'What’s your name again?' They can’t buy from you if they don’t know who you are. Jack Burke offers advice for putting your name in front of those who matter in this document.
Recently my good friend David Brady, a television/movie producer from
, called to tell me that a publishing house absolutely loved a manuscript of a book that he’d recently finished. Unfortunately they weren’t willing to sign a deal because he has no public name recognition, which creates problems in promoting the book.
I could go down the list of movies and television shows he’s produced, the many awards he has won, but the fact is that he’s unknown outside of his industry. As a result, David hired a publicity firm to begin marketing his name.
We tend to have tunnel vision about our own identities. We get accolades and bonuses from the companies we represent. We hang awards on the wall. We love the attention we get for participating in associations. As the saying goes, we sometimes become 'legends in our own minds.' We feel that we’re somebody and everybody knows it. Maybe in our industries (like David), but how much insurance do you sell to other insurance agents?
The real questions are: How well known are you in the markets to which you sell? What are you doing to build your image — and for that matter, what image are you trying to build? How much name recognition do you really have in the marketplace? Have you branded yourself and your agency?
To that end, here are some questions you might ask yourself:
- How active are you in your community’s volunteer associations, with your peers in business (your potential customers)?
- Do you promote or subsidize membership in such organizations for your producers and service staff?
- Is there cohesiveness and continuity in your advertising?
- How involved have you become in the industry associations that support your clients?
- What sort of value-added resources do you bring to the table for your clients and prospects?
- Have you shown your clients and prospects that you’re more interested in their success than in your own immediate gratification?
- What sort of ongoing outreach program do you have for your potential clients (newsletters, mailings, scheduled visits, training and education seminars)?
I think you get the idea. In fact, maybe you should ask your clients and prospects some of these questions:
- What can we do better for you?
- What do you need from us?
- What would make us more memorable in your eyes?
Maybe the most important question to ask yourself is this: When was the last time I really thought about my image and my visibility in the communities I serve?
Shortly after that call from David, I received a call from one of my clients, Ed Kempkey of Kempkey Risk Management Services. The purpose of the call was to discuss the development of a customer survey program for his agency. Ed also had a story to tell.
Several months ago we produced two audio marketing programs on CD for him. One was aimed at his primary niche market, the other at general Commercial prospects. Each contained interviews with Ed about his agency, along with testimonial interviews from some of his key clients in each category. The purpose was to promote 'the whole story' of the agency to potential clients in a talk-radio format — to let people get to know the real Kempkey Risk Management Services.
The story Ed told was about an ancillary benefit they’d received from these CDs. 'We were making applications for signing with several new companies recently. At the last minute, we thought it might help to throw a CD into the package as well. One company, after receiving the package, called to schedule a visit with us. They’d been on the verge of signing one of our competitors for this area; but after listening to our story, they wanted to talk to us first. Companies apparently love to hear about the many resources we provide the clients and how much the clients love us.'
Whether you hire a public relations firm, invest in specialty marketing programs, or simply make a concerted and intensified effort to better market yourself and your agency, the name of the game is recognition in your markets.
Maybe this is a good time to sit down and objectively evaluate how well known you really are.