Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BK NTGL 000257 PDF
BK NTGL 000257 PDF
The suggestions listed in this audio program and the accompanying guidebook are solely based upon the
opinions of the author. Please use them at your own discretion, or seek the advice of a business profes-
sional.
“The Brand Called You” is the exclusive Trademark of Peter Montoya. All rights reserved.
The Brand
Called You
Overview
4 Introduction
5 Brandstorming Questions
Introduction:
Welcome
Welcome to Peter Montoya’s THE BRAND CALLED YOU: How To Promote And Market
Your Skills In Any Economy. This program and the accompanying guidebook are a Personal
Branding master class. It has been created to aid you in discovering what your Personal Brand is and
how to make it flourish in your business, whatever that may be. Whether you are an entrepreneur or
work for corporate America, developing your Personal Brand puts you in the driver’s seat of your
future. Gaining a clearer perspective of what your greatest marketable assets are gives you the
necessary insight to establish yourself in the best possible light as you grow within your own chosen
field or move toward any other field of endeavor.
If you listen to this program repeatedly, read this guidebook and complete the exercises within it,
you’ll learn quite a bit. You’ll develop skills and gain insights that will transform how you market
yourself, pursue new business, deal with current clients, and portray yourself in the business
community. Among the valuable insights you will gain are:
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To achieve the maximum benefits from this program, listen to each audio session at least twice,
ideally three times. Listening to the audio session several times allows it to sink into your
subconscious mind as you make more and more discoveries each time that you listen. Be sure to keep
a paper and pen in hand as you are listening, and be prepared to stop the program when you hear an
idea or technique that particularly appeals to you. Think about that idea in connection with your
situation, your work, your lifestyle, then prepare a plan to act upon it in the days ahead. Take the time
to work through the Brandstorming Questions that are listed in this guidebook. Whenever
4
INTRODUCTION: WELCOME
possible give yourself a deadline, and be committed to following through on that deadline. Without Notes
implementing any of the action steps that you have mapped out for yourself, this program simply
becomes an exercise in listening. In order to gain the full benefits that this valuable program has to
offer you, make the decision here and now to work through this program, act upon your insights
and strategies, and achieve the kind of results in your life that you’ve never thought possible.
Defining your Personal Brand will create an expectation of your value in the minds of those who
don’t know you personally. It will give you “top of mind” status among your potential clients,
customers or patients. Enjoy this Master Class. Take action, grow, and prosper. It will be well worth
the time and effort that you take to do so.
Brandstorming Questions
5
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
6
INTRODUCTION: WELCOME
7
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
8
PA R T 1 : W H AT I S P E R S O N A L B R A N D I N G
Part 1: Notes
What Is
Personal Branding
Branding Maxim #1:
Branding Is More Critical Than Sales
The Difference Between Branding, Marketing And Sales
Sales Is Convincing
Sales are the words you say to overcome objections, negotiate a deal, and persuade clients to view
a situation your way. You can identify Sales activities by the fact that your lips are moving.
Branding Is Influencing
Branding appeals to our desires and touches our emotions. It has one goal: to emotionally predispose
consumers into entering a business relationship. The goal of Branding is to position a product or
service in such a way that people feel an irresistible urge to purchase that product or service.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
1.
2.
3.
10
PA R T 1 : W H AT I S P E R S O N A L B R A N D I N G
Differentiation
Differentiation is the most important tenet in Branding, and it is the critical key to rising above the
Marketing noise.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Building Trust
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building trust:
1. Personal rapport. We like people who are like ourselves.
2. Integrity. We trust people who do what they say they will do.
12
PA R T 1 : W H AT I S P E R S O N A L B R A N D I N G
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Part 2: Notes
Branding
Strategies
Branding Strategy #1: Specialization
Think Narrow
Brands grow by specialization. Conglomeration eventually kills brands. Specialization means
carefully choosing a target market and developing your products, services, and business model
to meet its needs.
14
PA R T 2 : B R A N D I N G S T R AT E G I E S
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
16
PA R T 2 : B R A N D I N G S T R AT E G I E S
Emerging Businesses
Red-hot, emerging businesses always have the greater number of Marketing Channels and,
conversely, stagnant businesses have the fewest.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Of the reasons listed, what do you think is the most compelling reason? This is your leading
attribute and should be used as the core message driving all your Branding collateral.
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
Part 3: Notes
Marketing
Tools
Personal Brochures
The Cornerstone of Your Brand
A Personal Brochure is a tool created to attract clients, establish your position in front of a target
audience, and develop your brand. It is a prospecting tool, not a sales tool. Its purpose is to create
a positive, emotional predisposition to doing business with you.
19
3. Write it right. Notes
a. Write using the third-person, objective point of view.
b. If you write in the first person, only share your experience or what you have learned. To
outright list your successes can be viewed as egotistical.
c. Always be positive; refrain from criticizing peers and leading with negative notions.
d. Avoid bullets; write your brochure text in paragraph form. People pay little attention to
bulleted text because bullets indicate a list of cut-and-dried facts approaching. Use bullets
only on the back panel of the brochure, if at all. The entire brochure text can be 300 –
500 words.
e. Break up the text with strong headlines, sub-headlines, quotes, and captions to convey
more information.
f. Include a clear call-to-action. Invite prospects to visit your Web Site or to call or e-mail
you.
4. Create a knockout cover and appealing layout.
The cover of your brochure needs to scream, “Pick me up!” It should make the reader stop
and think, and it should hint at a story to be found inside.
Two rules you should never break:
a. Never put a logo on the cover.
b. Never put a mug shot on the cover.
Other good advice:
a. Leave plenty of white space or open space for pictures. This makes your brochure feel
inviting to the reader. Plastering your brochure with wall-to-wall text only repels readers.
b. The image on the cover should appeal to the tastes, and maybe even to the dreams, of
your Target Market.
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showing you in more casual, personal settings.
d. Keep in mind that a square brochure (6" x 6", 7" x 7", 8" x 8") and/or
horizontal-format brochure is the easiest format to design, and the most effective to
attract prospects.
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
e. The worst-sized brochure is the 8.5" x 11" tri-fold. It is generic and difficult to view, since Notes
we see the world horizontally.
f. Pick the right format. Depending on your Marketing and Sales process, you will need a
prospecting brochure and maybe even a sales presentation brochure.
5. Purchase high-quality printing.
People do judge the quality of a company based on the quality of its Branding materials.
a. Use 100 lb. cover glossy paper using “four over four,” also known as full-color printing.
b. Plan on spending $2,500 to $4,500 on the printing phase of the project.
c. Print a minimum of 2,500, usually 5,000 and upwards of 10,000 Personal Brochures.
All told, 5,000 brochures will typically cost you about $7,500, or about $1.50 apiece between
writing, design, photography, and printing.
1. Mail to Current Clients — Mail two copies to all current clients in tandem with the “Personal
Brochure Cover Letter — Current Clients” on page 25.
2. Mail to Prospective Clients — Mail two copies to any prospective clients with the “Personal
Brochure Cover Letter — Prospective Clients.”
3. Give Copies to Professional Referral Sources — Send at least two dozen copies to
all professional referral sources you know — such as CPAs, attorneys, financial planners,
stockbrokers, and insurance professionals — to accompany their recommendation of you.
4. Client Maintenance — Mail the Personal Brochure to all of your clients at least once a year as
part of your “Twelve-Month Drip Branding Campaign” on page 32.
5. Client Generation — Mail it to “cold” prospects as part of your “Six-Week Branding Blitz
Client-Generation Plan” on page 32.
6. Networking/Business Card Substitute — Replace your business card with your Personal
Brochure. Hand it out at public events, networking meetings, or parties.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
7. Seminars — Hand the brochure out to everyone who attends your seminar prior to your Notes
presentation. Or mail it as part of the invitation for the seminar.
8. Press Kits — Include the brochure in press kits or with any story submissions/ideas you send
to editors.
9. Trade Shows and Special Events — make sure you have ample quantities of
your brochures at trade shows and other special events. Every passerby should receive one.
10. Alternative Sources — Place your brochure in every conceivable place your prospects may visit,
including, but not limited to: the Chamber of Commerce, area restaurants, golf courses,
coffeehouses, tennis clubs… the list of possibilities is endless.
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
Headline
Postcard Text
Contact Information
Company Logo
Large-Formatted Photo
Drop Cap
T
Inside
Production Notes
After designing and creating hundreds of Personal Brochures, our staff has concluded that certain
typefaces, sizes, and styles work best to draw readers’ eyes.
1. Use 12-point Serif Style font for the body copy.
2. Use 18-point type or slightly larger Sans Serif Style font for headlines and sub-headlines.
3. Place photos where you see large “X’s.”
Aa
Serif Style Font
Aa
Sans Serif Style Font
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
Dear [Name],
I hope this letter finds you happy, healthy, and successful. It’s a busy time of year, and I
hope you’re enjoying quality time with family and friends as well as continued prosperity.
This is a season of rewarding experiences and new opportunities.
Speaking of rewarding experiences, I’d like to share one with you. Recently, I asked an
advertising agency to create a Personal Brochure promoting my services. I commissioned
this brochure because I wanted to market myself in a friendly and inviting way, a way that
would make people feel comfortable calling me. I think of the brochure as an invitation.
Before I begin distributing my new brochure, I need a bit of input from my current clients.
I’d really appreciate it if you would take a moment to read the enclosed brochure and
share your thoughts.
Your time is valuable, so I’ll make things easy. You can call me directly at 555-1234, or you
can leave a message on my 24-hour voice mail at 1-800-555-1234, extension 189. This
number is fully automated; when it answers, just dial x189 and leave your comments. Your
feedback will help make the final version of the brochure even better.
Your business is important to me. Even if you don’t need financial consulting at the
moment, I hope you will always feel comfortable calling me for advice. I want to be your
financial advisor for life.
Sincerely,
Mary Smith
Mary Smith
P.S. I’ve included a second brochure that I hope you will pass along to friends and
neighbors who might be seeking a financial advisor.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
On-Demand Information
Today, we expect instant access when we want information. In this overcommunicated society,
we refuse unneeded information daily, but scramble to find it when the need arises. For this reason,
you must have a Web presence so you can be found when your prospects are ready.
1. Credibility Builder — Your Web Site is a public relations tool. It does not generate sales;
it is not a great tool to develop business. Your Web presence establishes you as a real
company, and it signifies that you are a valuable resource.
2. Business Development Tool — With the correct product, service and Marketing, your
Web Site can be turned into a business-generation portal.
3. Client-Maintenance Tool — Increasingly, entrepreneurs are turning to the Web as a
low-cost, value-added tool to maintain relationships with clients.
1. A user-friendly interface.
a. The best sites are easily accessible via an easy-to-remember Web Site address, also
known as a URL (Universal Resource Locator). Visit www.verisign.com to reserve
your name. Use your company name as your web address (URL).
b. The best sites are designed for easy navigation. Make sure the navigation architecture
is simple and suits your content. Once the visitors arrive, they should be able to
navigate through the site simply, finding what they want in a few clicks.
2. Appealing design.
a. A good-looking, fast-loading Web Site conveys professionalism; a shoddy site that
takes four minutes to download reflects poorly on you.
b. There should be “design continuity” with your Personal Brochure and any other
Branding.
c. Make sure your name, phone number, and address are clearly visible on
every page.
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
27
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Direct Mail
Direct Mail Divides and Conquers
Direct mail is the most abused, most misunderstood and most underutilized Branding tool among
today’s entrepreneurs. When done correctly, direct mail allows a professional on a limited budget
to deliver a targeted message to an audience, inexpensively and effectively.
1. Consistency — Expect to mail at least four to six pieces to a prospect before you get any
recognition.
2. Continuity — Each of your direct-mail pieces must build your identity using the same look
and feel.
3. Differentiation — Your piece must look different from the thousands of other direct-mail
pieces prospects receive each day.
4. Response Channel — Your direct mail should provide multiple ways the client can respond.
a. Phone Number.
b. Web Site.
c. Business Reply Card (BRC).
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
Label Space
Contact Information
Company Logo
(optional)
Personal
Photo
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Back
Phone Number
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
High-tech businesses often have high-stakes insurance issues. That’s why Employment
Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) is so essential. The average jury award for an
employment practices claim is over $300,000. Wondering if your employees would ever sue
you for sexual harassment, discrimination, or wrongful termination? It’s not a matter of
“if” — it’s a matter of “when.” A typical general-liability policy offers no EPLI coverage —
so protect your business before it’s too late! As a commercial insurance agent, I can review
your program and point out your options. Call me today.
XXX-XXXX
2. Personal Messages
At regularly scheduled intervals, print a personal message on your Personal Postcard to help build the
“friendship” factor. You want your clients to feel comfortable calling you, and periodic personal
messages imply that you care about them.
No policy pitches. No requests to call me. I’d just like to thank you for helping me become
one of the valley’s most successful REALTORS ® … for letting me into your lives a little …
and allowing me to meet your loved ones. As this year winds up, I hope it’s been a great
one for you. I look forward to helping you make the right moves far into the future.
XXX-XXXX
3. Holiday Greetings
Use familiar holidays to spice up your regular Personal Postcard. In the card’s blank section, overprint
a holiday-rooted message.
Join us in the movement to have this national icon’s birthday — March 6 — declared a
federal holiday. After all, Alan’s likely to be the man most responsible for the strength of
our economy. I can’t think of anyone more deserving. So give me a call soon and I’ll send
you some information about the cause... and while I’m at it, I’ll offer you some of my own
smart financial guidance.
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PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
As I’m sure you’ve heard, big changes have swept through the federal and state tax codes
— again. Some of these changes may affect you and/or your business, and it’s no time to
stay uninformed. It’s time to talk with a CPA! Do you have the CPA relationship you want?
Do you know how it can benefit you? Let me show you. I can help you make sense of the
changes in federal and state tax laws, and my tax planning can show you how to best take
advantage of them. Give me a call.
XXX-XXXX
Be in the loop.
I’m starting a monthly e-mail newsletter in which I’ll be talking about the latest e-
Marketing concepts, how Internet Marketing can complement direct-mail Marketing, and
much more. I’d love to add you to the mailing list, but the only way I can do that is if you
visit my Web Site, www.[insert address].com, and register. I hope you will. You’ll also find a
lot of useful direct Marketing tips. Surf by sometime.
6. Seminar Promotions
You can promote seminars among your current clients using the Personal Postcard.
Where: [place]
When: [date and time]
Cost: [$$ or free]
Why are hotel owners across the state signing up for my leading-edge management
seminar? It’s because I show hotel owners how to succeed, how to increase their occupancy
and profit margin through tactics they haven’t tried or considered. And even if you can’t
make it, call me — my company’s complete management system, meticulous accounting
controls, and experience with all property types can help you.
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THE BRAND CALLED YOU
I just wanted to thank you for stopping by the office Monday. I enjoyed having a chance to
chat with you. I hope we can speak soon about specific design projects you’d like me to
manage for you. Please call me at (555) 555-5555 if I can assist you.
32
PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
What Direct Mail Campaign Will Work Best For You? Notes
Describe the audience, frequency, and type of message for your direct-mail campaign.
Target Market Frequency Message Type
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
1. ________________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Your Logo
Once you have defined your Position, you may develop your Brand Identity, which is arguably the
most vital aspect of any brand. The cornerstone of your Brand Identity is the Logo. You should have
a Logo, and you should use it in all aspects of your Branding campaign — boldly and consistently —
to build name recognition in clients’ minds. A Logo includes three critical elements: a name, a slogan,
and an icon.
33
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Myth #1: “I’m trying to institutionalize my company and if I name my company after me, all
my clients will think that they will work with me.”
Reality: Whether you name your company after an individual or choose to promote a
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company does very little to train clients of who they will work with. The systems your company
puts into place do much more to train your clients.
Myth #2: “I’m trying to create the aura of a bigger company, not just a one-man office.”
Reality: The quality of your Branding and your company’s overall presence will act to dispel
such fears. At first glance, people sum up your size by the quality of your Branding, not by the
name of your company.
Myth #3: “My clients are attached to my company name; if I change it, it will cause problems.”
Reality: It’s a good bet that the majority of your clients don’t even know the name of your
company. As overmarketed consumers, your clients are lucky to remember one name —
hopefully your name — let alone two. The most successful Product Brands have company
brand names to match.
Coca-Cola is a Product Brand manufactured at Coca-Cola, the Company Brand.
FedEx is a Service Brand created by FedEx, the Company Brand.
Nike is a Product Brand manufactured by Nike, the Company Brand.
34
PAR T 3: MARKETING TOOLS
Myth #4: “I’m trying to build equity into my company and eventually sell it. You can’t sell a Notes
company based on a person.”
Reality: There are thousands of companies that are owned by people other than the founders
— Walt Disney, Dale Carnegie, and Orville Redenbacher to name a few. Understand that we are
dealing with three different entities: you (the person), your brand, and a company.
Selling a Company
When selling a Personally Branded company, you have two choices:
1. Don’t change the name. Dale Carnegie died in 1955, but his Personal Brand and company
live on. The company’s new owners valued his brand so much that they didn’t dare change
the name.
2. Merge and purge. Like any Corporate Brands that merge, parts or all of the existing
names come together for a period of two to three years, after which one or more names
may be dropped.
b. Partnerships — Please understand that just because you share office space together or perform
some Marketing functions jointly, that does not make you Branding partners.
Office Partners
Marketing Partners
Branding Partners
If you are Branding Partners, use both of your last names, like a law or accounting firm. Limit
the name to no more than seven syllables. If you are Office or Marketing Partners, use your
own names, first and last, for each of your firms.
c. Co-Brand — Perhaps you are associated with a larger company, and you act as an agent for that
company. In this situation, your Personal Brand is leveraging the equity inherent in the other
brand. Depending on your company and state regulations, make your name as prominent as
possible and minimize the company name as much as possible. The company name does not
have to be prominent to be recognized.
35
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
An icon is a graphic image that amplifies your identity. Your icon will become the most easily
recognizable part of your Brand Identity. Keep away from generic icons, such as pyramids, columns,
compasses, prisms, houses, globes, maps, eagles, United States maps, and other cliched images.
Stationery
A properly created Personal Logo, used consistently, will become your greatest asset. Use it
universally on all your Branding: Personal Brochure, Personal Postcard, Stationery, Web Site, Signage,
etc.
36
PAR T 4: WRITING YOUR ONE-YEAR BRANDING PLAN
Part 4: Notes
37
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
38
PAR T 4: WRITING YOUR ONE-YEAR BRANDING PLAN
Recommended Reading
We recommend the following books and publications to further enhance your Branding savvy:
39
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Marketing Timetables
Notes
Activity January February March April May June
1 7 1 4 2 1 28 4 11 18 25 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24
client generation
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
client maintenance
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
seminars
Public Seminar
Private Seminar
Activity
Activity
Local Publication
advertising
Trade Publication
Busboard/Billboard
40
PAR T 4: WRITING YOUR ONE-YEAR BRANDING PLAN
1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 2 9 23 30 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23
client generation
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
client maintenance
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
seminars
Public Seminar
Private Seminar
Activity
Activity
Local Publication
advertising
Trade Publication
Busboard/Billboard
41
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
1 7 1 4 2 1 28 4 11 18 25 4 11 18 25 1 8 15 22 29 6 13 20 27 3 10 17 24
client generation
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
client maintenance
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
seminars
Public Seminar
Private Seminar
Activity
Contact Editor
Press Release
Activity
Local Publication
advertising
Trade Publication
Busboard/Billboard
42
PAR T 4: WRITING YOUR ONE-YEAR BRANDING PLAN
1 8 15 22 29 5 12 19 26 2 9 23 30 7 14 21 28 4 11 18 25 2 9 16 23
client generation
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
client maintenance
Personal Brochure
Sales Letter
Personal Postcard
Activity
seminars
Public Seminar
Private Seminar
Activity
Contact Editor
Press Release
Activity
Local Publication
advertising
Trade Publication
Busboard/Billboard
43
THE BRAND CALLED YOU
Channels of Profit:
12 Easy Ways to Make Millions for Yourself
and Your Business
By MaryEllen Tribby
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