“Brand” is the second of the 12 Essential Practices for Revenue Growth we use in guiding clients in growing more revenue, more clients and opening more doors. It can be visual or descriptive. But as Jeff Bezos of Amazon says, “Your brand is what stays in the room after you leave the room.”

What you say or do in a prospect meeting, at a networking event, or on a speaking panel becomes the mental picture others have of your firm, through you. Will it enable you to have longevity with your targets. Or have you burned bridges without even knowing it.  As one counsel stated, in a pitch meeting, we were outnumbered and out-talked. Another mentioned that in a recent meeting she was offered help with managing what they were already doing, not what they needed. And we have even heard that presenters were not prepared, showed a lack of business etiquette i.e. taking calls, and seemed disinterested in building a relationship.

Nike does not sell shoes, they sell performance enhancing products. Black and Decker does not sell power drills, they sell “holes” according to their Senior Vice President for Marketing.

So what is your brand communicating? What are you leaving behind in the room? Remember, there is a critical point at which your values need to become the prospect or client’s need. That is your brand.

Firm leadership and revenue growth is the second of 12 essential practices to make your business unusual.  Ask your colleagues the following:

• Describe the “client experience”;
• Describe your current efforts to create sustainable revenue growth;
• Describe your professional development program and diversity and inclusion efforts;
• What has triggered clients cancelling relationships?
• If there is a next level of growth, what does it look like?
• What % of your colleagues cross market and market internally?
• What are the 3 most important actions you or the firm take to bring value to your clients?
• What 3 actions can you delegate or spend less time on?

The answers and solutions will come directly from what you hear!