.
Her behavior used to drive me nuts until I realized that she’s a people person, she’s a feeler and she likes to move in circles. Playtime is just as important as any other activity for her and animals outrank most people.
What was the solution? It was simple: getting her get up at 7:00 am to give her enough time to move in circles as fit her personality instead of forcing her to fit her personality into my parenting routine.
It totally went against my instinct to maximize her sleep; however, by understanding her needs and her process, it became apparent that she just needed the extra time. The results: peaceful mornings, a daughter that get to be “who” she is and a mom that gets to leave on time.
Parenting to our child’s personality type helps us recognize that sometimes our children have a different personality style than us and we can accommodate that and recognize their strengths. Does that mean we get it perfect? No, there’s no perfect, but there’s always room for improvement. It does mean starting from a place of understanding.
It may mean different rules for different siblings after all, each of them are different people with different personality types. It really works to notice, respect and honor the unique personalities with the people in our families. Not only will it make us more accepting of ourselves, our strengths and our challenges, but it will also make us more tolerant of others.
In a family with many different Character Codes™, tolerance and understanding is a valuable skill on the path to peace!
Want to learn more about the Character Code™ System? Visit www.brandymychals.com.
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