Develop Your Brand Message, Brand Story & Brand Promise That Leads to Income Producing Engagements

I attend a lot of networking meetings, social events, cocktail parties and one on one meetings with various trusted advisors and business people. In order to be more effective during those sessions, I ask questions about the brand message, brand story and brand promise of the advisor.

The trusted advisor’s brand message should begin with the vision and mission for their business or company that resonates with the audience the trusted advisor is speaking with.

When I am meeting with trusted advisors, I ask the following questions that stimulate and engage conversation so I truly comprehend what the fellow advisor core competencies are:

• What are you spending most of your time on right now?
• What’s the biggest thing you’re working on at the moment?
• What business problem does your company solve?
• What is a good example of how you are doing that?
• What’s the most unique aspect of what you do?

This process and questioning leads to the elevator pitch of the trusted advisor; instead of a long-winded response to here’s what I do, I would submit that a short and to the point statement would suffice in describing what you do.

Example:
I develop revenue growth plans and turnaround strategies for mid-size companies that need a new direction to improve profits and create value in the business.

We all desire to have a pipeline of referrals that lead to income producing engagements; in order to stand out from the crowd, spend some time developing your one-line elevator pitch that details what you do with specific outcomes.

When I am with a CEO and we are developing the business assessment plan, I am automatically thinking of the trusted advisors that I can refer to the project that will ultimately create value for the business owner or CEO. The first areas I think about after my business assessment are financial and accounting folks, then bankers, next insurance professionals and finally generalist or subject matter advisors who can assist me with the transformation of the business.

Unless there is a clear understanding of what a trusted advisor does, it is difficult to make referrals to CEOs and business owners who must develop a trust with the lead advisor and the trusted advisor referral partners.

Finally, it is vital that the trusted advisor ask about how they can serve or assist the referring partner with leads and or referrals. This “Quid Pro Quo” behavior sends a message that receiving a referral is important but giving a referral is just as important.

Parker Revenue Growth Strategies provides a range of business solutions including strategy development, revenue growth business turnarounds and interim management. Please review our website and request a complementary business consultation.

William Parker
Phone: 858-232-7273