Home
>
Branding
>
Its Time For Some Steak

Its Time For Some Steak

Recently, I was reviewing our website statistics. One of the sites that had a link to mine caught me by surprise. Since this is a family publication, I won't include the name of the website. But, let's just say it contains a four-letter word that people do not use in most business circles.

The website was basically a bulletin board for people to rant about other companies. The posting about my website started out with the subject, 'Is this website just a little too slick?' The postings went on to say that my website had a lot of sizzle, but no steak.

My first thought was, 'How dare they say something so rude after I worked so hard on my site. Are they trying to say that my business has no substance? They know nothing about me and what I do. I can't believe they would attack MY business image.'

You see, those of you who have met me know that I am a small business image consultant. I work on everything from customer service to documentation and training. Basically, all the behind-the-scenes things that affect the business image. How could MY website have a bad image?

Then I took a step back. And, with a huge gulp of reluctance, I admitted to myself that they were right. Earlier that week, I had started to redefine my business services. Small business image consulting no longer 'fit' the real me. And somehow that was showing through on my website. It WAS a bit too slick. It was not getting to the essence of what I wanted to say.

Instead of just changing my website, I decided to take on a more important endeavor. I took a look at my identity and my brand. I found this amazing book called Make A Name For Yourself by Robin Fisher Roffer. This was the wake-up call that I needed. After pouring over the book, I began to get in touch with my natural gifts.

While documentation has always been a part of my business, it wasn't the part that I 'played up' at networking meetings. Small business image consulting sounded exotic and sexy. It got people talking about customer service and the importance of it. It got me speaking engagements. It got me lots of press. This was all of the sizzle that they mentioned on that bulletin board. But, it didn't get me what I needed most. The steak - more phone calls and emails requesting my services, and ultimately, more satisfaction.

I decided to put my writing services in the forefront. In addition to my technical writing, I now specialize in lengthy documentation and press releases. The process of redefining my business was a scary one. All these feelings of fear and inadequacy appeared. I started to wonder what people would think of the change. Would they think that this was bad for my business image?

Then, I started to wonder how many other business owners are just offering what sounds good. How many of them aren't expressing their natural gifts through their business. How many are afraid to make a change?

None of us should be afraid to redefine our services or to create a brand where there wasn't one before. Now I am more secure in what I do. I am true to myself, my passion, and my gifts. It's a freedom and a liberation that I've never felt before.

My services no longer have an exotic and sexy sound to them. But, at least now I can offer the sizzle AND the steak.

---

Leila Johnson owns Johnson Solutions Group in Rio Rancho, NM. She acts as Your Virtual Documentation Department. Leila is a versatile writer who works with those small businesses that don't have the time or expertise to handle their documentation. Leila can be reached at 505-896-9379 or through her "new and improved" website at

In The News:

VentureBeat
Top four global tech brands now worth almost $500B
VentureBeat
Four out of five of the top brands in the world are technology brands, according to a review of the top global brands released Tuesday. The report valued the Apple, IBM, Google, and Microsoft brands at a combined half-trillion dollars.

and more »

Christian Science Monitor
Overseas Oreo: Kraft names new global snack company 'Mondelez'
Christian Science Monitor
On Wednesday, Kraft shareholders will decide whether to approve the name for the company's business that sells global snack brands such as Oreos, Fig Newton and Cadbury. The four-month odyssey of how "Mondelez" was picked â€“ and how it was received ...
Kraft's new snack business name faces crucial voteChicago Sun-Times

all 262 news articles »

AdAge.com
Global Branding and Media Planning, Market by Market
AdAge.com
For our latest quick Q&A with a media leader, we asked Barcelona native Maria Luisa Francoli Plaza, global CEO of MPG and Havas Media North America, how brands and media planners should approach cultural differences even as the web brings the world ...

Branding the mental drawer companies send to consumers
StandardNet
We simplify our lives by buying brands that we know and trust. We totally ignore offerings that do not have a significant personal connection. Our mind, like a powerful and logical computer, inputs data and stores it deep within the brain.

Bluewater Unveils New Branding Initiative
PR Web (press release)
Christine Kropp, CEO Bluewater, a one-to-one marketing services agency, has launched a new branding initiative to reflect its latest evolution of capabilities and offerings. Bluewater combines personalized marketing services with leading edge ...

and more »

BusinessDay
Branding for small businesses (II)
BusinessDay
Big corporations spend millions promoting their brands successfully; it's a tool proven to work. Branding is one of a company's most valuable assets. Essentially, it is the company's reputation; how customers portray a product/service, including how it ...

and more »

HnyB Insights Predicts Global Social Branding Market to Touch $13.8Bn by 2020
PR.com (press release)
Social Branding Strategy and Outlook, 2012 - 2020 released by HnyB Insights predicts consistent growth in Global Social Branding revenue, the market is projected to reach $2.1Bn in 2014, will touch $7.8Bn towards end of 2018 and by 2020 it will grow ...

and more »

Palate Pres
Live from the London Wine Fairs : A Study in Contrasts and Ideas About Branding
Palate Pres
Exploring the various parts of the wine world, from big brands to tiny artisanal producers, can be quite a study in contrasts. Shifting from the organic/biodynamic/natural wine fairs to the London International Wine Fair, yesterday, ...

and more »

Design Week
BC-OLY--London 2012-Branding,1st Ld-Writethru, OLY
The Huntsville Times - al.com
"It's fine to clamp down on the threat, but where it impacts the individual, it's going to be very difficult for (London organizers) to get it right," said Hugh Tebay, a partner at Sipara, a British law firm that specializes in trademark and branding.
The 2012 Olympics branding comes goodDesign Week

all 679 news articles »

3 Personal Branding Must-Haves
Business Insider
Personal Branding Blog offers branding and career advice from Dan Schawbel and his team of experts. Fundamentally, the process of personal branding includes taking time to define yourself and then intentionally connecting yourself with others who ...

and more »

Google News