Full overview of a Verbal Branding platform and its impact on selling and operations.

1. Simultaneous improvement of: Sales , Culture , and Brand Density  New Branding Applications  Verbal Branding

2. Ted Levitt: Harvard BS “ Differentiation is one of the most important strategic and tactical activities in which [organizations] must constantly engage. It is not discretionary.” © Copyright 2004-2010

3. What should keep you awake at night… Your brand being diminished… Every day , times … Every person , times … Every conversation © Copyright 2004-2010

4. Positioning: - How different and therefore better than the competition The Branding GAP !! - A true spoken application for Brand Positioning © Copyright 2004-2010

5. Verbal Branding is:  Spoken application for brand positioning  Redefined foundation for brand development  New platform for simultaneous business impact © Copyright 2004-2010 1 2 3

6. Conversational Dynamics: … but first © Copyright 2004-2010

8. Your name: (Stephen Melanson) - No one cares yet !! Your category: (Branding Consultant) - No one cares yet !! * BTW…are you selling on Category? © Copyright 2004-2010

9. Your name: (Stephen Melanson) - No one cares yet !! Your category: (Branding Consultant) - No one cares yet !! * BTW…are you selling on Category? No One Cares !! © Copyright 2004-2010

10. Your name: (Stephen Melanson) - No one cares yet !! Your category: (Branding Consultant) - No one cares yet !! * BTW…are you selling on Category? Selling on “Category”? © Copyright 2004-2010 If so, you’re losing opportunities every single day

11. Verbal Branding is:  Spoken application for brand positioning © Copyright 2004-2010 1

12. Conversational Dynamics: © Copyright 2004-2010

13. Conversational Dynamics: - Memory : “ No matter what you do, people will only remember a couple things – PERIOD !” * THE SINGLE most important philosophy for Verbal Branding ! © Copyright 2004-2010

14. Conversational Dynamics: - Curiosity : “ Creating curiosity through positioning is the first, best step to making a sale and establishing identity.” © Copyright 2004-2010

15. Conversational Dynamics: - Context : “ Like Gentle Dental , positioning context increases the value of commonly offered products or services.” © Copyright 2004-2010

16. Managing Interactions: © Copyright 2004-2010

17. Most important  to least   Everything about an organization… EVERYTHING !  A conversation of… ANY LENGTH ! All Details Pyramid : © Copyright 2004-2010

18. Most important  to least   Everything about an organization… EVERYTHING !  A conversation of… ANY LENGTH ! All Details Pyramid : © Copyright 2004-2010

19. All Details Different and Better © Copyright 2004-2010

20. All Details Concept 1 Concept 2 © Copyright 2004-2010

21. All Details 5 Seconds Concept 1 Concept 2 © Copyright 2004-2010

22. All Details 5 Seconds Concept 1 Concept 2 No Elevator Pitch Allowed © Copyright 2004-2010

23. All Details Answer Curiosity 3 Minutes Concept 1 Concept 2 © Copyright 2004-2010

24. All Details 2 Hours Capability Meeting Concept 1 Concept 2 © Copyright 2004-2010

25. Details are important if they relate to your differentiation… Or they aren’t important ! © Copyright 2004-2010

26. All Details Concept 1 Concept 2 Different & Better ! © Copyright 2004-2010 Misc. Details

27. Some spectacular news!! - POSITIONING ADDS VALUE to all the details. © Copyright 2004-2010

28. Important: - Describing …is not branding! The more you “describe” what you do, the more you sound like the competition. © Copyright 2004-2010

29. Marginalizing the competition: © Copyright 2004-2010

30. 95% Rule 95% of companies are 95% the same as each other © Copyright 2004-2010

31. © Copyright 2004-2010 “ Of Course” You can treat these common details this way: “Of course we do that…” therefore marginalizing the competition’s positioning Ask me to explain this in much more detail

32. Traditional Verbal Branding Brand Result © Copyright 2004-2010

33. Traditional No GAP in Density ! Verbal Branding (w/ Verbal Criteria) © Copyright 2004-2010

34. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T Traditional Gaps in brand from no “spoken” application

35. Verbal Branding is:  Redefined foundation for brand development © Copyright 2004-2010 2

36. Add a “Spoken” Criteria… © Copyright 2004-2010

37. Create “ natural ” understanding - Works for both Internal and External audiences © Copyright 2004-2010

38. © Copyright 2004-2010 M A R K E T Traditional Density Vision

39. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T Traditional

40. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T Traditional

41. Add a “Spoken” Criteria So Positioning can be said…naturally © Copyright 2004-2010

42. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T W/ Verbal Branding Create internal density first to fill in gaps

43. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T W/ Verbal Branding

44. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T Density Branding

45. © Copyright 2004-2010 Presentation Selling Networking Partner Referral M A R K E T Unifies Sales & Marketing (and Culture…)

46. The Plain Language test… (Name) (Category) “… but we’re different from the competition because 1) 2) © Copyright 2004-2010

47. The You’re Crazy test… (Name) (Category) “… if you don’t use us, you’re CRAZY ; here’s why… 1) 2) © Copyright 2004-2010

48. Verbal Branding is:  New platform for simultaneous business impact © Copyright 2004-2010 3

49. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform One simplified platform to simultaneously improve 4 levels of operations

50. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform Think Speak Internal Starts with understanding and the ability to say

51. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform Think Speak

52. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform Sales Culture Density (Mngt) Think Speak

53. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform Sales Culture Density (Mngt) Think Speak

54. © Copyright 2004-2010 VB Platform Think Speak Sales Culture Density (Mngt)

55. © Copyright 2004-2010 Think Speak Sales Culture Density (Mngt) VB Platform One Platform

56. © Copyright 2004-2010 Density Culture Sales Think Speak ( Mngt ) VB Platform Occam’s Razor If it isn’t simple, it won’t work

57. Reminders… * No elevator pitches * One or two “positioning” ideas ONLY * Different and better * Internal “density” first © Copyright 2004-2010

58. Patrick Lencioni: Author “ If you could get all the people in an organization rowing in the same direction… you could dominate any industry, in any market, against any competition, at any time.” © Copyright 2004-2010

59. Stephen Melanson Melanson Consulting Twitter: @ stephen melanson LinkedIn: stephen melanson consulting Email: stephen @melansonconsult.com melansonconsult.com 781-443-5017 © Copyright 2004-2010 Need A Speaker?