Standing Out in Your Industry
It’s no secret that top positioning is a great way to gain the trust of future clients. But how do you go from an unknown name to a brand leader worthy of being a powerhouse performer? Well, it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen by changing your story and, quite possibly, your focus.
Are You an Expert in Your Industry?
One of the biggest things to learn when establishing your reputation is acquiring the role of expert status. Being a brand leader means positioning yourself as being the best at what you do. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as you’ve got it firmly stated and you back it up with your actions. You want your name to come up first every time your past and potential clients think about this topic. This is going to be your building block. From here, you can move vertically and grow your business.
Do You Have a Niche?
One of the best ways to do this is to choose a very niche market. It’s always great to have a general and broad focus, but if you really want to deliver on your brand’s promise, the more you narrow your offering the better. For instance, if you want to start a coaching business, you may want to focus on a specific area of coaching like expat coaching. This type of coach helps people adjust to a new environment when working abroad. You can narrow this niche even further by concentrating on the specific region they are living in. This allows you to become an expert in that area instead of just becoming a global life coach. You can leverage your work in one country and then expand into other countries, and eventually become the number one expat coach on a global scale. The key is to start small and be patient enough to grow over time.
Are You Specific Enough?
See how having a specific niche allows for a more targeted message rather than just being broad and generic? If your message is speaking to everyone, it won’t be heard. You have to talk directly to that specific audience that is looking for the specific solutions you are offering.
If your customer cannot be pinpointed by a specific need and identifiable characteristics, you are probably being too general. Many people who have tried to build a personal brand have faced this challenge, and once they nail their customer persona down, then they are able to convert better.
Are You Putting Your Customers First?
The biggest thing you want to do to grow your business is gain a positive reputation that your brand takes good care of its customers. This begins to develop credibility and gain trust. To be a brand leader you also need to start leveraging the use of other experts to help sponsor and promote your business. Having influencers will help speed up the process to becoming a recognized brand leader and open the door to new opportunities.
Are You Giving Value?
Before you start approaching influencers to help you, you need to give first. Think of some creative ways to their attention. Because they are in high demand, your offer needs to be very appealing. For example, let’s say you want to interview them. You could try to reach out and offer to buy 50 books in exchange for the interview. You could offer to donate to a cause they are passionate about. You can help promote their upcoming book to a large audience reach or into a market that they aren’t in. Point is, if you want to become a brand leader, you can make it happen, but you have to do a little hustle to get there. Be creative and never be afraid to go against the grain and do things differently.