Presentation to Northern Nevada CRS, October 4, 2912

1. Personal
Branding
Bret L. Simmons,
Ph.D.
CRS, October 4, 2012

2. Main Points Today
1. Personal branding is a huge opportunity
and responsibility
2. Being searchable and shareable is good
for your business
3. Differentiate your personal brand by
demonstrating professional discretion

4. Personal Brand
If people don’t select
you, spread the word
about you, or pay a
premium for your
services, it’s because they
don’t recognize your value.
(Seth Godin)

5. Value
What you can do uniquely
well to help others
address issues or solve
problems that matter to
them.

6. Personal Brand
1.Who are you?
2.Who do you want to
help?
3.How do you want to help
them?

7. Be clear, not cute

8. New business card
www.bluehost.com

9. New business card
1. Associate your name and face
with your value
2. Create content and
connections that will get you
indexed and ranked for your
name and value

12. Social Media
You must be personal and conversant

13. Lead with value
Wrap the personal around your value

14. Professionally Personal
Everything you do reflects on your business

15. Name, Picture, Purpose
• E-mail, Google Profile
• Linkedin
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Other (Pinterest)

16. Bret.simmons@gmail.com
bret@bretlsimmons.com

26. Blogging
• Micro publishing platform
• Force yourself to become part
of the conversation
• Best damn marketing tool
• Free
• Video

28. What most companies think
1. When we get started, people will
show up
2. Well, we gave it a couple
months, and no one showed up, so
let’s quit
Falls & Decker, 2011

29. The Reality
• It takes at least SIX MONTHS
before you will start seeing any
demonstrable results and success
from your blog
Falls & Decker, 2011

30. The Fundamentals
• Listen first
• Be responsive
• Be honest
• Provide value
• Sell last
Falls & Decker 2011

31. Remember
• Social media marketing is about building
relationships, not receipts. The receipts
will come, but only if you invest the time
and attention it takes to build
relationships with your customers. Think
lifetime value, not sale value
Falls & Decker, 2011, p. 180

40. Suggestions
• The sooner you behave as if you
have no privacy online, the more
effective you will be
• Use your personal brand online to
build bridges, not walls

41. Suggestions
• Never post anything, anytime, anywhere
that you would not be comfortable with
anyone seeing.
• If it were posted on the wall of your
office, would it make any of your
colleagues, customers, or employees
uncomfortable? If so, don’t post it online

42. Questions?

43. Bret L. Simmons, Ph.D.
www.bretlsimmons.com
Bret.simmons@gmail.com
(775) 336-9576