verbal branding overview 2010

Simultaneous improvement of:

Sales, Culture, and Brand Density

New Branding Applications

Verbal Branding

Ted Levitt: Harvard BS

“Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which [organizations] must constantly engage.

It is not discretionary.”

What should keep you awake at night…

Your brandbrand being diminished…

Every day, timestimes…

Every person, timestimes…

Every conversation

Positioning:

- How different and therefore better than the competition

The Branding GAPGAP !!

- A true spoken application for Brand Positioning

Verbal Branding is:

Spoken application for brand Spoken application for brand positioningpositioning

Redefined foundation for Redefined foundation for brand developmentbrand development

New platform for simultaneous New platform for simultaneous business impactbusiness impact

Conversational Dynamics:

……but firstbut first

What conversation do you want to have?

• SameSame

• DifferentDifferent

Because you are either…Because you are either…

Your name: (Stephen Melanson)

- No one cares yet !!

Your category: (Branding Consultant)

* BTW…are you selling on Category?

No One No One Cares !!Cares !!

Selling on Selling on “Category”?“Category”?

If so, you’re losing opportunities If so, you’re losing opportunities every single dayevery single day

Verbal Branding is:

Spoken application Spoken application for brand for brand positioningpositioning

- MemoryMemory:

“No matter what you do, people will only remember a couple things – PERIODPERIOD!”

* THE SINGLE most important philosophy for Verbal Branding !

- CuriosityCuriosity:

“Creating curiosity through positioning is the first, best step to making a sale and establishing identity.”

- ContextContext:

“Like Gentle Dental, positioning context increases the value of commonly offered products or services.”

Managing Interactions:

Most importantMost important to leastto least

Everything about an organization…

EVERYTHINGEVERYTHING !

A conversation of…

ANY LENGTH !

AllDetails

PyramidPyramid:

Most importantMost important to leastto least

Everything about an organization…

EVERYTHING !

A conversation of…

ANY LENGTHANY LENGTH !

AllDetails

PyramidPyramid:

AllDetails

Different and BetterDifferent and BetterDifferent and BetterDifferent and Better

AllDetails

Concept 1Concept 1Concept 1Concept 1 Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2

AllDetails

5 Seconds5 Seconds5 Seconds5 SecondsConcept 1Concept 1Concept 1Concept 1 Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2

AllDetails

5 Seconds5 Seconds5 Seconds5 SecondsConcept 1Concept 1Concept 1Concept 1 Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2Concept 2

No Elevator No Elevator Pitch AllowedPitch Allowed

AllDetails

Answer Answer CuriosityCuriosity

Answer Answer CuriosityCuriosity 3 Minutes3 Minutes 3 Minutes3 Minutes

AllDetails

2 Hours2 Hours 2 Hours2 HoursCapability Capability MeetingMeeting

Capability Capability MeetingMeeting

Details are important if they relate to your differentiation…

Or they aren’t important !!

AllDetails

Different & Different & Better !Better !

Misc. Misc. DetailsDetails

Some spectacular news!!

- POSITIONINGPOSITIONING ADDS VALUEADDS VALUE to all the details.

Important:

- Describing…is not branding!

The more you “describe” what you do, the more you sound like the competition.

Marginalizing the competition:

95% Rule95% Rule95% of companies are 95% the 95% of companies are 95% the

same as each othersame as each other

““Of Course”Of Course”You can treat these common You can treat these common

details this way: “Of course we do details this way: “Of course we do that…” therefore marginalizing that…” therefore marginalizing

the competition’s positioningthe competition’s positioning

Ask me to explain this in Ask me to explain this in much more detailmuch more detail

TraditionalTraditional Verbal BrandingVerbal Branding

Brand ResultBrand Result

TraditionalTraditional

No GAP in Density !No GAP in Density !No GAP in Density !No GAP in Density !

Verbal BrandingVerbal Branding

(w/ Verbal Criteria)(w/ Verbal Criteria)

PresentationPresentation

SellingSelling

NetworkingNetworking

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

Gaps in brand from no Gaps in brand from no “spoken” application“spoken” application

Verbal Branding is:

Redefined foundation Redefined foundation for brand for brand developmentdevelopment

Add a “Spoken” Criteria…

Create “naturalnatural” understanding

- Works for both Internal and External audiences

Density VisionDensity Vision

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

Add a “Spoken” Criteria

So Positioning can be said…naturallysaid…naturally

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

W/ Verbal BrandingW/ Verbal Branding

Create internal density first Create internal density first to fill in gapsto fill in gaps

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

W/ Verbal BrandingW/ Verbal Branding

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

Density Density BrandingBranding

SellingSelling

PartnerPartner

ReferralReferral

Unifies Sales Unifies Sales & Marketing& Marketing

(and Culture…)(and Culture…)

The The Plain Language Plain Language test…test…

(Name)(Category)

“…but we’re different from the competition because

The The You’re CrazyYou’re Crazy test…test…

(Name)(Category)

“…“…if you don’t use us, you’re if you don’t use us, you’re CRAZYCRAZY; ; here’s why…here’s why…

Verbal Branding is:

New platform New platform for simultaneous for simultaneous business impactbusiness impact

VBVBPlatformPlatform

One simplified platform to One simplified platform to simultaneously improve 4 levels simultaneously improve 4 levels

of operationsof operations

ThinkThinkThinkThink

SpeakSpeakSpeakSpeak

InternalInternal

Starts with understanding Starts with understanding and the ability to sayand the ability to say

SalesSalesSalesSales

CultureCultureCultureCulture

DensityDensityDensityDensity

(Mngt)(Mngt)(Mngt)(Mngt)

ThinkThink

SpeakSpeak

SalesSales

CultureCulture

DensityDensity

(Mngt)(Mngt)

One One PlatformPlatform

DensityDensity

CultureCulture

SalesSalesThinkThink

SpeakSpeak ( Mngt ( Mngt ))

Occam’s Occam’s RazorRazor

If it isn’t simple, it If it isn’t simple, it won’t workwon’t work

Reminders…

* No elevator pitches

* One or two “positioning” ideas ONLY

* Different and better

* Internal “density” first

Patrick Lencioni: Author

“If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction…

you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.”

Stephen Melanson Stephen Melanson

Melanson ConsultingMelanson Consulting

Twitter: @stephenmelansonLinkedIn: stephenmelansonconsulting

Email: stephen@melansonconsult.com

melansonconsult.com

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verbal branding overview 2010

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