This episode features a live session from Instagram where I discussed how your personal brand gets you clients (don't mind the audio issues! 💙)
It was probably my most successful solo lives to date. I got extremely specific with examples of what consumer behavior looks like and how your personal brand can help sway the decision on whether they'll buy from you or not.
The response from the audience was extraordinary. It was as if a light bulb had gone off and it finally became clear what this whole ‘personal brand’ stuff is all about.
Here are some highlights:
Your personal brand is a perception.
Your personal brand is what other people think about you, that's it. Let's say you're someone who's chronically late, then your brand is that of a late person. Even if you're on time sometimes, you're the one they have to tell to show up 15 minutes early so that you'll get there on time (and all of your friends and family know this).
Now apply this perception to a professional scenario where a client is out hunting for services: the perception that you create of yourself online will help them decide whether they should be investing in you or not.
If your brand is weak or someone who's not entirely reliable, trustworthy or someone who can get them results, they will not enlist your service. Simple as that.
Clients watch you before investing.
Most clients are not those who will speak or engage with you in any way before doing their research. They'll watch you, your content, your behavior, your client results - basically everything before they even set foot in your inbox.
This is particularly true for high-ticket clients. These are serious buyers who don't have time (or money) to waste on the wrong service provider and they want to make sure that you're the right fit.
If during their research they don't think that you're the right choice, you'll never hear a word from them and they'll move on.
Clients are willing to extend their budget if they like you.
Think of that expensive item that you've had your eye on, shopped around for a cheaper alternative, and finally decided to say ‘screw it, I'm just gonna get it' because it was such good quality and you considered it a good investment.
Clients are no different - even if they find you a little expensive and shop around - they'll come back and work with you because they like you and they respect your work. They trust that you're going to get them the results that you want, even if it's at a slight premium.
Note: Always hold your ground with prices and resist the temptation to give a discount just to land a client - this actually devalues your brand perception and your services.
You have control over your personal brand, but the audience makes the decision.
You have the ability to manoeuver your brand through what you say and do, but the client is the one who decides what the perception is. Your job is to make that decision as easy as possibly by staying consistent.
In the earlier example of someone who's chronically late - if you suddenly started showing up on time every single time, while bringing coffee for everyone (and remembering what kind of coffee they like), people will start thinking of you differently. You'll be the person ‘who used to be late’, until people forget that entirely and you become the new, super-on-time-and-awesome-coffee-bringer you.
That decision is theirs to make, but you made it easy for them by changing your behavior and showing up on time (with coffee).
You control what you say and do, but they control what they think of you.