Brand conversation 052714

Differentiating Yourself from the Masses in the Job Market

May 28, 2014

Martin McLaughlin, Managing Partner, Mosaic Partners

[email protected]

– Authentic shaping of perceptions

– Positioning you as compelling and differentiated

– Focusing on creating value and not just capturing value

– Conversations beyond functional “what you do” to relevant “why you exist”

– Engaging stories to carry your brand forward

– Being your most confident self to attract your target audience

What is personal branding?

Change the conversation with customers, employees and potential employers.

Be engaging, compelling, authentic, and remarkable.

Principle #1

Principle #1 - Support

• Full Service

• Longevity

• Number of Locations

• Quality of Offerings

• Background of Employees

• Number / Mix of Customers

• Accountingfor Change

• Lowering theCost of Everything

• Computing Power to Change the World

• Transforming Education

Principle #1 - SupportWhy I Exist:

Quality Leads Driving Quality Revenue

How I Do It:

Partnering between Sales and Marketing

Building teams and process that fit culture and deliver revenue objectives

Metrics that extend from LTV of a customer to program ROI

Engage customers more deeply around brand value

What I Do: VP of Marketing or CMO

Marketing strategy

Lead generation

Direct mail

Lead team of 35+ people

B2B and B2C experiences

MENG: 38 Members Reviewing 650 Resumes

Single Most Critical/Common Weakness: Undifferentiated Excellence

•The most typical communication is:

• I’m a really good, successful senior marketing executive. Just give me a chance…I can do whatever you need.

The biggest problem is that the “point of differentiation is not clearly articulated.”

“Consider who the resume is targeting and be sure the messages are directed to them.”


Questions to Think About

What business topics (1 or 2) would you “blog” about if I asked you to write and engage with an

audience for the next year?

Are your conversations conventional or remarkable?


Define and know your target audience better than

anyone else.

Beyond industry or size.

Principle #2

Know Your Target Better Than Anyone Else!!!


Your “Cup of Coffee” must be

great, but that isn’t enough.

Everyone sells quality

coffee or they

wouldn’t be around.


What thread ties all of your work experiences together?

What do you know about your target audience – how they think, act, behave, grow?

Who are you most valuable to and why?


Develop a unique brand position beyond a quality

offering.

(Quality is a commodity in every industry – create value beyond

your function.)

Principle #3

Personal and Company Brand Connectat Solution Value


Company ValueMigration

Personal ValueMigration

Product Service Solution Experience

Function Strengths Solution Experience

Basic premise:

Customer’s aren’t looking to fill a functional role…they are looking to you to solve something for them.

It is up to you to understand what that is and to help them solve it.

Personal and Business!!!


Principle #3 - SupportPersonal Value

Functional Value Build capacity of team to be more than order takers.

Great deal maker.

Expert in the industry.

Have strong negotiating skills.

Strengths Value Build relationships to deliver sustainable results.

Manage conversations and opportunities to achieve positive outcomes for all stakeholders.

Understand needs to optimize solutions (right questions, right way at right time).

Solution Value You are selling possibilities to a merchant while others are selling retail space.

You are a best fit for organizations that invest in their brand assets – and not just their inventory of space assets.

Experience Value Challenges self and others to be better…to be great.

Inspire confidence

Genuine and interested in merchant’s success while meeting company revenue goals


What are your strengths? How are they valuable to your target employers?

What do you solve for an organization?

What is missing when you are not there?


Life and business is one big value exchange – so add value in

every conversation.

Compel employers to select you.

Principle #4

Have an agenda to direct your meeting:

•Connect: People want to help and work with people they know and like.

•Understand : It is hard to add value if you don’t know specific things about the person.

•Add Value: Just because you are in great need doesn’t mean you can’t add great value!!!

•Communicate Your Story: You have positioned yourself by giving something of interest / value – so go for it.

•Define How They Can Help: Time to bring out your bio and make a request.

•Build Action / Commitments: Build in follow-up processes.


Doing Assets

• The Marketing Exchange • Facilitation of Personal Branding

Discussions • Villanova Exec Ed Coaching

Being Assets

• Andersen Background • Open, Helpful, Fun • Coach, Mentor• Network

Hard Assets

• Eagles Tickets • Office in Wayne • IP (Results from 100’s of Client

Engagements)

Functional Assets

• Strategic Marketing Frameworks • 11 Years as a Entrepreneur • Information Broker (share articles,

insight, etc.)

How are you developing and using yourassets to build an in-demand personal brand?



How do you show up in a networking conversation (active or responsive)?

How do you deploy your assets to add value?


Manage perceptions to influence behavior in 3 and

maybe 30 seconds.

Script the brand message because brand perceptions are being formed in a

blink of an eye.

Principle #5

How did he deliver his original 3/30 second speech?

•I work for company ______.•We are a retail chain that does business in 5 states.•My role is very operational right now, but I hope to get out of this role to be more strategic.•I develop retail strategies for new product intros.•I’ve been at big company _________ for 12 years.

Let me tell you more about my resume and leave it up to you to find something interesting about me…


3 Seconds, 30 Seconds, and 3 Minute Speeches:Goal-oriented.

Your goal is to create a dialogue.

Tells a story.Become a great story teller. Include in the story aspects of “who you are, what you do, and how you are different.”

As much about them as about you.People really only care about how you can help them – so add value in every conversation.

Positions you in the mind of the listener.Shape it or they will form it. Everything communicates.

Better with practice and refinement.


Question to Think About

Are your introductory words attracting the right people in the right way?

Are you actively managing your brand perception?

Are you avoiding “limiting” yourself?


Principle #6

What you read and who you meet will define where you areone year from today.

Calendars don’t lie.

Create a target list of people you want tomeet and get closer to:

–Be specific: define who and why you want to meet

–Be tight: start with 10 people that you want to add to your network

–Be bold: stretch to meet those that you feel are outside of your current comfort zone…the strength of weak ties

–Be focused: have an agenda for your network meetings


Process Measures of Networking Success:

–Selling to and through people…not 1, but 500

–Measure 1: Are people extending / risking their own personal brand and providing access to their best contacts?

–Getting the message…introductions aligned to your brand

–Measure 2: Are people bringing you into the right conversations?

–Getting closer to the opportunity…not 500, but 1

–Measure 3: Are you being exposed to the right opportunities selling, networking, career opportunities?



Why would I need to introduce you into my network?

Are people extending their brand and network assets to you?


Use language that extends your brand. Nothing communicates

more than passion.

(Be interested and be interesting.)

Principle #7

“He had done nothing to sell me on his business, yet he had given me the most powerful sales pitch of my life. Because his sole concern had been my welfare

and the success of my business.”

Jim Pennman, on learning how to sell(What Will They Franchise Next? The Story of Jim’s Group)



Can you authentically show up for them and meet your objective?


Define your value.

Be clear on who values you the most and why.

Develop your 3 / 30 / 3 minute speeches.

Have an inventory of stories that align to your value (why, how, what).

Develop your bio to help tell your brand story.

Finally, craft your resume that aligns to above.

In Summary

Career

Brand conversation 052714