Super Branding…and a cape.

This looks like a job for…
Who would you call if the world needed saving? Clark Kent — or Superman?

They’re both supposed to be the same person — but the guy in the cape and tights has a resume that says he can bend steel bars, leap tall buildings in a single bound and out run speeding bullets. He markets himself daily by keeping visible in the public eye:

• He’s joined peer networking groups (The Super Friends, The Justice League, and probably the local hero bowling league!)
• His actions are constantly covered by the media (his Rolodex is full of media contacts like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White.)
• He even has a colorful and recognizable personal logo.

By marketing himself as a brand, he has become the go-to guy for action.
The other guy is simply known for being mild-mannered, and when you think about it, he does tend to disappear anytime there’s a sign of trouble. Yeah, THAT’S what I want in a service reps. Never around when you need him…

With resumes like those to choose from, who is better equipped to save the world? Who would be better equipped to save the day when you or your business needed help?

Would you want to Batman or Bruce Wayne if you needed a big rescue? Batman’s got that cool utility belt with all the gadgets and tools he needs to do his job with super efficiency. He drives a vehicle suitable to allow him to arrive on location in the nick of time. Batman works around the clock — always on call when he’s needed — and he’s got the Bat Signal (the ultimate wireless communication device!) What’s more exciting to use in order to contact someone? A pager — a cell-phone? How about the hotline Commissioner Gordon uses to call the Batcave? Now that’s cool.

Or, you could try and contact Bruce Wayne. He’s a reclusive billionaire that lives in a big, creepy house with iron gates that lock out the world. What kind of message does his inaccessibility send to potential clients?

Example: The Joker is threatening to blow-up your company with the “Giant Whoopee-Cushion O’ Death!” Do you have time to wrestle with Mr. Wayne’s gatekeeper for an appointment? Can you afford to leave 42 messages in his voicemail? NO! You want to turn on that Bat Signal and blast a spotlight high into the sky! Seconds later, the hero is standing in your office ready to come to your rescue. That’s the kind of response your clients expect.

Do you think your customers have projects that mean the world to them? Do you believe your clients have situations they view as “dire” — no matter how the rest of the world might view the same problem? Wouldn’t they like to have a Super-Hero working on their project?

Create a Super Hero for your clients to call upon when they need rescuing. It’s a lot easier than it sounds. You don’t have to be bitten by a radioactive spider, or have been sent to Earth from another planet — or even dress up in tights and a cape. (Whatever floats your boat, dude…)What you DO need is the attitude, actions, and abilities of a Super Hero.

Attitude:
Larger than life — there are no “mere mortals,” bub! Strike a heroic pose — legs planted firmly, hands on hips, chest thrust out, chin set, and eyes scanning the horizon for evildoers. You can almost see your cape billowing in the wind (so will your clients.) Your attitude needs to instill confidence. Your customer needs to believe bullets will bounce off your chest. It demonstrates to them that you’ve been in sticky situations before and lived to tell about it.

Actions:
You don’t just talk about saving the world — you do it every day. You’re easy to get hold of when needed, and have gone to special lengths to make yourself available for a “special few” clients — just like the one you’re talking to at that very moment. (They’re all special, right?)

Superman gave Jimmy Olsen a signal watch — Superman had its alarm tuned to a special frequency his super-hearing could receive whenever Jimmy pressed the button. Anytime Lois Lane screamed — Superman was there in a split-second to put Lex Luthor behind bars, fight the bug-eyed aliens, step on a spider — or whatever else might be threatening her at the moment.

How cool would it be to give your customer a bright red phone that had all of your contact numbers programmed into every speed-dial button? Tell them it’s your Hero Hotline for very special clients! (A Bat Signal would be cool too, but think of the installation problems, not to mention the electric bills.) Sound improbable? Expensive? BULL. You can buy a pre-paid cell phone for about twenty-bucks (can of red spraypaint not included.)

When you are called upon — leap into action! Prepare proposals faster than a speeding bullet, make product deliveries in a single bound, or rescue the client from business problems — even if they seem more powerful than a locomotive!

Abilities:
You may not be able to literally out race a bullet, leap a building or bend steel bars in your bare hands — but how many of your clients need that on a daily basis?

What services and companies do you personally use because they deliver what you need in a SUPER-ior manner? FedEx delivers packages overnight — isn’t that just like Super Speed? Google provides access to a Super-Database of web sites and reference materials — it’s like the Bat Computer. A pest control company markets their representatives as a kind of a Super Hero. The actor on TV has all sorts of lasers and other weapons built into a RoboCop-style suit of armor. Wouldn’t you love to blast away at the ants, termites and spiders in your house with high-tech weapons? Sure beats that boring spray can…

What Super Powers would YOUR clients find useful?
The Amazing Accountant — Able to calculate accumulated interest in the blink of an eye!

Investment Man — Faster than a speeding stock ticker, predicts the future of rising stocks and lucrative investments like magic.

The Omnipotent Office Supplier — Replenishes your paper clips before you know you’re even running short. Keeps your pens plentiful, highlighters in high quantities and your staplers stuffed.

Business Form Boy! Travel Plan Girl! The Computer Network Avenger!
All these businesses (and yours) have abilities clients need to rescue them. Your job is to let the public know about your Super Powers! How do you spread the word? Just like the comic books — be visible.

Rescue a few high-profile victims and use their word of mouth, endorsements, and referrals to help spread the word. The Daily Planet never misses a chance to print a front-page story about Superman saving the world. Save someone in the business world and see if you can make the front-page of your local business paper. City Hall was constantly heaping commendations on Batman. Do some of your own amazing acts of service heroics and perhaps your Chamber of Commerce or other civic organization will honor you with an award of your own. The people you save will definitely tell (and re-tell) about the time you pulled their fannies out of the fire.

Quick!
Jump in the phone booth, put on your cape and fly to a client’s rescue!

…At least until you earn enough money to become a reclusive multi-billionaire (like Bruce Wayne.)