People don’t buy what you do, they buy who you are.
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Our friend Bruce Turkel wrote that in a great email this week. It’s true for the tourism example he cites, and for any consumer product marketing. But the branding lesson he teaches is even more true for professional services, like accounting, legal services, or advertising. Many factors (technical skills, years of experience, pricing) may differentiate our offerings from competitors, but the person a potential client meets and gets to know is really what they choose.
The idea of the personal brand, promoted nearly 15 years ago by Tom Peters, is true even more today. As I teach our future leaders in Kaufman Rossin University’s Summer Leadership Program, I’m sharing tips for developing and communicating that personal brand.
Will you share yours? Who are you, what do you have to offer, and what are the special qualities you bring to a relationship?
Janet Altman is a Chief Marketing Officer, Principal at Kaufman Rossin, one of the Top 100 CPA and advisory firms in the U.S.
[…] of networking. Networking for professional development, creating new relationships, promoting your individual brand and connecting with the community. Networking typically ranges from happy hours to receptions to […]
I`ve been recently to a good counsel, as well as a enterprise professional and a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), and I have a nice business plan arranged.
I agree. A marketing professor once told me, “It’s not the product, it’s the packaging.” It’s true. For professionals, the services provided are a product that clients select partly based on who is providing them (i.e. the individual and/or firm).
Awesome blog post, Janet! As I’ve just passed my one-year mark working in the “real world,” I’ve learned that it’s imperative to brand not only your company but yourself (thanks in large part to you). As the social media coordinator for Kaufman Rossin and Lit Software, LLC, I have a very unique role in not only the two companies but in the marketing industry as a whole since social media is such a new innovation. Therefore, I brand myself as a knowledgeable social media enthusiast with a background in accounting and finance as well. Many people are curious about social media and I’m often able to provide helpful tips and tricks. I’m also very involved in the Miami community and attend many events – I love being a social resource!