Your Personal Branding Business Model

One of the most important aspects of creating a personal brand, is first attempting to determine what your goals are. Are you trying to become the President of the United States, the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a serial entrepreneur, a social activist? This will certainly help you understand how to frame your brand, how to develop it, and how to continually move you towards your end goals.

In order to do this systematically, you should think of your personal brand just as a company does of it’s own brand; like a business.

It starts with the product

That’s right, it starts with the person. After all, it is a personal brand, and you ARE the product. Write down how you want to be defined. What are the attributes of your product. Are you innovative? Are you a trendsetter? What are your specialties? If you were sitting on a shelf at a store, why would someone choose you over the competition?

Make sure you can deliver

Great customer service defines companies. It also defines you. Great customer service means you are servicing people who have already given you a chance. That means creating deep, meaningful relationships. It involves listening as much as it involves talking and responding.

Personal service involves great follow-ups with great communication.

You have to remember that your customers have immense power, and if you service your following correctly, they should be creating word of mouth for you. If they’re not, then you need to either re-vamp your product or your customer service.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE, CLICK HERE…

Interview with Chris Richter, CEO of Socialware

Chris Richter and I have quite a history.  We were both founding members of Bazaarvoice and the first two members of the Bazaarvoice sales team.  Over the years, we’ve developed quite a friendship; I’ve gone to see his kids play baseball, I’ve spent the 4th of July with him and his family, and I’ve even had the dis-pleasure of spending a night or two on his couch.

He’s gone on to start his own business called Socialware.  Anyone who knows Chris personally, knows that he is extremely passionate, and wildly talented.  Socialware recently attended the Rice Alliance IT & Web 2.0 Forum in Houston, TX, where Socialware won the best 30-second pitch.  You can hear the pitch here.

I sat down with Chris and asked a few questions about Socialware and his new life as an entrepreneur.

1.  You are the Founder and CEO of Socialware.  Please tell us about your company, concept, and target market.

The mission of Socialware is simple.  We believe that large enterprises are sacrificing efficiency and productivity gain that could be realized if they would embrace public social applications.  By 2010 the number of Gen Y employees in the workforce will equal the number of baby boomers, and as these employees enter the workforce they will demand access to these tools in order to be maximally productive.  I recently heard a stat that said that 35% of 18-24 year olds would leave their current employer if not given access to Facebook–that is incredible.  2009 will definitely be a tipping point year in terms of changing attitudes among large enterprises towards these platforms and technologies which include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter.  Those that act now will gain considerable competitive advantage.

That said, enterprises universally want some level of control over access to such applications and more importantly control over the data.  Socialware has built the first Enterprise Social Media Integration platform that allows Fortune 500 firms to leverage these platforms while retaining ownership of the data and importantly enabling the seamless integration of social media communication and data exchange into existing enterprise legacy systems.

2.  How does an enterprise balance control with freedom for the people using social applications?

You bring up a very good point.  Our message to the enterprise is very much focused on enablement, i.e. enable a globally distributed sales team to collaborate more efficiently with micro-blogging and social networking, etc.  However, there is definitely a control element.  All of the communication exchanged across public applications while an employee is leveraging these applications from behind the company firewall is recorded and archived and all access can be restricted and monitored.  I think that the key is that enterprises engage their employees in a dialog around the policies that will be applied when using these types of tools from the work environment.  I believe that if expectations and policies are clearly set then for the most part individuals will do the right thing.  One of the capabilities that we enable is for users to toggle on/off the private messaging capability across Twitter, Facebook, and other social applications.

Given that we are focused on existing public applications, folks may want to use their existing accounts to privately communicate with their colleagues vs. setting up a new business specific Twitter account or Facebook profile.  This capability was introduced based upon requests from prospects and again suggests a level of trust that employees will keep sensitive company information private.  I think the other key point is that all of this information that you are posting to public social applications is already in the public domain.  If your employer wants to see what you are up to it is not difficult and there are a number of tools that are designed for that specific purpose.  In the Socialware context, archiving and indexing of data is designed to make knowledge sharing and expert identification within your enterprise easier and facilitate the information that you are sharing over public applications being deposited into the right legacy systems, i.e. your CRM system.  So in short, it is a privilege for employees to have access, it is incumbent on the employer to articulate clear policies of use and for the employee to do the right thing, and we are simply facilitating that.

3.  This economy makes it extremely difficult to get funding.  What makes you confident that you will get funded?

The reality is that every VC we meet with echos the same sentiment.  They all say “this is a great time to start a company”, and it is a valid statement.  While capital is scarce, talent is not, and given the economic environment, once we are able to establish great client partnerships and prove business impact with marquee Fortune 500 brands, we will have a considerable lead on any competition.  Also, our message is an ideal one for this market.

I heard a theme the other day for business in the year 2009…do more with less.  With teams thinning in the environment, efficiency through effective collaboration is more important than ever.  Furthermore, the public social platforms that we are advocating are free to use and because of the consumerization of technology there is a virtuous cycle of innovation happening.   Why would a company invest in software in this environment when they can leverage what exists and already has massive traction (Facebook is growing by 600k users a week and will have 200m subscribers by April).  In short, companies that have a strong value proposition will still be funded.  The rules have changed though.  Essentially, now in order to secure seed funding you have to have more than a defensible idea; you have to have a working prototype and ideally a couple of signed pilot customers.  Our mantra from day one has been “Build and Sell” and the rest will fall in place.

4.  You have an idea that not many people have been able to figure out.  Why do you think enterprises are taking so long to figure out how to use social media to their advantage?

It is a combination of factors.  We are encountering a sort of cultural inertia head on.  It is the old “no one got fired for buying IBM” model in action.  There is always a certain reluctance in terms of risk taking in the enterprise–it is the “factory model” that Seth Godin describes in Tribes.  But that is changing quickly and the idea of blocking access to these applications over the long term is not a sustainable policy.  In my opinion the last couple of years have been experimentation primarily around how do we use Facebook, Myspace, Twitter as a form of customer outreach to engender loyalty.  Some of these experiments have been successful and some of them have failed miserably where enterprises weren’t willing to adopt the new rules of the game.

Again, because of the rapidly changing dynamics of the work force, I believe that this is the year where those same thought leaders (tribe leaders) will take a leadership role in mapping out a more comprehensive strategy for how enterprise wide an organization can leverage these applications for productivity purposes across departments.

We want to be the underlying technology enabling that disruptive change.  Fortunately, while we are uniquely focused on building the technology to solve this problem, there are a number of consulting firms focused on being expert advisers teaching enterprises how to incorporate web 2.0 and social technologies into existing business processes.  We are out actively partnering with those firms as well as directly taking our message to the market.

5.  2009 is said to be even worse than 2008.  How does an entrepreneur stick it through the tough times like these?

In reality I don’t think that there is any better place to be in this market than being an entrepreneur.  We have large enterprises applaud us every day saying that the innovators like us are the lifeblood of the economy and thank God for us.  They also send resumes of their downsized employees our way.  We are fully prepared to bootstrap through this year or live on a moderate amount of seed funding and simply deliver a great product to a handful of brand named partners and blow away their expectations.  If we focus on doing that, we will survive and in fact thrive.  At the end of the day though, now more than ever, you can not be in this with a profit motive; you have to be in this with a real passion for your vision and true belief in how you are going to make an impact in the world.  As always if that is your mission and you stick to it, the rest will fall in place.

I actually believe the 2009 will be a fantastic year for Socialware.  We are keeping our customer acquisition goals moderate given the economic environment, but if we achieve our goals, we will be in a perfect place to put the pedal to the medal on the plan when the expansion begins again in 2010.

6.  You have spoken with VC’s and Angel investors.  What have you learned through these experiences?  What can an aspiring entrepreneur learn about the process?

It is very simple.  You must have gone further than simply having the next great idea.  You need to have a prototype of the product in hand and a pipeline of pilot prospects willing to validate the business impact that you will create.  If you have that, then you will get funded.  If not, you won’t.

One of the upsides that I find in this environment is that there seems to be a greater sense when you talk to VCs that they are going to do more than just provide capital; they are going to be true business partners working with you to weather the current environment and build a sound foundation for the business so that when that market recovers, we are prepared for hyper-growth mode.

7.  Your wife is an entrepreneur herself.  How is an entrepreneurial family different than the average family?

Well–It can be challenging, but also very rewarding.  The key in my mind (and frankly something that we do not do extremely well) is forced planning and structure, i.e. being very communicative about what is going on with each of our businesses. We have 3 children, aged 8, 10, and 12, so it is absolutely essential that we plan and communicate so that their lives are not disrupted.  The beauty of a 2-entrepreneur household is two-fold.  First, we were playing a game with our kids the other day where we have them tell us one thing that they loved and admired about each member of the family.  When it came to me, our son said, “I like it that you start companies, Daddy”.  I think it is massively beneficial for them to see and hear us have a vision of a way that we can change the world or improve it, and to go for it, execute, and make it real.

Secondly, it is a bit surreal, but it has made my relationship with my wife even stronger as we collaborate and share ideas with one another about how to make each of our businesses great.  It’s a bit strange, but now we both read management books and talk about the concepts–it’s pretty cool.

8.  Final thoughts on Socialware, entrepreneurship, or business?

This is certainly not a life for everyone but for those that have a true passion for their ideas and really believe that it can make a meaningful difference in the world they should act now.  There is truly no better time to start a business that at the bottom of the market–where I am afraid that we are today.  If your idea can survive and be embraced in this environment, it can weather anything.

I am very excited about the unique position that Socialware is in in this market.   I am glad to have found a great partner on the technology side, and we are both very bullish on our prospects.  Most of all, we are having fun and doing truly rewarding work that we believe in.

Guest Post – Tony Capasso: Look AND Feel the Part

I just came back from Las Vegas at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show and what a spectacle! If you like to geek out to latest and greatest in technology this is the event for you. The consensus from most people who have traveled to Las Vegas is that 48 hours is enough! Not so for CES, but in general why do most people feel that way? I think it is because Vegas is very much a facade. Lots of lights, camera, action, but when you really get beyond all of that, it does very little to nourish the soul. I ate at one restaurant where at first glance it looked 5-star, but when I searched beyond the walls and sponge board crown molding I found something very different. I put my hand on the chair and what looked from afar like a $2,000 throne felt like something I would buy from a department store as patio furniture. I tried to lift it expecting its solid weight to hold it to the ground and I almost thrust it to the ceiling. Weak!

Let’s relate this to personal branding. If you look the part you are half way to being the part, but when are you actually THE PART? You are when you truly FEEL that you are. So it goes without saying that for a job interview, a client meeting or big date you always want to look the part. Dress appropriately, if it’s an interview for a bank wear a sharp blue suit with a white shirt and red tie, for a big client meeting wear well coordinated slacks and a jacket(and a tie where appropriate) and on a big first date leave the ripped jeans at home and tuck in you button down. Having said all that a clean hair cut, well groomed nails and a shave go without saying, and always, always shine your shoes. So there you go, you’re half way there.

 

The other half: Be prepared! If you are prepared you will feel that you’re going to nail it! Think of the time when you didn’t study for a test and you went into the classroom flustered and unsure of yourself versus the time you studied 20 hours and you knew your stuff inside and out! That’s confidence and that’s feeling the part. Once you feel it, you ARE it, and no one can stop you. That confidence comes from within when there’s substance and you have taken the time to prepare yourself to add value. Prepare for the job interview by studying the company, its offerings, and the Linked In profile of everyone you will meet. For the big client meeting know all of the latest news and the positive and negative press so you avoid putting your foot in your mouth and for that big date figure out who you know in common and a little about what he/she likes to do in their spare time.

“Luck is What Happens when Preparation Meets Opportunity.” So guess what if you feel lucky you will be lucky. Personal branding is a state of mind.

Proof is in the Pudding

Now that you know your digital archive is the future of your perceived brand, it’s important to realize how your connections fit into that equation. After joining Facebook last week, I realized several things rather quickly. First, Facebook is far superior to LinkedIn in terms of showing how deep your connections really lie. The personal nature of Facebook makes this rather obvious. It certainly reinforces Dessert Theory in regards to connections. In short, it’s less powerful if I tell you who I’m connected to and more powerful if you can see my connections (LinkedIn). Even more convincing however, is for you to witness who I interact with on a daily basis. This gives you more insight into a person’s brand. LinkedIn by it’s very nature is limiting in terms of interaction. It doesn’t spark community.

Brett Hurt, the CEO of Bazaarvoice, told me he spoke at a high school recently where he asked Generation-Y teenagers if they used email or IM. The majority to his surprise said no. They all used Facebook and Myspace. While this may not come to a surprise to everybody, it did make me think. Where e-mail and IM went wrong is that they weren’t platforms so to speak. They don’t give you the ability to share knowledge with the masses. They don’t allow you to show off your connections. While LinkedIn does allow this to some extent, it’s still limited in the sense that you can’t spark dialog between your connections. A successful social network should be your community so to speak, especially if you don’t have other outlets such as blogging.

People may question whether it’s more important to have active community or a big community. While I think the holy grail would be to have both, an active community of connections is far superior. You are creating a following through the dialog you spark and the participation you elicit. In short, you have a following; a brand people associate with.

Let’s Bring Back The Karaoke Machine

When I connect with someone for the first time via email, I will usually ask the person if they ever make it to Austin, TX.  It’s too easy these days with social networking, email, and blogging to neglect meeting someone in real life.  It’s comfortable and we can get away with it, but there is no substitute to meeting a person face to face.  Sharing an experience in person, builds a relationship beyond what you could ever do through technology.   

I like to meet people in person because it’s more fun.  You can have experiences together like watching live music, having dinner, enjoying cocktails, and yes even karaoke.  Activities like this give you chances to have fun with each other.  When you have fun with someone, the emotional experiences you have carry on throughout your entire relationship.  Your closest friends and business partners today are your closest precisely for those reasons.  It’s the reason that Asian cultures embrace getting to know each other through dinners, parties, and karaoke as a way to build experiences and relationships before business is ever brought up. 

This is also why I tell my friends who want to “network” to connect with someone on a human level rather than a business one.  When you connect with someone on a human basis, your relationship will have more depth and breadth.   It won’t be easily classifiable.  And that’s a great thing.

I’ve found that part of connecting on a real basis involves revealing vulnerability.  Talking about issues that make you seem more human is a relief to people meeting you for the first time.  They are more willing to reveal their own vulnerabilities.  It’s a beautiful thing to see.  You can watch the layers of someones persona peel off like an onion as you get closer and closer to the core of that person’s self. 

So of course, I will tell all of you, when you’re in Austin, let’s go get some margaritas, eat Tex-Mex, and go out on the town.  Let’s get a group together and have fun.  Let’s remember to live first, and remember that everything else will follow.  Connect with me now, and when we’re in the same town, we’ll go get in some trouble.