Dear Dolphins,
Last Friday I was delighted to open my email inbox and find a newsletter from “Daily Worth” that listed “10 More Finance Books You Should Read This Summer”. My book “The Wealthy Spirit” was first on the list which also mentioned “Zero to Zillionaire”!
This is a very popular newsletter, and I checked my Amazon rankings to see if it had had an effect on book sales – and yes, it had! “The Wealthy Spirit” was listed at 16,570 and was on the Top 100 List of Money Management Books!
You know how this happened?
A little shameless self-promotion, darlings. The original list of ten books they published earlier had a lot of lovely books and authors on it, but I was nowhere to be found. So I chimed in on the comments section about the books on this list I had read and enjoyed, like Barbara Stanny’s “Overcoming Underearning”. And then I mentioned they might enjoy one of my books, too, and gave the titles.
Then I told some friends about it and they wrote in and raved about my books. Aww, aren’t friends wonderful?!
My third book “From Worry to Wealthy” is for women in business and didn’t make their list this time. But maybe in the future…so I thought I send you a helpful exerpt from that one about how to stand out from the crowd in your profession.
Enjoy! Have a wonderful summer and stay cool!
Cheers,
Chellie
Branding: Your Difference That Makes A Difference
Branding is your company logo, mission statement, goals, attitudes, and symbols. For me, it began with my phrase "Financial Stress Reduction®" and came to include the gold tennis shoes and gold nail polish I wear, and some of the images and phrases I use. You create a brand to be instantly recognizable by your public.
One of my branded ideas is the analogy of Sharks, Dolphins, and Tuna.
If you've been reading one of my books, my blog, or newsletters for awhile, you know I divide the world into three groups: Dolphins, Sharks, and Tuna. Dolphins are happy, honest, and friendly, Sharks will do anything to eat you, and Tuna are the blissfully ignorant victims swimming with the Sharks and getting eaten.
You'll never make money working with Sharks - they want all the money for themselves.
You'll never make money working with Tuna - they don't have any money.
You've got to train to become a Dolphin and swim with other Dolphins in order to be happy, joyful, and rich - inside and out.
I didn't always know this. I was one of the Tuna - I took on clients who couldn't pay me (Tuna) or who didn't want to pay me (Sharks). You see the problem.
I had to toughen up, make rules for my business, and abide by them. I had to get smart, and maintain the profitability of my business. Then I could afford to be compassionate and help others as charitable giving - but not everyone and not all the time! Now I say I'm a Tuna-in-Recovery.
It’s important that your clients (or team members or employees) feel special for being a part of your community. Mine all know that they are dolphins – happy, helpful, talented, and smart.
As an author, speaker, and coach, this analogy has served me well as part of my brand. People relate to these simple categories and share them with others. A woman at a conference put me on the phone with her husband. He was a college professor who enjoyed the sea creature categories, and wanted to tell me so.
“Sending out ships” has been positively identified with me, also—a woman just recently called to tell me she overheard a woman say that phrase. She immediately went to her and said, “Do you know Chellie Campbell?” She did, and since they were both dolphins, they established a connection!
My friend Lynne Azpeitia is a psychotherapist and coach who specializes in working with “gifted and creative adults.” I have met a lot of therapists who specialize in eating disorders, marriage and family issues, alcohol or drug treatment, depression, teenagers, and others. But Lynne was the first I heard mention gifted adults. What a great brand! When she gives her feedback, we all listen intently because she’ll point out to us certain behaviors we are exhibiting that are typical of gifted people.
For example, someone asked how you would go about finding a good networking group when there are so many. I responded, “Google ‘networking in Los Angeles’, see what shows up that looks interesting, and go to the meeting. While you’re there, watch how people behave, how you feel in the room and see if it’s a fit. Then look for the warmest, friendliest, happy, successful looking dolphin-type person at the meeting and ask them where else they network. Then go to those meetings.”
Everyone thought that was a great idea, and Lynne jumped in to tell me that was a great piece of advice and should go into an article or a book. As I made a note about it, she said, “That’s your genius, Chellie—these things just flow naturally from you. Gifted people aren’t always aware of the things they say and do that are special because it’s normal for them. They think everyone has ideas like that.”
I looked at her and laughed, “Lynne, what a brilliant marketing niche you have invented. All your clients get to feel like they are gifted, creative, and a genius! I sure love getting feedback like that.”
How do your clients feel about being a member of your community? If the answer isn’t “special”, “privileged” and “creative”, you might want to rethink your branding.
Please feel free to copy this article and use it wherever you like. Just include the following “author box” for attribution:
Chellie Campbell is the creator of the Financial Stress Reduction® Workshops, and author of The Wealthy Spirit, Zero to Zillionaire, and From Worry to Wealthy. She has been prominently quoted as a financial expert in the Los Angeles Times, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Family Circle, Woman’s World and more than 50 popular books. She can be reached at Chellie@chellie.com
