I recently received an interesting question from a business associate. She’s in the process of launching a new website which will provide resources for new business owners. She’s also just getting into public speaking at events and seminars.
Her Question…
Is it better to use my name as my brand, or should I instead use my company name?
Seeing as I’ve been getting into public speaking myself lately —exciting!— I’ve also recently contemplated this question. This is a very thought-provoking topic, so I could see why she was conflicted. After all, the answer isn’t as easy as picking one name or the other!
To Split or Not to Split
To Split: If the speaking events or other personal activities you participate in do not have anything to do with your company, then, yes—you need two brands: a company brand and a personal brand.
- Example: Laura is a highly regarded gardening expert who shares her gardening tips at Home and Garden trade shows all over the country. Laura also owns a business called TaxTime where she functions as a CPA and tax expert.
- It’s simple: Laura needs two separate brands, one for her company (TaxTime) and one for her personal activities, using her personal name (Laura’s Gardening Tips).
Not To Split: If your personal and business engagements are related and intertwined, then you should stick with your company brand, using it consistently throughout all your activities.
- Example: Kelly Kicker owns a personal training company called Shape Up. Kelly is also a motivational speaker who uses her dedication to fitness as an analogy for how successful business people approach life. She also leads exercise classes, which she uses to sell her personal training company and services.
- Kelly can intertwine her personal name and her company name into the same brand!
But wait! You might be wondering: HOW do I use both my company name and my personal name?
The Client Attraction Funnel
To determine the best way to brand yourself and your company using both names, you need to determine the direction of your client attraction funnel. Let’s say you’re a public speaker who owns a business, like Kelly.
Ask yourself: where do I make the most money, through my website or through my speaking engagements? This will determine which name goes front and center: your company or your personal name.
Here’s how it works…
- Shape Up with Kelly Kicker [Brand Focus on Company Name]
- Most of Kelly’s clients find her website and then pay to hear her speak as a representative of her company.
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- The main brand focus is on the company, Shape Up.
- An added bonus to this approach is that any of Kelly’s employees could also speak at an event, using the company name. For example, Shape Up with Shawn Starr.
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- Kelly Kicker of Shape Up [Brand Focus on Personal Name]
- Most of Kelly’s clients hear her speak and then engage her professional services, because she is seen as an expert in her field.
- This approach brands Kelly as THE expert in her field, so the company name comes secondary.
- With this approach, Kelly wants people to remember her, specifically, and thus she puts her name right out front.
- Most of Kelly’s clients hear her speak and then engage her professional services, because she is seen as an expert in her field.
You Are Your Brand
Let me again point out that You Are Your Brand. So that means that all of your actions and interactions, including social media activity, influence how your target audience and your professional peers view you and your company. So whether you decide to use your company name or your personal name as a way to showcase your talents, keep in mind that you’re always operating as a representative of your brand—so always put your best foot forward!
To learn more, join me at Rochelle Togo-Figa’s “Speak Like A Pro” 2-Day Workshop on September 29-30th, 2011.