Branding Information

Brand Your Consulting Brilliance


Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business. Think about what happens when you hear phrases such as "the ultimate driving machine," "don't leave home without it," and "just do it." Chances are good that you can immediately associate them with BMW, American Express, and Nike. These companies have mastered "brand brilliance." Brand your consulting brilliance because the future of your business depends on it.

There's an old adage, "Perception is reality." Simply stated, the perception of a brand lies in its ability to influence a client's behavior. When you have successfully branded your business, in the client's eye there is no service in the marketplace quite like your service.

All consulting businesses should have a distinct, sustainable, and competitive advantage to differentiate their services from the competition. I call this process of identifying your advantage "Brand Your Consulting Brilliance."

Here are six simple steps to brand and differentiate your services in the new economy.

1. Think client focus first.
The client's reality: Consulting businesses exist to serve clients. Develop a client visitation calendar and schedule in-person visits. Look the client in the eye and say, "I am here to serve you." Follow up and follow through on all client-related matters in a timely manner.

Create a client questionnaire so clients can rate the performance of your services. You want them to tell you how you're doing and what you can do to serve them better. It's also a way to discover what challenges they are currently facing. Be relentless in your client retention efforts.

2. Discover a distinct advantage that will set you apart from competitors.
Start by articulating your "unique marketing proposition," a statement of all of the qualities and characteristics that set your services apart in the marketplace. Analyze your services: What skills and services do we provide that are distinctive, measurable, and add value? Which of our past successes can we leverage in the marketplace? And don't forget to ask colleagues what they see as your competitive strengths.

Communicate these messages reinforcing your unique marketing proposition anytime you have an opportunity to write or speak about your consulting firm and what you have to offer to prospective clients.

3. Generate publicity.
What others say about your brand is much more powerful and credible than what you can say about it yourself. When it comes to branding your consulting brilliance, favorable publicity in the media or word of mouth is far superior to advertising. So how do you generate the publicity "buzz"? Create a buzz about your brand by being visible: speaking at seminars, publishing a newsletter on your website, participating as a host or guest on television or radio talk shows, writing a column in a reputable trade journal, and networking.

4. Promote a powerful perception of quality in the client's mind.
What is quality if not a perception that resides in the mind of the client? You build quality intangibles around trust, reliability, excellent people, and innovative client services. Show clients that you can interpret and process their information to convert it to results oriented solutions. What you say is important, but what you do is even more important for reinforcing their perception of your brand quality.

Keep the lines of communication open. The goal of branding your consulting brilliance is to convince the client that your brand is worth their trust and worth a premium price.

5. Establish your credentials as an industry leader in the field.
Clients like to know they are doing business with an industry leader. Make clients aware of your consulting acumen, presence, and commitment. Know your clients' businesses inside out - what they do, why they do it, how they do it. Tout your firm's successful track record of accomplishment in working with companies like theirs.

Build and sustain credibility with clients by strengthening your client relationships, developing a client retention strategy, demonstrating that you value your new clients, and going the extra mile for them.

6. Practice consistency in building your consulting brilliance.
Stay focused on implementing the branding of your consulting brilliance. Keep abreast of marketing trends in your profession and position yourself as a recognized expert. Make the most of your unique marketing proposition. Accelerate and elevate the perceived value of your brand in the marketplace.

In short, to brand your consulting brilliance, know what you have to offer, know how to differentiate it, and know how to market it.

Robert Moment is a best-selling author, business coach, strategist and the founder of The Moment Group, a consulting firm dedicated to helping small businesses win federal contracts. He just released his new book, It Only Takes a Moment to Score, and recently unveiled Sell Integrity, a small business tool that helps you successfully sell your business idea. Learn more at: http://www.sellintegrity.com or email: Robert@sellintegrity.com.

  


MORE RESOURCES:

News from Branding Iron
Helicopter Association International
Dallas, Texas - Branding Iron Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, (Branding Iron) announced that they completed a new website for Eagle Copters Ltd. on a special project to sell excess inventory for Rotorcraft Leasing Corporation, ...
Branding Iron Launches New Website at Heli Expo 2012Vertical Magazine (press release)

all 2 news articles »


The Bay City Times - MLive.com

Another View: Hospital re-branding doesn't change the services provided
The Bay City Times - MLive.com
Instead of Bay Regional Medical Center, a subsidiary of McLaren Health Care, it's McLaren Health Care, with the shorter brands for all ten subsidiary hospitals underneath. Locally, that translates to McLaren–Bay Region and McLaren–Bay Special Care.

and more »


Branding American design
SmartPlanet.com (blog)
By Sun Joo Kim | February 12, 2012, 6:43 PM PST Can a service or process be branded as American? And is there value in that brand? The creators of a new certification mark, “Designed in USA”, say yes. The creators hope to brand the services of American ...



Blogcritics.org (blog)

Marriage Bigot Branding Embraces Androgyny
Blogcritics.org (blog)
Because of the nature of my work I pay a lot of attention to branding, and while walking the exhibit floor at CPAC my eye was caught by a branding choice so odd that I have to comment on it. All makes sense so far, right? The conventions of this system ...



Occupy.com calls on 99% for branding
Marketing magazine Australia
Occupy.com is anticipating a shortlist announcement later this week. Can this type of movement be successfully branded? Does Occupy.com represent the movement? We'd love to hear your thoughts. You must be logged in to post a comment.

and more »


CU: Ralphie's image reserved for competition
Daily Camera
Dangel is wearing the Ralphie logo, which, for branding purposes, will be restricted to sports and competitions. ( CLIFF GRASSMICK ) The University of Colorado is reining in the use of its Ralphie logo, saying the buffalo's image is reserved for ...
University of Colorado reserving Ralphie buffalo logo solely for competition ...The Republic

all 12 news articles »


Oppn slams 200k for climate branding
Sydney Morning Herald
Information on the Austenders website says the Gillard government will spend the money on "brand identity". The original contract was for just over $41000 but was increased to $200000. Opposition climate change spokesman Greg Hunt slammed the cost blow ...

and more »


OK Go Talks Bands, Brands and Creative Freedom
Paste Magazine
Over the course of its 14-year career, the band has worked with brands like State Farm, Google Chrome, Range Rover and Samsung. And while the indie group is known for it's viral videos—from treadmill dancing to launching an epic Rube Goldberg ...

and more »


Hillsboro approves hiring new marketing and branding manager, launches plan to ...
OregonLive.com
The position, which Willey said will be filled "quickly," is a first step in the city's plan to develop its first marketing and branding campaign. Last month, the council saw a first look at what the city's brand could look like when the consultant ...

and more »


Daily Mail

Fury as Johnson brands Irish gala event 'Sinn Fein, lefty crap'
Irish Independent
By Graham Clifford in London CONTROVERSIAL London mayor Boris Johnson was at the centre of a row last night after he ridiculed the city's St Patrick's Day gala dinner celebrations, which ran between 2002 to 2008, linking them to Sinn Fein and branding ...
Home Page > News > London mayor ridicules Irish gala event and St. Patrick's ...Irish Central
Boris Johnson calls London St Patrick's Day event 'Lefty Sinn Fein crap'Belfast Telegraph
Leader: The battle for London will define British politicsNew Statesman

all 87 news articles »

Google News

Article List | Index | Site Map
All logos, trademarks and articles on this site are property and copyright of their respective owner(s).
The comments are property of their posters, all the rest is Copyright © 2006 CanadaSEEK.com - All Rights Reserved.