Brand Suicide: When Your Brand is too Broad
Entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and talent are most often multi-talented, multi-desiring, and multi-tasking. We take on and take part in everything of interest that we can and strive to innovate by doing and offering it all. We're game-changers, right? But, the entrepreneurial spirit that drives you to step out and create the life and career you’ve always wanted, is often the same fire that hinders your true potential. Offering too much to too broad of a client demographic is the downfall of so many promising personal brands, and they wonder why they are not sustainable.
It is a wonderful problem, however, to have several skill sets and viable service offerings, so don’t toss them aside just yet. The key lies in deliberate and honest self-reflection, a clear strategic approach to success, parting with services that you are less passionate about, and integrating the remaining into a clear, consistent brand promise. One of the very first steps we take with our clients is to narrow down their service offerings and create a unique purpose of value - which includes integrating their many talents into one fresh, desirable, and consolidated package. The result is a brand promise and value proposition that is easily presented and communicated in one sound bite or tagline. If it takes longer than 8 seconds to explain, then it's back to the drawing board.
Having too broad of a brand will also attract the wrong clientele. The temptation to accept and engage in business that does not fit within your brand strategy is tempting, but don’t give in! Long-term, sustainable success lies in identifying, developing and owning your niche in the mindset of your consumer. Claim your spot at the table you’d like to be seated and allow yourself to be definitive, impactful and exclusive. Because really - if you’re an expert at everything, you’re really not an expert at anything.
