Our neighborhood is perched on a mesa, and we enjoy long sightlines to the east. For most of the year, as soon as the sun rises, rays wash into our east-facing windows. But in winter, when the sun travels south, a ridge interferes with our sunrises. Sunlight doesn’t stream in until well after sunrise — after the sun emerges over the hogback. (Hogback is a geological term for a rocky, spiny ridge.)

February 25 is a special day at our house. On February 25, the sun has traveled far enough north that it rises over the eastern horizon. The hogback no longer delays our sunrise.

Sounds silly, I guess. But keep in mind, with 14,000-foot Pikes Peak due-west of our house, the sun sets as early as 3:00 in the afternoon in winter. Daylight is in short supply around here. Hence the celebration of Hogback Day.

Yesterday, we celebrated Hogback Day by getting a different perspective. We scrambled through brush and cactuses up to the spine, then bushwhacked to an outcropping we’ve dubbed Solstice Rock. (As you might guess, on the winter solstice the sun rises over this outcropping.)

It was a sunny, warm day featuring Colorado’s extraordinary deep-blue sky. A perfect way to celebrate Hogback Day 2012!

Sunrise photo by Patrice Rhoades-Baum
Group shot (Mike & Jake & Patrice) at Solstice Rock by Michael Baum 

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• her target market and their needs (including their end goal)
• the value she offers (often referred to as the unique selling proposition)
• and the key benefit/result that her clients receive (often referred to as the promise statement)

With this foundation, I brainstormed multiple taglines and gave her a list of options to review, so she could choose her favorite. (I’ll provide all branding details later, in a full case study. This branding project will be a great example for other small business owners.)

Meanwhile, a colleague gave her some advice: “You need to add the word easy in your tagline, because everybody wants stuff to be easy.”

Whoa, Nelly!

So you’re saying all business owners need to include the word easy in their tagline, because all prospective clients want stuff to be easy? Is that really everyone’s end goal? Also, easy speaks to a process, not a destination.

In her gut, my client knew this advice was not on target. She told me, “With the service I provide, my clients aren’t looking for ‘easy.’ They’re business owners who are looking for results. They’re looking for return on investment. That’s what they really want. And that’s what I need to emphasize in my tagline.”

Bingo.

Whenever we think about clarifying our brand, promoting our business, and planning strategic marketing campaigns to connect with our prospects and clients, we must keep in mind what they really want. When they hire you, what do they hope to achieve — in the near term and long term? What’s their end goal?

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During our interview, David asked a series of excellent questions, all focused on shedding light on the fuzzy topic of branding for solopreneurs and small business owners. For example, David posed this question, “What are a few strategies someone can use to differentiate herself from others in the same field?”

Here’s my answer: “Many of my clients will ask about strategies to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and I tell them, ‘Don’t worry about it.’ If you’re a corporate media trainer, you have competitors. If you’re a sales trainer, you have competitors — LOTS of competitors. In my view, the best approach is to gain a crystal-clear picture of what you offer that’s unique to you. In my branding process, I like to look for that ‘gem,’ polish it, and make it central to my client’s brand, website, and marketing materials. Instead of worrying about competitive differentiators, we make sure the gem shines and that it’s extremely attractive to prospective clients.”

If you’re seeking clarity on the fuzzy topic of branding, I invite you to read my interview with David Jackson on SiteProNews.

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In our interview, David encouraged me to jump on my branding soapbox! He asked a number of great questions about branding and, in particular, branding as it relates to solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. Because he consults with small business owners, his questions were insightful and pertinent to this group.

For example, he asked why branding is important for small businesses. My response: “I believe a clear, on-target brand helps you quickly tell your prospects what they get. … For example, when someone lands at your website they immediately see key messages that let them know they’re in the right place — that they’ll get the help they’re looking for. On the other hand, if your brand is confusing, if prospects can’t immediately see that they’re in the right place, then CLICK, they’re gone!”

Speaking of clicking, CLICK HERE to read my interview with David Jackson.

While you’re at David’s Free Marketing Tips Blog, take a few minutes to check out other articles written by David and his guests. Over the years, David’s blog has acquired a wealth of guidance, ideas, and advice for small business owners. I encourage you to tap into this wealth to promote and grow your business!

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How do you decide which provider is best for you? The answer is good-ol’-fashioned research to compare and contrast. Think about how you’ll use the service — and how often. Anduse their live-chat service to see if their agents are helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly and, of course, to get answers to your specific questions.

To get started, here’s a list of providers that many of my clients and colleagues use:

• Aweber
• CheetahMail
• ConstantContact
  
• iContact
  
• MailChimp
  
• MyNewsletterBuilder
  

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During Sunday’s hike, we needed to apply some engineering and building skills to cross the deep, icy, fast-flowing Beaver Creek. At one crossing, we were able to lay down small trees to create a bridge. At another crossing, we attempted to move a small boulder into the creek. Our plan was to ”strategically” place the boulder in a particularly deep spot, so we’d have handy-dandy stepping stones. It was going to be sooo easy. Simply roll the boulder down the embankment, and it will plop right into place. Right? Wrong.

Combine exurberance, wet rocks, ice, and sheer bad luck, and — just like that — someone was injured. A thick stick bowed then snapped under pressure, and our hiking buddy fell. The full weight of his body hurtled down into the creek, and his chest slammed into a sharp-tipped rock. He had difficulty breathing. He turned deep-red, then sheet-white. He nearly blacked out.

We had no cell service. We were still on the “wrong” side of a deep, icy creek. And we were miles from the trailhead and parking lot. Clearly, we had a problem.

It was surprising how quickly a fun outing transformed into a dangerous situation. We stayed calm. We assessed the extent of his injuries as best we could. We allowed plenty of time for recovery. After a time, he did recover fully. Thankfully. Now we could all breathe again.

But here’s the thing: We thought we were prepared. After all, we always carry plenty of water, a first-aid kit, extra clothing, and some food. For a severe injury, those items would have been virtually useless. What if he had been impaled? What if a lung had collapsed? What if he had had a heart attack? I shudder to think how our hiking buddy would have fared if we needed to get him to a  hospital — or if we needed to get an ambulance or emergency helicopter to the site. We would have had to rely on our wits to deal with all aspects of the situation: treating wounds, getting help, and so forth.

All week, I’ve been thinking about the incident. The word that has been on my mind is self-reliance. Even when you think you’re prepared, stuff happens. You have to be able to rely on yourself — and have people around you whom you trust.

Self-reliance is the stuff that built the West. It fuels entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small business owners. With self-reliance, the next time a problem or disaster strikes (on a hike, in life, or in your business), you have “more-better” skills to tackle it. You’re more confident. You’re more experienced. You’re stronger. You’re self-reliant.

[Photos by Michael Baum]
Top photo: A hiker crosses our bridge while my dog Jake jumps.
Bottom photo: Rugged country of Beaver Creek Wilderness Area

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Yet many don’t view themselves as the incredible experts they are!

Since these business owners are ready to step up to the next level in their business, we talk quite a bit about positioning them as an EXPERT. In fact, many of my clients are ready to position themselves as a THOUGHT LEADER in their industry or niche.

And that’s perfect! As solopreneurs and micro-business owners, chances are we don’t have expertise in a broad area … more likely, we have expertise in a narrow niche. So much expertise, in fact, we can legitimately state that we’re the thought leader in that niche.

Right now, I’m helping to position a client as an expert and a PERSONALITY. Some micro-business owners can go one step beyond that: CELEBRITY.

How do you want to be seen by your prospects, clients, and peers? As an expert? Thought leader? Personality? Celebrity? Whichever you choose, your brand, your website, your marketing materials, your elevator pitch — and your core beliefs — must be in synch.

I like the phrase “step into big shoes.” If you’re ready to step up to the next level, start thinking of yourself as the expert you are.

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As a business owner, you’re like a dragon. Not a fire-breathing, man-eating dragon, but a strong, capable, fearless creature who can fly … who can soar. Every day, you must be fearless to grow your business, you must fiercely pursue your passion, and you must fly out of your comfort zone (sometimes uncontrollably!).

With a quick search, here’s what I learned about the Year of the Dragon: “While the Year of the Rabbit [2011] was characterized by calm and tranquility, the Year of the Dragon will be marked by excitement, unpredictability, exhilaration and intensity. The Rabbit imbues people with a sense of cautious optimism, but people respond to the spirit of the Dragon with energy, vitality and unbridled enthusiasm.”

Happy New Year. Make this YOUR year to be a dragon!

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One of my clients – let’s call him Dave Smith – asked which website address would better serve as his main domain name:

1) DaveSmithDelivers.com
2) HowGoodLeadersBecomeGreat.com (Note: This is not his actual domain name. I altered it for this blog entry.)

My thoughts:
- Both domain names are easy to say, easy to understand, and easy for prospects and customers to spell.
- Both communicate a benefit, in a distilled manner.
- Both website addresses support the brand we created for him.
- HowGoodLeadersBecomeGreat.com is a bit long, but not a show-stopper for his highly educated target audience. (Always uppercase each word in your website address to make it easier to read.)

A consideration is that Dave wants prospects and customers to easily remember his website address. For example, John says to Mary, “I’ve been working with Dave Smith, and he’s great! You should check him out. What’s his website address? Something about great leaders, but I don’t remember. You’ll need to Google it.”

For this reason, I recommend my client uses DaveSmithDelivers.com as his main website address.

In addition, he should strategically use BOTH domain names, for different circumstances. For example, my client could use DaveSmithDelivers.com as his main website address, plus our developer would set up the other URL as a redirect.

Now, Dave Smith can use the 2 website addresses almost equally. For example, articles and marketing materials promoting his book, workshops, and keynote presentations on the topic “How Good Leaders Become Great” would include the correlating website address. Other marketing materials would present DaveSmithDelivers.com as his domain name.

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