Day 3: Defining Your Brand
Welcome to day 3 of the 5 Day Business Makeover Challenge.
Yesterday was all about defining and stating the mission of your business.
Today we’ll clarify what is meant by brand and how to define yours.
Reflection:
Do you know what your brand is? Most therapists or life coaches don’t.
Since you can’t be all things to all clients, getting clarity on your brand will help you to identify your clients. Figuring out your specific niche is crucial.
Entrepreneur.com contributor John Williams explains branding concisely:
Branding is one of the most important aspects of any business, large or small. An effective brand strategy gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does "branding" mean?
Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer... what they can expect from your services, and it differentiates your offering from your competitors’. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be, and who people perceive you to be.
In other words, your brand is not primarily about a logo (although that is important) or website colors. Your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors.
It’s what makes you unique. It’s your competitive advantage, your secret sauce.
Strong branding allows you to attract the "right" or "best fit" clients and help clients determine why to choose you over other therapists. So, in addition to your mission, you must get clear on your brand.
Action:
Answer these questions in detail.
● What exactly makes you different from other therapists or coaches in your community?
● Why would someone choose your service over another therapist or coach?
Sum up your brand in a single sentence. What is your niche?
Does your brand fit with your mission? Go back and look. They should be in line with each other. Your mission statement is really for guiding your internal organization, but branding focuses on what clients want or need.
That’s it for today.
Tomorrow we’ll look at the culture of your business - whether it’s a healthy outgrowth of your mission and whether it supports your brand.