Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a workshop: Debbie Allen: Be a Highly Paid Expert. She talked about her ‘Expert Positioning Formula’ and taught a room full of people a new way to brand and market our businesses.
If I came away with any one thing it’s this: If your brand is not in ‘focus’, clearly making your point about your value and offer, then for goodness sake, hire someone like Debbie to help you.
We’re talking about branding….. A webinar, a book, an automated system that pulls people into your sales funnel and communicates how you present yourself, what clothes you wear, the thoughts you want to convey. Her question to the audience was: “What is it that you offer, that no one else can do”?
That’s a great place to start, for sure.
I think the best thing about Debbie Allen is you absolutely know she knows what she is talking about, when she asks you to ‘get into focus’ and leads you along that path.
I mean, that’s really what it’s all about…. first getting your story of who you are and why you do what you do, clear. And then presenting who you are and what you know in a way that is clear to your audience.
In my case, the reason I am a healthy chef and have recently (in the last year) gone plant based is I want to see my daughter have children and be around for their weddings.
Sounds simple, right? Not if your cholesterol was 350 (now 150). I knew I had to make a lasting change. I have always been teaching people to take baby steps to lifestyle changes, but it took a while to recognize that for myself.
You would be amazed at what comes out of your mouth when you enter into this process….. things you haven’t thought about, things you’ve only dreamed about that you now realize you can turn into reality.
Of course, that isn’t enough. Beyond that, you have to figure out the marketing end of the puzzle which includes webinars, books, social media and beyond. And to do that, you have to have a funnel.
A FUNNEL CAKE, CHEF MARIAN?
No. Silly. A way to bring people into understanding what you offer in a very simple inexpensive way, that eventually leads to the most valuable, most expensive thing you can offer. And that being said, there’s this whole dialogue about knowing how to value, (not under value) your brand (as some of us do) and what you bring to the table.
And it’s all done with heart. That’s important. She is very focused and very professional about what she does, to lead you to your own success. And she cares to make you better. This is different from some of the other people that I have seen on stage, who just really want to sell their product.
If this sounds interesting, I am happy to give you a warm introduction. Debbie Allen can be reached through this link. And please share this blog if you think it will help others (and let her know I made this recommendation)!
Happy Healthy Eating,
