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ISSUE #51
May, 2003
A much needed vacation is coming up for me this month. My husband, Marty, and I are taking a week to head South and enjoy the beautiful Southern Spring before it turns hot.
In August, Marty and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. He's been a great help to me in keeping SBL sharp each month. He also does my technical troubleshooting - a lot more often than he'd like. I want to publicly acknowledge his continuing support of my endeavors as well as his long term love.
Because it's so important to any small business today, this month we're focusing on Branding.
The Roundtable, which takes place on Thursday, May 29th at 1 p.m. EDT, will feature our guest expert, Anna Lieber, Brand & Marketing Strategist. Anna will share from her many years in the marketplace and help you focus on creating "Powerful Brand Leadership". See details below - and do plan to join us.
This month's Feature Article, "Take a Stand - Build a Brand" outlines a strategy for carrying out your brand-building activities. It's short, but makes a strong point. Get ready to move up a notch.
Thanks for being part of our growing community. Have a great month!
To your success,
Marian Banker
Publisher
Small Business Leader
mailto:marian@primestrategies.com
http://primestrategies.com
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
TAKE A STAND -- BUILD A BRAND!
One of my definitions of a leader is someone who is willing to step out in front of the crowd and present his ideas even when they are different from those of the rest of the group. He says "this is what I believe - and why I believe it". The act of stepping out calls attention to you. What you say will be remembered and connected with you. That's branding.
Before being ready to take a stand, you must first be able to clearly articulate your message. Learning to clearly communicate is part of the branding process. Once you refine your message and determine the words that will communicate it, you're ready to take a stand.
Who takes a stand? These are people who have the courage, commitment and confidence to state their message and stand behind it. The more powerful the presentation, the more they will attract "believers and followers". We know this can be used negatively, as in cults and gangs. Used positively, taking a stand for the better is a great way to allow your market to find you. Those who relate to what you say and do will be your ready market.
Taking a stand makes you memorable. Ex-President, Jimmy Carter, took a stand on how the World might realize Peace. He has set that as his mission, taken action on his convictions and created a new image for himself that's different from his image while in office.
Taking a stand gives momentum to your courage and commitment. Certainly not everyone agreed with President George W. Bush's decision to initiate war in Iraq. He took a strong stand and did whatever he could to gain support for his actions. He won over enough people to make it happen.
Taking a stand differentiates you from anyone else and that's especially valuable in the marketplace. Michelin has branded itself as the "safety conscious" tire manufacturer based on their stand that tires should be dependable and failsafe.
How does one gather the courage, commitment and confidence to take a stand?
Courage
Courage comes after success. You've probably had your share of failures, but you've surely had successes as well. Take what you can learn from your failures. Then determine where you've been successful - even on a small scale. Consider why you were able to succeed and calculate how you can apply this to a future scenario. Identifying and acknowledging your successes provides courage.
Commitment
Commitment comes from both right and left brain agreement. When passion and logic come together, you're ready to make a commitment.
Confidence
Confidence comes from acting on your commitment with courage and realizing new successes. When you become confident, you engender confidence from others. People buy from those in whom they have confidence.
What is it you feel strongly about? What can you give? What do you want to give? How is it different from the norm or the common thinking? Go back to your Business Vision and Mission. The foundation for your stand will likely be there. If it's not, it may be time for an update.
Taking a Stand:
1 - Tells people what to expect from you.
2 - Presents you as a leader, willing to take calculated risks based on what you know and believe.
3 - Provides the basis for building relationships with those who are of like mind.
4 - Connects YOU with your stand. Becomes part of your personal brand.
(Take a Stand - Build a Brand!)
5 - Reinforces your confidence.
6 - Creates visibility and the opportunity to become known as an expert and leader in your field.
My stand is that small business is the foundation upon which we can build a strong economy again. Entrepreneurs have a lot of untapped experience, knowledge, skills and energy. My mission is to create a forum where that strength can be developed and exchanged for the benefit of all. My courage, commitment and confidence are renewed as I continue to receive your support and encouragement.
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ACTIVITIES:
May Lunchtime Telephone Roundtable
Topic: "Powerful Brand Leadership"
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2003 , 1 to 2 p.m. EDT
Moderator and Discussion Leader: Marian Banker, MBA, Business Leadership Coach
Guest Expert: Anna Lieber of Lieber Brewster. Anna is a nationally-known strategic marketing and branding expert. As president of Lieber Brewster, she has provided programs for leaders like Chase Manhattan Bank, General Foods, McGraw-Hill, Cancer Care & Absorba Babywear.
Lieber Brewster now operates as a marketing think tank. With three decades of experience, Anna has developed a strong sense of the way companies build image and support growth. Her approach: "focused marketing produces maximum results." Services range from coaching to web strategy, creative direction, design management, marketing plans and programs.
If you lead a business, your greatest marketing challenge is to develop a memorable brand. Your brand is a promise to your target audience. The brand position, communicated though visual identity and key messages, integrates all marketing efforts, whether online, in print, or through your personal image.
How do you create the connection and competitive edge of a powerful brand? Anna's secret mission is to empower small and midsize business with the same strategic tools Fortune 500 companies employ to win market share.
Bring your questions, share your experience and learn from the interaction that takes place at our monthly Roundtable events. Be there!
To register and receive the call-in number, send an e-mail to
marian@primestrategies.com with the Subject as Roundtable.
Here's just one of the many positive comments from a previous Roundtable...
"Thank you, Marian. (The Roundtable) was an interesting and valuable call. I liked (the guest's) three questions and plan to put this concept to use in my own marketing efforts". Susan Burstein, Director, Professional Development Center, Westchester Community College
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QUOTE:
"During the economic slowdown, many people formed small businesses, the majority operating from the owner's home. These new businesses successfully generated income to survive this difficult period. As the economy improves, these micropreneurs will think carefully about whether they want to rejoin the corporate rat race. The increasingly robust economy will provide more
opportunities for new business creation.
The future is small."
From The Herman Trend Alert, April 9, 2003. www.hermangroup.com/trend_alert_signup.html
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TIP:
HANDLING YOUR EMOTIONS IN THE TRENCHES
We all get ticked sometimes. Unfortunately, in business interactions, responding from anger can kill an otherwise good relationship. Next time someone says something or does something that brings up your anger, recognize your anger and prepare yourself to rise above it. Acknowledge that you heard the other person and let them know you want to resolve any barriers before going on. If you just think of this as a hurdle to get over, you'll find it easier to do.
I've learned to use this in my own business interactions. When somebody trips my buttons, I know I have to take charge of the situation. I do that by telling the person I want to work with them. We then look for a common ground from which to build the relationship. If we can't do that, the relationship won't work anyway. If you see consistent anger-producing behavior it's a clue that you may want to reconsider the value of this relationship.
There's a lot to be angry about these days, so our job as business leaders is to move business beyond the emotions. Take charge of your business. Know where you're going and don't let anger get in your way.
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ARTICLES:
E-BAY FOR SMALL BUSINESS
We're always seeking new ways to market our products and services. If you haven't considered using online auctioning, you might change your mind after reading Gerry Blackwell's article in Small Business Computing.
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/2176641
DEFINED CONTRIBUTION HEALTH PLANS
Health care benefits for small businesses have always been tough to provide. Defined Contribution Plans are a new twist on the trade-off between benefit and contribution. Several companies are offering options and there's something available in all 50 states.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20020801/24466-2.html
TRAIN FOR EMPLOYEE EFFECTIVENESS
If you think you can't afford the time or expense to train your employees, your perspective is backwards. Ineffective employees are costly and often don't stay long. Zig Ziglar offers some basics on making sure you get what you expect from your employees.
http://newsletter.zigziglar.com/cms/view.asp?key=0447TRAING
PREPARING TO PRESENT
To maximize the benefit of the time you spend in front of your audience, find out as much as you can about their needs. SellingPower.com offers a couple of solid suggestions on how to survey your prospective audience.
http://www.sellingpower.com/html_newsletter/presentations/article.asp?id=859&nDate=April+23%2C+2003
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ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
Marian Banker has been publishing Small Business Leader since January, 1999. Her focus is on bringing to the busy entrepreneur a quick look into the current world of small business from the perspective she's gained from coaching, consulting and training entrepreneurs in both service and product based businesses.
Marian offers individual coaching, business support groups, seminars and workshops on topics of critical interest to small business owners. Her monthly Lunchtime Telephone Roundtable has proven to be a popular way for business owners to come together around a specific business topic without leaving their office. See notice about this month's topic in the content above.
To learn more about her services, visit http://primestrategies.com.
FEEDBACK:
Your feedback is always appreciated. Please write to marian@primestrategies.com.
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COPYRIGHT 2003 SMALL BUSINESS LEADER
A publication of Prime Strategies
http://primestrategies.com
MNMBZ, Inc.
Notice and Disclaimer:
Of course, I'm open to your including my content in your publication with proper credit. You must, however, obtain my written permission first. Thanks!
Content in the SBL is for information purposes only and should not be construed as specific advice.
