The Second Key: Brand

While I believe that an effective name can be very helpful to a company, its importance has been WAY over played, in my estimation.

I believe a great Headline is more important than a company name. Most clients of entrepreneurs don't even THINK about the name, they think about the person delivering the service or providing the product.

Joe's Bar And Grille

Seriously, if I started off my marketing piece with that name, would it mean much to you?

No… and neither does YOUR company name mean much to others.

And take names like IBM, FedEx, or Jackson-Cross.

Do you even remember that IBM stands for International Business Machines? IBM by itself means nothing – it's what we ASSOCIATE with it that means a lot.

FedEx was the popular short-speak people used (rather than saying the longer, full name: FederalExpress) but wasn't their "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" headline MUCH more important than their name?

I'm going to guess that you don't even KNOW the name Jackson-Cross Company. There was a Mr. Jackson and a Mr. Cross. One started his own company in the late 1800s and then merged it with the other. The name by itself means NOTHING to most people, but if you had been in Center City Philadelphia (PA USA) in the 1980s and 1990s, Jackson-Cross Company was the largest, most-trusted real estate firm around. To say I was a Vice President of Investment Sales (as well as Manager of Corporate Marketing and Corporate Planning) for Jackson-Cross Company really carried weight around the city. But the name took on the results that those of us working for it achieved. By itself, it meant nothing.

So while I believe a good company name can take on importance, everything leading up to the MEANING of that name is much more important.

Should You Use Your OWN Name?

When I started my still photography business I used the name Special Life Moments Photography. I was capturing images at those special times of life: weddings, family portraits, and Bat Mitzvahs and Bar Mitzvahs.

So not only did I have to sell the name Special Life Moments Photography, I then had to sell the name Charles Seymour Jr who was CAPTURING all those Special Life Moments through photographs.

My marketing job was that much more difficult.

However, when I changed it to Charles Seymour Jr, Photographer, I THEN only had ONE name to sell.

And now all the testimonials that were said about me as being a great photographer, helping with their special moments, pass right on to my consulting and blogging businesses (at least to some degree).

IF you have plans for creating a large company with lots of people working for you, then using your own name may not be a good idea (since people will always want to work with YOU… and YOU want them to work with all the OTHER people so you can get your marketing completed).

But if you want to earn lots of money as a solopreneur, then consider your own name.

It just might help get your marketing message across.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
Blogging, Podcasting, Consulting

PS: You can find me here:

http://twitter.com/UltimateWAHDads

http://facebook.com/CharlesSeymourJr

http://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesseymourjr

PPS: Do you have trouble writing? Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Charlie Seymour Jr is an entrepreneurial evangelist and marketing-success coach helping individuals and companies (up to $100MM) explode their success through online and direct-response marketing. He specializes in blogging, podcasting, photography, video, and Facebook applications. Visit his blog at http://bit.ly/24eYTO to learn more about his successes.

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Fallacies of Marketing

047 The Invisible Touch – The Name Game

Learning To Use Email Marketing Is No More Difficult Than Learning How To Email

This next year will fly by… my 26 year old daughter Liz (LizSeymour.com) is getting married. We're very close, through up hills and down, theater projects and photography, friendships, joys, happiness.

I have to admit that when Liz announced her engagement to Chris McBride to our other daughter, Stacie, and me on a conference call, I was a bit in shock. Quickly my mind raced to when I proposed to Pam more than 28 years ago. I could see myself on one knee. I didn't know whether to jump up and down or jump through the phone to hug her. She sounded soooo happy, and after all, that's all I can ask for her: happiness HER way (not MY way but HERS).

She's bought her dress, talked with some photographers, narrowed her list of reception halls, and selected the location for her wedding: The Players Club of Swarthmore. Liz is the FIFTH generation of our family to act and direct in this well-equipped community theater (whose history reaches back 100 years) and she and Chris met there during a stirring production of Assassins in 2007.

Now she wants some engagement photographs.

Liz turned to the best photographer she knows: me, her loving dad. I've been a pro photographer since 2000 when I started my own still photography and video production company, and she's grown up watching me and assisting me.

Weeks ago Liz scheduled this time. Her teaching is over for the academic year, her Chris's teaching is over (though he started teaching at a theater day camp already), and she wants some photography to announce their engagement.

I have photographed Liz MANY times, including all the images for her large CD release (available on Liz Seymour's website – click here!). And though I'm primarily an internet marketer and consultant now, she knows that my background and skill are always available to her.

So, how did she get me to say yes? Other than wrapping her defenseless Dad around her little finger, what did she do to get me to say "Yes!"

She asked.

In email.

Using terrific direct-response techniques.

Liz emailed me, had a great headline, put a clear deadline by which time I was to respond, and included a call-to-action.

And she didn't wimp out at the end – she followed through by being very clear in her request of me.

And isn't that what we do with email marketing? Don't we want to be just like Liz? And don't we want the success that Liz had when our prospects say YES the way I did to Liz for the photography she wanted?

Use language that matches our clients and customers, ask clearly, state your case with emotional direct-response language, have a special offer and a deadline, and then a strong call-to-action.

Heck, she even used a sequence, just to make sure I wouldn't let my busy selling schedule get in the way of her engagement images.

But most importantly she just did it.

• She wrote.
• She asked.
• She followed up.
• She wasn't bashful.

Same should be true for YOUR writing… and since you probably need some help, look at my new information: Say It So They Buy It – Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More!

Use your email marketing to profit… and remember how Liz did it. Ask clearly, follow up, don't be bashful.

Best,

Charlie Seymour Jr
A Work At Home Dad since 1983, succeeding in this economy

PS: The help you need is here: Turn Your Words Into Gold – Go Here To Learn More! NOW is the time to start.

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Email Marketing