My view ...
1. All Steve did was answer a request for help for a window cleaner's customer. Jealousy springs to mind.
2. Steve should answer and/or put right any anomalies and claims about electrocution. Evasive?
3. Well done to Steve on his trade promotion in Australia. I used to do this kind of function in a previous life (UK) and in among the boring dark suits his hair, 'tache and suit will be remembered in a good way by delegates. It's non threatening and fun. Perhaps a Bowler to set it off? Or go the whole hog with a topper and a monocle?
I have a steampunk topper, complete with cogs and feathers and a few tailcoats too. True story. I might wear one of those for the next event.
People say I don't share valuable information on the forum. Well here's some:
A lot of successful businesses have 3 brands:
1. Company brand
2. Product brand
3. Personal brand
Virgin has their company brand, virgin trains is their product brand and Richard Branson, complete with long hair, beard and publicity stunts is the personal brand.
Apple had their company brand, iphone is their product brand and Steve Jobs who was famously fired by his own company and subsequently re-hired, was their personal brand.
Branson, Jobs et al were original in their approach. It got them noticed. Is Richard Branson a shameless self-promoter? Not in my book. He's a damn clever businessman. He is part of the Western world's subconscious psyche.
Today, I walked around a show of probably 8,000 people and stuck out like a sore thumb. But it is no accident. It gets me remembered, but more importantly, it gets my company remembered. I had people walk up to me to find out what I did, simply because I was dressed the way I was. At lunchtime, I had 3 offers from people I don't know at all to sit with them and have lunch. Whereas people pay thousands of pounds months in advance to get very limited speaking slots at these events, I am getting ASKED to do them for free. Why? I am different. I add theatre. Over the years I have honed my public speaking skills to capture the attention of my audience and engage them thoroughly.
There were 8 speakers I think in my section today, each had 10 minutes each. After the session finished, an older gentleman came up to me and wanted to shake my hand. He said that he arrived late to the session and missed my part. But he said that all he heard when it finished was people talking about my image, my content and my delivery of my material. He said he felt he had missed out on something!
If I walked around with a short back and sides, plain grey suit and white shirt, would I even be noticed? No. I would be anonymous and in turn, my company becomes more anonymous too.
I was given some great advice about 2 years ago by someone in the solar industry. They said that I had the product brand and we undoubtedly delivered a good service, but no one knew the story behind Clean Solar Solutions, nor the man behind the trailblazing ideas. They told me to get out of the shadows and step into the spotlight. They were confident that the business would flourish because of it.
They were right. I came out from the shadows looking a little bit different, a bit maverick in my public speaking approach and began to tell the story of the council estate kid who walked around with ladders and a bucket at 16 years old. The council estate kid who hit on an idea and ran with it, who landed a national contract with a blue chip company when he was a sole trader. The council estate kid who landed an advisory role in meetings in the Shard in London, hobnobbing with some of the City's largest traders with posh canapes and free champagne. The council estate kid who now finds himself in charge of a multinational company who speaks at large events and advises a whole new industry.
I doubt it would have happened if I hadn't been willing to listen to the advice of others and dare to be different. This is not bragging. It's my story. I am becoming my own brand. There may be no one who draws inspiration from this, but equally, there may be someone. People love to hear a story. Be the next story, be your own brand.
