Tip #1-5 - A good question, well-placed…

Your branding—reputation, performance, integrity and other important factors—shows in everything you do. As an advisor you are your own brand, otherwise you could be singled out with a label or logo as with jeans, soup or other common commodity. 

With services, you don’t have a brand…it has you.

Establish your professional brand right up front—in conversation, writing and what you make people think about. Well-planned, well-placed questions can do that.

Scene:  Someone asks “What do you do?” Do you attempt a declarative sentence to impress them or pose a question such as, “Do you have a retirement plan where you work?” To their yes you can say, “That’s what I do. I design unique retirement strategies for businessowners.” To their no you can reply the same. Develop your own clever questions to your heart’s content. Questions can make conversations meaningful.

Ask a question to unveil opportunity.

Do you have a favorite topic, area of expertise or special attribute? These are all great sources for developing questions you “own” to distinguish you. Celebrities identify themselves with amazing questions which become part of their unique brand. De Niro, Kojak, Mae West, Bugs Bunny, Mayor Koch all capitalized on unique, memorable questions that “branded” them. If you insist on making statements, not posing questions, have something special going for you like Arnold Schwartzenager and Tweety Bird.

Long ones work—“Your company can write a check for a million dollars and it wouldn’t break you…but it would bend you a bit more than you’d like, wouldn’t it?” Short ones too—“Where in the financial world are you?” Want to capitalize on a well-known Canadian slogan? Think of Freedom Fifty-Five™ and ask Will you be free at 55? or
When will you be financially free? At 55? Your style and timing will make it work.

Ask.

Create a few questions of your own that ring true, then practice, practice, practice.

Forrest Gump opined “Do not wear T-shirts which advertise somebody else’s products.” Sage advice. Brand yourself—uniquely—with your own good questions.

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