Love thyself; Love thy brand

Any successful businessperson will tell you that they have to authentically believe in the product they offer. Every product has features and benefits, as well as weaknesses and flaws.

In marketing we “tell the better” story. For example if we are marketing Coke, we talk about how it is “the pause that refreshes” not the drink that is full of sugar.

In personal branding – YOU are the product. In order to have a successful business, you need to LOVE the product, you represent – YOURSELF!

As simple as this may sound, many Solopreneurs (solo-entrepreneurs) have a lot of trouble talking about them without apology.  This happens for several reasons. Many of us have been taught at an early age that it is not good to “toot your own horn. We have also been instructed that it is rude to talk about yourself and even worse to talk about yourself in a positive manner. These old beliefs hinder your ability to present yourself in a dynamic, confident manner. When you operate under such a belief system you greatly hinder your ability to have the kind of success you deserve and desire.

Solopreneurs are afraid that they will sound like they are selling themselves. If you can change your belief and know that you have something of value to offer (and YOU DO!) you are then simply letting people know what you do in case they need your help. There is no selling needed. In fact, if you fail to let those you come in contact with know what you do, you are doing them a great disservice.

Next time you introduce yourself remember to do it with pride. Speak clearly, with authority. Leave the apology and self-deprecating attitude behind. You will become instantly more attractive and may even hear the three little words we all long to hear – tell me more!

It’s your brand shout about it!

The Super Simple Secret of Values

When signs or other graphics are hard to read it is often because the VALUE of the colors are too similar. 

Value is a term used to describe the lightness or darkness of colors. 

If you take a color image and convert it to a gray scale image you can easily see what the values of the color are. The same is true when you make a B&W xerox copy of a color page.  

When signs or other graphics are hard to read it is often because the value of the colors used are too similar. 

Look at the example above. You can see they have used two very different colors - red and blue. When the photo of the sign is converted to a gray scale image (the image on the bottom) you can see how similar the grays are. 

If you keep this super simple concept of values in mind when you are putting together your next document, flyer or presentation it will be more attractive and much easier to read. 

It is all a matter of lightness and darkness! 

What Can You Do to Solve the Problem?

Most of the time people are more than willing to tell you what can’t be done and why it can’t be done, specifically and in detail. However, the same person doesn’t offer up any solutions of what CAN be done. Or worst yet, many people are willing to accept, without a protest or contest, defeat.  This “Oh well!” attitude is expensive. Are we all really that willing to give up at the first sign of difficultly? Are you? Do you ever ask yourself what you can do to solve the problem?

When you live in a deadline driven world, like I do, where excuses are not acceptable you learn to be resourceful. The magazine doesn’t care that the client changed their mind fourteen times, they still need the art for your ad before the deadline. If you don’t want to pay for a blank page, you had better get your art in.  End of story.

This willingness to give up is even more baffling when you consider the plethora of resources we all have available at our fingertips. If there is even a hint of a solution, a quick internet search will confirm or deny the suspicion. Chances are the problem you are having, others have had too.

The next time you find yourself explaining to your clint, boss, husband, child, mother, vendor, what you can’t do. Take the next step and offer up what you CAN do to solve the problem, make the situation better, make things easier in the future, etc. Better yet, offer several solutions, with details and options. You’ll be the hero, even if they don’t act on any of them.

Being a problem solver will make you more valuable, and you may even be called a lifesaver!