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OK, so you're looking for value added ways to
differentiate yourself with your contacts while also standing out
from the rest of the crowd. So what do we do Coach? Heck, what’s
this “Bow-Tie” that you mentioned? Remember, the key to standing out
from the crowd is that your audience has a developed a sense of
attributes in mind for a product, which in this case is YOU – they
don’t have to do a taste test. And let’s face it, whether you’re
selling cars or you’re selling the next “killer app”, most consumers
and buyers are inundated with choices. Anything that makes you
quickly and reliably stand out will give you the edge in their
decision making. And that’s exactly what your “”Bow-Tie” will do for
you.
Let me explain what a "Bow-Tie" is. One day, I was doing a public
workshop to a room full of people who were meeting for the first
time on branding yourself and being able to stand out from all the
clutter a potential customer experiences. I started telling this
story about a colleague of mine that wears a bow-tie wherever he
goes – “How many people do you know that wear a bow-tie?” I asked.
Exactly my point. Before I could finish the statement, half the room
rattled off his name and right then and there I was able to
demonstrate what a great brand this guy had because half the room
knew his name before I finished my story.
So, the "Bow-Tie" concept is what you do, what you wear, how you
write, the tools that you use and what you say that differentiates
you from everyone else and helps you stand out above all the clutter
and noise that your buyers are experiencing. For example, one of my
“Bow-Tie’s” is my name; "Coach Nick." Hey Coach, do people have to
love your “Bow-Tie?” The key here is that people remember it like in
the story I shared earlier. The “Coach Nick” name differentiates me
and therefore is my “Bow-Tie.”
Another one of my “Bow-Tie’s” is my voice-mail greeting. There is
always a motivational message on my voice-mail. Think about it – the
standard voice mail greeting (which everyone has) usually is very
dry and tells you how to leave a message – something they already
know how to do. But when people call me, they know they will always
here a different message that is designed to be inspirational and
motivational – another "Bow-Tie" which people tell me adds value to
their day while also making me different from the rest of my
competition.
Now that we know what a “Bow-Tie” is…how do we do it? Let’s talk
nuts and bolts. Hey, what are Coach’s for? Below is Coach Nick’s
outline for developing your “Bow-Tie.”
Four Step "Bow-Tie" Exercise:
Your “Bow-Tie” is never right or wrong. But you want to make sure
it differentiates you and it isn't offensive. To help you determine
your own “Bow-Tie” consider the following things:
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Think about the following three companies – Dunkin
Donuts, Starbucks, and Bruegger’s Bagels. What would you say makes
each of them different from the other? How do they use the
“bow-tie” to differentiate themselves?
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Think about other people's “Bow-Ties” – like the
one's I described above and try listing three other people that do
something, say something or give out something that always makes
you remember them.
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What's one thing that people have told you that
already is unique about you?
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What would be one thing – clothing, words you use,
items you give out or leave behinds, presentation style – that
does or would differentiate you from everyone else that you can
start today?
Branding is consistent differentiation for when you are selling
yourself first – which is ALWAYS! Remember, the key to a memorable
“Bow-Tie” is that the audience has a developed sense of attributes
in mind for YOU – they don’t have to do a taste test. And let’s face
it, most of our prospects and clients are inundated with choices,
noise and clutter. Anything that makes you quickly and reliably
stand out will give you the edge in their decision making. And
that’s exactly what your “Bow-Tie” will do for you. Don’t think too
long and hard about it… Start “tying” that “Bow-Tie!” Developing a
“Bow-Tie” adds value to your contacts while serving to allow you
stand out from the rest of the crowd. |
