A Logo Is Not a Brand

Lots of organizations come to our company, Advertising for Humanity, asking for "a new brand." They typically mean a new name, or icon, or a new look and feel for their existing name. Lots of people think that brand begins and ends there — that once we shine up the name they can stick it below their email signature, pop it on their website, and, voila, they have a new brand. Much of our work consists of disabusing people of this notion.
Brand is much more than a name or a logo. Brand is everything, and everything is brand.
Brand is your strategy. If you're a consumer brand, brand is your products and the story that those products tell together. Ikea's kitchen chairs' tendency to fall apart after two years is part of the company's brand. If you're a humanitarian organization, brand is your aspirations and the progress you are making toward them. Share Our Strength's audacious goal to end child hunger in America in five years is its brand. The work the organization is doing to get governor after governor on board is its brand. Its seriousness is its brand. Back in 1969 NASA didn't have the best logo. But man did it have a brand. It has a nicer logo now — but the brand no longer stands for anything. If you don't know where you're going or how you're going to get there, that's your brand, no matter what fancy new name you come up with.
Brand is your calls to action. If Martin Luther King had offered people free toasters if they marched on Washington, that would have been his brand. Are your calls to action brave and inspiring or tacky? Are they consistent with some strategy that makes sense? Getting more Facebook "likes" isn't a strategy, in and of itself. If you're a humanitarian organization, the things you ask your constituents to do are your brand.
Brand is your customer service. If donors call your organization all excited and get caught up in a voicemail tree, can't figure out who they should talk to, and leave a message for someone unsure if it's the right person, that's your brand. It says you don't really care all that much about your donors. If they come to your annual dinner and can't hear the speaker because of a lousy sound system, that's your brand. It says that you don't think it's really important whether they hear what you have to say or not. If the clerk at your checkout counter is admiring her nails and talking on her cell phone, she's your brand, whether she's wearing one of the nice new logo caps you bought or not.
Brand is the way you speak. If you build a new website and fill it with outdated copy, you don't have a new brand. If the copy is impenetrable — a disease of epidemic proportion in the humanitarian sector — that's your brand. If you let social service jargon, acronyms, and convoluted abstractions contaminate everything you say, that's your brand. If your annual report puts people to sleep, that's your brand. If it's trying to be all things to all people, that's your brand.
Message is a central part of your brand, but message alone cannot make a great brand. How many times have you encountered a product or service that didn't live up to what the copy writers told you about it? That disconnect is your brand.
Brand is the whole array of your communication tools. Brand is the quality of the sign on the door that says, "Back in 10 minutes." It's whether you use a generic voicemail system with canned muzak-on-hold, or whether you create your own custom program. The former says you are just like everyone else and you're fine with that; the latter says you are original. You might have a pretty sale banner that adheres to all the right visual standards, but if it's sagging and hung up with duct tape, that's your brand. It says you don't pay attention to the details. Can you imagine seeing a crooked banner with duct tape in an Apple store? Never. And that's their brand. It says that the motherboard in the Mac isn't hanging by a thread either.
In the digital age, user interface is your brand. If your website's functionality frustrates people, it says that you don't care about them. Brand extends even to your office forms, the contracts you send out, your HR manuals. Do you rethink traditional business tools or default to convention? The choice you make says a lot about how innovative your brand is.
Brand is your people. Brand is your people and the way they represent you. Having a good team starts with good hiring and continues with strong and consistent training and development. No matter how well your employees adhere to your new brand style guide, if they couldn't care less about the job they're doing, that's your brand.
Brand is your facilities. Are the lights on, or is your team working in darkness? Is the place clean and uncluttered? Does it have signage that's consistent with your visual standards? Does it look and feel alive? Your home is your brand.
Brand is your logo and visuals, too. A great brand deserves a great logo and great graphic design and visuals. It can make the difference when the customer is choosing between two great brands. But these alone cannot make your brand great.
Ultimately, brand is about caring about your business at every level and in every detail, from the big things like mission and vision, to your people, your customers, and every interaction anyone is ever going to have with you, no matter how small.
Whether you know it or not, whether you have a swanky logo or not, you do have a brand. The question is whether or not it's the brand you really want.

12 most costly business development mistakes

Along the way I've made plenty of business development mistakes, and learned from the mistakes of others around me. Here are my 12 most costly business development mistakes.

1. Ignoring existing clients

So much time, energy and money are spent chasing new business with new marketing campaigns, new bid opportunities, new introductions. While new sources of revenue are essential, many forget to tap into the needs and interests of existing clients. Worse yet, existing clients don't always know about all the other things you, or other members of your team, can do for them. Before targeting unknowns, don't forget to continue nurturing your existing clients. The old adage (it costs more to win a new client than to win business from an existing client) is definitely worth remembering.

2. Assuming great work means satisfied AND loyal customers

Having customers who pay your bills is great, but don't mistake a paying customer for a loyal customer. There are many studies that show the gap between service provider and client perceptions of whether the work delivered was high value. In many industries, even if you're one of the big four, six or whatever number, you are usually still just one of a homogenous group. If there isn't something standout about your work, your service or your relationship with your client, they are just waiting for something better to come along. What are you going to do to make sure that your clients wouldn't dream of going to anyone else? When was the last time you asked your clients what else you can do for them, to ensure that you are fully meeting and exceeding their business needs?

3. Assuming your clients will refer you

Your clients have their own business to run. They don't automatically think of you when opportunities arise. Unless you ask them…. Anytime your client says thank you for something you've done, ask them if they know anyone else who might need similar help. If your client mentions they have a connection with an organization you'd love to work for, ask if they would be able to facilitate an introduction.

4. Thinking your client contact will always be there

Sticking with the existing client theme – don't get caught on the wrong side of a spring clean. When new people come into a leadership position they inevitably want to make their mark. As part of your client relationship planning, consider the tenure of your contacts, their political acumen, the likelihood of them being promoted, headhunted or terminated. Try to identify the other movers and shakers in the business who may be earmarked for new responsibilities. Who's being copied on messages? Who's being invited to meetings? If your contact was to go, who else in the sphere of ​influence​ do you have a relationship with?
P.S. If your contact does leave, you obviously should follow them too….support them in transition, congratulate them on a new role, show an interest in the changes they are
living through and you may just get 2 accounts for the price of 1.

5. Assuming you KNOW what the client needs

When you know your area really well, it's easy believe that you know what the client needs – better than they know themselves. If only they would listen! What you offer may well be a better solution than the one the client is looking for, but unless you focus on understanding and meeting their needs first – before demonstrating how what you do will exceed their expectations, you are wasting your time and potentially losing a sale.

6. Not understanding the client's business decision making process/budgetary constraints

Your contact may love what you are offering. They may even be convinced that it's exactly what they need to solve their business issues, but that still doesn't guarantee a sale. Once you have convinced them, who do THEY now have to convince? Where does this project fit within the wider organizational initiatives? Where do they sit in the investment pecking order? What can you do to help your client secure the funding to deliver on your project.How can you help them make the internal business case/influence their decision makers to secure closure to your deal?

7. Not bringing MORE to the table

I get it, your service, value proposition or product offering is the best available. That's a given! You wouldn't even be AT the table unless you had something good to offer. That's why they call it "table stakes". Only offering whats expected is isn't going to secure the work. Now bring them that one little thing that no one else thought of. What's something you can do to help them in their business? Who are you able to introduce them to?

8. Assuming that people you meet will think of YOU next time they need something

Some seem to believe that networking is about accumulating contacts, adding more names into a database and handing out business cards. Some go so far as to occasionally send out a newsletter or an annual greetings card. Seriously, is this all it takes to secure your referral? So why would you think it's enough to ensure that people will consider you the next time someone asks them "do you know someone…."?

9. Not factoring in probability of winning before time is invested

I've been asked to work on way too many requests for proposal (RFPs) where the probability of failing dismally could be predicted with confidence. No pre-existing relationship, no advance warning that an RFP was coming, very little defendable expertise in the required areas, the list goes on. Why do people insist on using time, energy and resources to pitch for a piece of low probability work. Instead of viewing an RFP as potential work, it should be viewed as an opportunity cost. How much more productive and profitable could you be if you were to invest that same time and resources in face to face meetings with existing clients. Before putting in a bid on an RFP, quantify the probability of return on investment.

10. Discounting too quickly/without cause

Giving it away isn't selling! With all the time and effort invested in setting rates and prices, why feel the need to drop your price in order to secure the work? If your prices are competitive, and you are offering value, your clients will be interested in negotiating. If you offer a deep discount right off the bat, they will wonder how much further you might be prepared to go. Instead, if clients request a discount and you are willing to deal, keep the reduction slight and provide a reason why you are willing to shift ( i.e. investment in relationship, Existing knowledge reducing your learning curve etc. It should be a goodwill gesture at best, not an indication that you lack confidence in your pricing structure.

11. Believing you have to have a specific 'hook' or reason to call

I hear this all the time as a reason why people don't follow up with the people they meet. They don't have a good reason to call, they don't want to waste the contacts time, they don't want to feel awkward. Business is about relationships. Relationships are built on contact and exchange. If the only time you ever contact someone is when you are trying to 'sell' them, the relationship will be very stilted. Instead, find excuses to call. Read the news, follow their industry, monitor their business, see what their competitors are doing. Make up excuses to call them e.g. "I was just going back through old messages and I wondered how you are doing…"

12. Thinking BD is something you're born good at

If we limited what we do to only those things we are instantly great at, without pain of experience and practice, we would never cook, dance, play music, cycle, swim, read, and the list goes on…. Yes, business development can feel awkward, uncomfortable, requires effort, requires discipline, requires practice, requires failure so we can learn from mistakes. But then again, doesn't anything worth doing…..

What do you think? What are some of the most expensive business development mistakes you have made?

How to remain relevant when you are over 40

​By ​Penelope Trunk​ | June 7, 2011​

​Your earning potential pretty much tops out at age 40. This is because your skills become increasingly valuable until you amass fifteen years' experience, at which point you've hit a peak. According to statisticians at ​PayScale.com​, in all fields except law, people are not paid more money for experience beyond fifteen years.

This means that to remain relevant and continue to increase your value, you are going to have to learn skills outside of your field. Here are five skills you should pick up as your earning power is due to drop.

1. Community building.

Yes, this is an irritating buzzword for social media mavens who are probably fresh out of college and run their whole life on Facebook and tumblr.  But the reality is, social media infiltrates everything, in the same way that email  became essential 10 years ago. Ninety percent of messages today are via social media link, according to ​The Pinnacle Group​, a New York City think tank. Only ten percent are via email. So we are already at that tipping point where you need to learn social media or go home. People who are exceptional with social media can build a community around themselves in order to get jobs, promotions, and do good works for their company. Here's a first step: ​How to start a blog​.

2. Information processing.

Remember the term "information overload"? That went out of fashion when hipsters made productivity blogs one of the most popular genre of blogs, and time management books hit the ​New York Times ​bestseller list. Today you are in a knowledge market, where knowledge workers trade on their ability to synthesize information faster and in more collaborative ways - or faster and in ways that are so innovative that their ideas stand out above the rest. Information processing requires a clear understanding of one's priorities, and an insatiable curiosity. Starting point: ​Time management tips for multitaskers​.

3. Bridge building.

People who change jobs frequently build a wider set of skills and a wider network - both of which make them more employable. Job hopping enables you to create a series of bridges as you move between companies. The workplace no longer provides secure jobs, but you can provide security for yourself by creating a dynamic career where you move from job to job.  You can develop contacts and build relationships outside of a job, for sure, but if people don't get the chance to work with you, then they can't endorse your ability to work. Likewise, if you work in a company where people tend to job hop, you can still build this wide network providing you remain in touch with them after they move on.The best way to build a wide network is to actually work with a wide range of people.

Your ​resume, if you are doing this right,​ should reflect a significant, positive impact wherever you work, and you should leave in your wake a swarm of happy managers and co-workers who felt lucky to be on projects with you. That's how strong the performance of a good job hopper is. Subset to this skill: ​How to quit a job​.

4. Manage your personal brand.

If you try to build a community without having a clear sense of who you are, people will not feel connected to you. Each person you meet needs to have a clear understanding of your place in the industry. In a world in which people Google you before they meet you, it's important to show a good face on the front page of those search results.

Of course, this means it's important to have updated LinkedIN and Facebook profiles, and, if you are full of ideas, you can ​have a blog ​as well. But what you really need is a sense of who you are - what you are good at and where you are going. It can change, it always does, but you have to have your own elevator pitch. If you don't understand who you are and what you do, then no one else can either. So give it a shot. It's a work in progress, but it's how you will maneuver through the workplace.  Starting spot for overachievers: ​How to sell anything to anyone​.

5. Commit to life-long learning.

One of the most difficult aspects of this quickly moving information age is how quickly skills and knowledge become obsolete. If you are constantly committed to learning, you are less likely to become obsolete (and therefore, unemployable). The faster you can adapt and recognize shifts in markets the better off you'll be.

In general, it's not about how old you are but how open you are to new ways of communicating. Aim to be open, widely networked, and adaptable to new ways of thinking. And in that vein, you should ask yourself routinely, ​what generation am I​?

3 Things to Avoid when Scheduling Meetings

3 Things to Avoid when Scheduling Meetings

Scheduling meetings is hard. Finding a time that works for 15 people in four time zones can be a logistical nightmare. Here are three things to keep in mind next time this arduous task falls in your lap: Don't forget who's most important. All meetings have someone whose attendance is most critical: the client, a senior partner. Find out what times work best for those people. Don't send a blanket request for availability. Asking people when they are free "in the next few weeks" is too open-ended and ambiguous. Once you have some options, ask people to respond to specific times. Don't commit without sign off. Hold the time on the calendar until you confirm it with the key players. You never want to go back to clients or senior people and tell them their preferred time doesn't work.

5 Myths: What It Takes to Become a Million-Dollar Consultant

A management consultant, according to one definition, is a man who knows 101 ways to make love but doesn’t know any women. That’s incorrect, of course, because a lot of consultants are women. According to Working Mother magazine, 37 percent of consulting giant Accenture’s 30,000 employees are female. (Working Mother doesn’t say whether they know any men.)

But this is far from the only myth that dogs the consulting game, according to Alan Weiss, a management consultant and author for whom the word “prolific” might have been coined. His latest, “The Consulting Bible” (Wiley, 2011) is the 43rd book by the Rhode Islander. Weiss’s tenure in consulting has exposed him to many myths, misunderstandings, and misconceptions about the business. He picks these five as the most important for new and would-be consultants to get over:

Myth 1) The consulting business is about consulting. “It’s not. It’s about marketing,” Weiss maintains. “No matter what your methodology is, it does you no good unless you’re in front of a buyer who can give you a check. Unless you learn how to bring people to your door, you’re going to starve.”

Myth 2) Most consultants’ biggest problem is that they’re undercapitalized. “The problem isn’t a lack of capital,” according to Weiss. “It’s lack of a sense of self-worth, so you can look at a buyer in an expensive corner office and tell them what they need.”

Myth 3) A solo consultant must take a back seat to the giant firms of the industry. “Nimble independents are having a field day if they know how to market themselves,” Weiss says. “And since they don’t have the expense baggage, they keep what they make. Trying to become a partner in a major firm is insane when you can make more money on your own.”

Myth 4) You’ll be happier as your own boss. “The fact that you’re out there on your own doesn’t make you a better boss,” Weiss warns. “Many consultants feel that if they’re not busy 12 hours a day they’re not doing enough. So their very horrible and unfair bosses force them to keep busy.”

Myth 5) The more money you make consulting, the richer you get. “The reality is that wealth is discretionary time and the ability to do what you want, when you want,” Weiss says. “There are too many consultants running around trying to earn money and actually reducing their wealth.”

Going forward, Weiss sees another myth that is about to get unseated, namely, that technology is the great savior that consultants can count on to make them more effective. “The reality is that technology is plateauing,” he says. “This is a high-touch business and it’s high touch that’s going to carry the day. Consultants who rely on technology to keep in touch are going to be at a disadvantage to those who keep in touch in person.”

Mark Henricks is an Austin, Texas, freelance journalist whose reporting on business, technology and other topics has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and other leading publications. Learn more about him at The Article Authority. Follow him on Twitter @bizmyths.