Creating a Powerful Personal Brand for Coaches and Consultants

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One of the most overlooked aspects of creating real demand in the marketplace is having a powerful personal brand. And no, I'm not talking about having a glamorous Instagram feed where you have photos of you with designer bags at the Ritz-Carlton. A powerful personal brand goes beyond you looking like you have money. In fact, for many of my clients such as executive coaches, leadership development experts and strategists that market to high level decision makers, that kind of branding doesn't even resonate with their ideal clients.??

So how do you create a powerful personal brand that positions you as an expert in the marketplace? One that attracts high level decision makers that are willing to pay you a premium for your expertise??

#1) Your Image

Number one is your image. This is probably the most common thing that people think of when it comes to branding. Yes, your image and how you present yourself matters.? You absolutely need to dress for next level success. I get that the majority of us work from home and we're not sitting around in suits and dresses. Yet, when it comes to your image and the way that clients are perceiving you, you need to dress for success.??

I had a client years ago and we were conversing on LinkedIn. He even said to me, “I don't think I need your services, I already sell six-figure packages.” I responded with a list of things he common challenges for coaches and consultants stuck at the high six figures. He then went and looked at my website, booked a call and invested six figures for my highest level program.? He later shared that when he went to my website and looked through all of my materials, one of the things that impressed him most was my image. He said you are so put together and professional and this is exactly what I want to implement in my business.

This is the power of perception. That initial image gave him confidence to take that next step and book a call. Then, our conversation closed the deal.? This is why your image is so important to creating a powerful personal brand. You only get one chance at a first impression, what's the impression that you're leaving??

#2) Your photos

Next, with your image comes updated photos. There are so many coaches and consultants that are using photos from a decade ago. Have you ever gotten on a call with someone that is twenty years older than the photos they are using? It’s unsettling.? You need updated, fresh photos and not just any photos.

Anyone can go out there and hire a photographer. All of my clients do this prior to working with me and when they actually work with our photographer, it's a completely different experience. Again you need to work with someone who really understands high-end branding and how to capture the right image unique to you and your brand. Absolutely you should have fresh photos for your website, social media and your assets. Do not fill your website with generic stock photos! Having the right personal brand photos will support your positioning from a visual perspective.?

#3) Your brand colors

Next, personal branding is also about using the right color palette, textures and fonts. Many coaches and consultants that come to me have weak branding. We absolutely need to go in there and rework their visuals to ensure that they're using colors that appeal to their target market, and textures and fonts that support their positioning. The branding that got you to your first few hundred thousand is not necessarily going to be the branding that gets you to your million-dollar year.?

So when it comes to the visual elements of your brand, we need to ensure that you are? creating a certain feeling with your brand that's going to resonate with your ideal clients. Also keep in mind that your current clients may not be your next level ones. Many of the coaches and consultants that come to me to uplevel their business, end up going after a higher caliber market.?

I share that because who you're marketing to today might not be who you market to if you want to sell at an even higher level meaning bigger deals and a higher caliber client. Some coaches and consultants that hire me stick with the same market but after we transform their brand and implement our strategies, they're able to go after the decision makers and be viewed as an expert, taken seriously and be paid a whole lot more money. Regardless of the direction we take, upgrading your brand colors, image, and photos are all part of that process.?

#4) Your messaging

Next, if you want to create a powerful personal brand you absolutely have to get your messaging down. 90% of the coaches and consultants that come to me have a fundamental communication issue. What happens is a lot of entrepreneurs try to piece these things together. I've been sharing with you together.?

They hire a brand person to get them a new color palette, Then they hire a copywriter to write them some new words, but they don't have a strategist who understands the bigger vision and can bring all of these elements together. Most of my clients who come to me have already invested in all of these things but it's not correct. For my clients who I help shift to selling multi six figure deals, all of these elements are key.

So when it comes to your messaging, it's truly and deeply understanding who your next level ideal client is. The visual I use is that they're sitting in this “Valley of Pain.” They want to get to the “Mountain of Potential.” You have a clear understanding of both of those places and have created a bridge which is your methodology aka your solution of how you get your clients results.

Now you need to be able to articulate all of that clearly, concisely and powerfully. You can have a beautiful brand with great colors and textures and new photos and if you don't have the messaging on point, none of that alone will work.? There is power in your words. People need to get a sense of who you are and what you can do for them through the way that you write, the way that you speak, the way that you present yourself. So absolutely dialing in your messaging is essential to creating a powerful personal brand so that you can be viewed as an expert and close ultra high paying clients.

By the way, if you haven't already downloaded my guide on the ladder of influence, I dive into the four levels of influence and how to successfully ascend to higher levels so you can make more income and impact. Grab your copy here.

#5 Customer journey?

Finally creating a powerful personal brand is also about carrying it through the entire customer journey. This means that there is a cohesive look and feel to all touch points a potential client has all the way through to becoming a paying customer. This means your brand image, photos, videos and messaging all integrate seamlessly to your website, funnels, assets, and social media. If you've cobbled these pieces together, then you do not have a seamless experience from start to finish.?

From the very first interaction with you and your brand, your prospect should view you as a highly paid expert. Then every other interaction going forward should have that same feeling. Once they purchase your services, that high quality look and feel should carry through to the delivery side experience.

Coaches and consultants often make the mistake of only doing pieces of this journey. If you want to create a quality experience then you need to integrate next level branding and all of these different elements into every aspect of your customer journey. Once they're inside your program that high quality look and feel continues and this creates a positive experience for your client.?

This is why it's so powerful to work with an expert strategist that understands all of these different elements and how to integrate them into your customer experience. This way you can not only have a personal brand that? attracts high-end clients but you can also have a great customer experience so they'll stay and refer others to you.

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Each week I drop a new training on what I've learned about building a 7 figure high ticket coaching and consulting business. You will discover how to market yourself as the go-to expert in your industry and learn how to grow a business that gives you the impact, time, and the freedom you desire. Check out my video on How To Price Your Coaching Business Packages And Scale To 7 Figures.

Building Your Personal Brand

Want to build a personal brand that positions you as an expert?

Then you will love my latest conversation with Mary Ann Samedi of the Set to Lead show.

Tune in as we discuss:

• The power of personal branding.
• Ways to create a brand that resonates without sacrificing your privacy or personal boundaries.
• Strategies to incorporate your passions and personal interests into your brand.
• Determining the right level of authenticity to share with your audience.
• How to ensure your personal brand remains genuine and distinct in a landscape that’s becoming increasingly automated.
• How you can prevent your personal brand from being compromised by a single mistake and recover from a branding setback.

About Jessica Yarbrough

Jessica is a genius at showing entrepreneurs how to build an expert platform, rapidly raise their value, build their credibility online and attract high paying clients. She travels the world teaching and inspiring entrepreneurs and helping them grow their influence and make the income and impact they desire.

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