The UnNoticed Gerry Foster - "Indistinct Brand Means Imminent Extinction."

If you adopt that you are going to be a me-only brand and not me-too or me-special, you are now saying that you're going to be an innovator and not an imitator or impersonator.

My purpose is to connect you and your wisdom to the people that think I'm not smart enough, basically, uh, to help them.

I like you. You're funny.

Jerry, look, it's wonderful to have your smile and your laughter on the Unnoticed Show today, all the way from LA. Thanks for joining me.

Oh, listen, I am Super excited to be here. It is my honor.

Well, you have the Jerry Foster Branding Organization. You've been going since 1985. You helped over 100,000 people. Tell us, what do you think is the limitation for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs in terms of scaling and building their business? Tell us about how you help them with their brand.

Well, I think one of the biggest challenges today, Jim, is that they are not putting out a brand. They're putting out a service, a skill, a talent, an ability, let's say, or they're just putting out a product. And there's a big difference between putting out a brand versus putting out what it is that you offer. And when you put out a brand, you're putting something out into the world that people can get excited about. People can literally fall in love with that brand. And Jim, there's 5 types of brands. You can brand a company, a product, a service, a nonprofit, or yourself as a personal brand. And so what's happening today, as you probably are well aware, there's something like 1.7 billion websites on the World Wide Web. 1.7 billion.

Yeah.

And so it's getting harder and harder for people to stand out and get noticed. And so one of the biggest challenges is for any owner, anybody who's listening today, to understand that unless you're standing out, you're invisible.

Wow, I had never thought there's over a billion websites. And of course, there are that many YouTube channels and half a million podcasts as well, right? So it's all getting kind of littered. I love that idea though, that people are selling services, not brands. Jerry, how do you help them to transition? Because for many people, managing cash flow, delivering services, It is kind of a difficult cycle in itself, let alone transitioning to something bigger. Can you just share with us, how do you help people do that?

Well, the first thing I do is I get them to have a mindset shift. And the mindset shift is to simply decide to be the honey and not the fly, because honey attracts, flies chase. And so if you think about that for a second, you've got so many people out there who are chasing down business. They're trying to get customers and they end up as if they're trying to convince them, persuade them to work with them. Yep, I hear you. Now, if you put out a brand, a highly distinctive brand that is known for something unique, fresh, original that the world has never heard or seen before, then all of a sudden you're going to attract people who are what, Jim? predisposed to wanting to work with you because they see that you have something that they've been looking for and they have not been able to find until now. And so what I do in my work is I show owners how to make that happen. That is so that business comes to them instead of them going after it.

That really is the million-dollar mind shift, isn't it? So it's not just about more email lists and working harder and funnels. There's something of a higher order there, isn't there, really, Jerry? How do you get people to change that mindset? Because most people are thinking about providing a service being sufficient. Where do you take them on that journey?

That's a great question because the first thing, Jim, is they have to understand that when someone is looking to scale or someone wants to have more impact, if someone wants to get more clients or customers, if someone wants to make more money, they have to adhere to what I call the golden triangle. And so if our listeners out there, if you were to draw a triangle on a sheet of paper, at the top of the triangle, write the word brand, lower left-hand corner, the word market, lower right-hand corner, the word sell. There's a sequence for scaling any business, and that is brand, market, sell. You nail your brand down first and then you market and sell that brand. It's always branding followed by marketing followed by selling. Now the thing about that, Jim, is that it's like a 3-legged stool. All 3 legs have to be in place. If one leg is wobbly, if one leg is missing, you're in trouble. But it also suggests that one leg is not more important than the other. Branding is certainly not more important than marketing. Marketing is not more important than selling. Selling is not more important than branding. They're equally important. However, the 3 have to work together to have the kind of impact that someone's looking for. So the job of branding is to differentiate your business. The job of marketing is to get people to pay attention to what makes you different and desire that difference. And the job of selling is to get people to pay for that difference. The way I like to say it, Jim, is that branding will get you known, marketing will get you found, And selling will get you paid, okay?

Nice, I love that, Jerry.

You gotta get known, get found, get paid because we're all in business to do what? To be seen, be heard, and to make money. And so if someone's out there listening and they're wondering, hey, I've tried this, I've tried that in terms of marketing, well, maybe the problem is you don't have a brand or you think you have a brand and that's another conversation.

Well, and I think it's a very valid one. I mean, how do people know if they've got a brand, Jerry? Because I mean, I have a logo, I have a website. Does that mean I've got a brand or how do I tell?

A brand is more than a logo. A brand is more than what people can see. A brand is not your website. It's not your pretty colors. It's not anything pictorial. It's not the aesthetics because that alone, if you think about it, it's not going to give you what's called a whole brand. Which means that you're putting something out into the world, into the marketplace, into the audience that you're serving, that allows them to embrace that and want to purchase it. So I always tell people, for those who have a hard time understanding that a brand is more than a logo, let's take Coke and Pepsi. I doubt if the Coca-Cola drinkers prefer Coke because it's in a red can, or the Pepsi people because it's in a blue can. It's what's inside the can that counts. And so The challenge for our listeners here is what's inside your can, which means that you've got to give people a reason to work with you. And no one's going to do that just because you've got a great-looking website or colors or photography and stuff like that.

So carrying on your soft drinks analogy, how do you let people know that you've got more fizz in your can than the next can?

Great question. You have to make sure that you are swimming in what's called untapped market space, which simply means that you're putting something out into the world that the world has never heard or seen before. And so for the folks who are tuning in here, you simply ask yourself, what are people looking for from someone like you that they presently cannot find? It usually shows up as some kind of what, Jim? A complaint. Something's— something that that customer, that consumer is looking for that they cannot find. And so the owner should ask themselves, huh, when it comes to a business like mine, what are people looking for that they presently cannot find? Specifically, what's the biggest complaint? What are they sick and tired of putting up with? What's not working they want to have work better? If they could wave a magic wand and say to that consumer, listen, I know you've been looking for A, B, and C from a business like mine and you've been settling for D, E, and F. Guess what? I've got the A, B, and C you've been looking for. Now you have the opportunity to put something out into the world that the world hasn't seen before. So what it comes down to, Jim, part of mindset is to decide to be what? An innovator and not an imitator. And so many businesses out there are just fading into the background because they're not separating themselves from the rest of the crowd. They're just another penguin in the group. They're just another slice in the loaf, another You know, they're another bird in the flock, right? I mean, yeah, they're just, they're blending in. And so today you have to not only stand out, but you have to stand out, get noticed, and be remembered for offering something unique so that you can then be rewarded for your individuality.

Okay, so there's a straight line, a direct line then between the entrepreneurial vision and the brand vision, it sounds like. They are intertwined. It's extremely difficult, isn't it, sometimes to know how you differentiate yourself? Often, especially if you've maybe got low confidence or you're restricted in resources, how do you take that sort of high view and reinvent yourself along a line that makes you someone that people want to work with and be with?

Well, I think that someone has to make the decision that they are going to be what I call a standalone brand, as opposed to appearing like everyone else. Because in my work, and as you know, Jim, I started my company full-time in 1985 when dinosaurs were roaming the earth.

Okay.

And, and so, and I want to make sure that our listeners understand this. I'm what's called a brand strategist as opposed to a brand designer. And so just Just like someone who may own a house cleaning service says they don't do windows, well, I tell people I don't do logos, swag bags, tote bags, websites, and things that people can see because great brands are built strategically, not visually. Now, having said that, it comes down to you deciding which level do you want to play at. Level 1 is called me too. Now, if you are a me too brand, you are another slice in the loaf. You are looked upon as a carton of milk. You are looked upon as just being another whatever. However, Jim, brands like Starbucks and Nike have shown us that the products they offer are less important than the brands they market and sell. And so you don't want to swim in that kind of competitive waters where you're forced to compete on price. The second level you can play at is called me special. Now, Jim, that's someone out there who says, well, Jerry, I'm different. I swear I am. And I go, well, really prove it to me. Is your brand relevant? Are you putting something out into the marketplace that allows you to say to someone, I've got exactly what you've been looking for, and you want to know what else? You can only find it from me. And so in level 1, you have these imitators, right? In level 2, when someone is not that relevant, They're an impersonator. They're putting something out that people really don't find that important. I mean, Jim, here in America, we have a history of great brands that came out as rock star, one of a kind, standalone brands that died on the vine. Jim, does the name MySpace ring a bell?

Absolutely. Rupert Murdoch's perhaps not greatest investment.

Oh my God, what happened to Blockbuster here in America? What, what happened to AOL, BlackBerry, RadioShack, the retail brands across the country that are what, dying if they haven't already because of Amazon? So the level that I want our viewers to play at is what's called to be a me-only brand, where you can say I am the only humma humma that does humma humma.

And if we look at like Microsoft, that's one of the brands that sustained itself for the last 3 decades, I believe, to be in the Fortune 500 consistently, right? So there's a company that's managed to transition across business cycles. So what do you think are the key elements of this ImaHamaHama brand, Gerry? Obviously, other than big tires and a large V8 engine. Although now I think it's going electric, the HamaHama. What are the elements for someone that's thinking, okay, I get it, I need to be a Hama Hama brand?

Absolutely. And as you know, Jim, my work is about showing small businesses how to big brand themselves even if they have limited resources. Because when you make the decision strategically that you are going to do what? Deviate and not conform. You're making the decision that you're going to go against the flow and not with the flow. Because if you adopt that you are going to be a me-only brand and not me-too or me-special, you are now saying that you're going to be an innovator and not an imitator or an impersonator. Now think about that, Jim. When you make that decision, then the only thing that you should be asking yourself is, okay, what are people looking for that they presently cannot find? As I said earlier, now let's break that down. It's been shown in branding, Jim, that people don't pay for products or services. They're not even paying for the brand itself. What people are buying from each of you is, number one, can you solve a problem that your target audience is having that they want it to go away? Number two, can you provide better outcomes for your market, which means they're looking for something that they presently cannot find? And so from that person, they're saying to you, listen, this is what I'm thinking of doing. This is what I'm presently doing. This is what I've tried in the past. This is what someone suggested that I do. Can you, in your business, can you take me from where I am to where I want to be? Jim, that's like someone saying, I'll make your kids smarter, or I'll take your company from here to there, whatever, right?

Yeah.

Number 3, can you perform a miracle? Can you make the impossible possible? And Jim, that's a huge one nowadays in the midst of the pandemic and everything else that's going on in the marketplace, particularly the internet, is to say to someone, I can take something That you think it cannot be resolved. I can make something possible. I can bring forth a future for you that you never thought could be done. I can make that happen. And number 4, I can provide you some kind of emotional payoff. You can stop experiencing negative emotions. You can stop feeling frustrated, stressed out, or whatever. So you take any of those 4, Jim, solve a problem, improve outcomes for someone, perform like What, like a miracle in their eyes and provide some kind of emotional payoff. And that becomes what? The undeniable benefit that you build your brand around, as opposed to saying, here are my services.

Those 4 elements are not a function of scale nor investment, are they? They're about attention to detail, execution, focus, which are the hallmarks of a great entrepreneur, not necessarily of a Fortune 500 company.

That is so well said. That is brilliant what you just said, because you know what? What you're speaking to is this: great brands are from people who see themselves as what? Leaders.

Yeah, absolutely.

So if we have listeners out there who want to become what's called the go-to brand in your space, where you're looked upon as the authority, you're looked upon as the expert, you're looked upon as the person who can provide something that no one else can, then understand that when people are looking on the internet, When people are searching for a product or service like yours, all they want to know is one of two things or both. Number one, how are you different? Number two, why are you better? How are you different? Why are you better? How are you different? Why are you better? How you're different, Jim, is to say that I'm the only company that can do so-and-so for you because of what? My superiority. And that's called your secret sauce.

Yeah.

The things that you do, the steps that you take, whatever is the system, the process, the method you have with your expertise, don't say services anymore, say you've got a system, a process, a method, a path, whatever. Put it into something that you can leverage, monetize through your marketing courses, programs, whatever that says to your market, not only can I deliver what you've been looking for, Not only can you get it from me, nobody can duplicate it, imitate it, or negate it because nobody has your DNA. And part of that, Jim, is a mindset problem because people don't get that they're different. And I go, listen, unless you have a twin, no one's going to do it like you.

That's a very good point, isn't it? That actually we are all unique by definition, right? But our education system, especially in the UK, creates people that compete on the same tasks for the same qualifications. So part of the challenge, I think, for many people is, as you say, to cast aside this sense of I've got to be the same to be okay. Ironically enough, to be an entrepreneur, you have to be not the same in order to compete.

Oh my God. I mean, you have to stand out. Well, let me put it this way. Unless you're distinct, You risk being extinct.

That's a nice one. Unless you're distinct, I'm gonna say that again, unless you're distinct, you risk being extinct.

No one is looking for just another business that offers the same thing somewhere else. If you want people to see you as being the go-to brand, the company to work with, the solopreneur, the mompreneur, whoever you are, then you have to do what's called a rebrand perhaps. Which is to take what you now have, re-engineer it, reimagine it, retool it, revamp it so that you can have that innovative one-of-a-kind brand backed by a secret sauce in terms of how you deliver the outcomes that you promised to your customer that nobody else can deliver but you because no one has your DNA. And this is where I always tell people this, Jim. I say, listen, Brand your brilliance. Build your brand around those things about you that allows you to sparkle, to shine, to radiate. And oftentimes, Jim, it focuses around perhaps someone saying, listen, there— I've got a way of doing this that is uniquely mine. Or maybe for some of you, what comes easy to you is hard for others in your space. So all of you have to focus on your uniqueness, not what makes you admirable. So you talked about college and education. That's stuff to tell your parents. Yeah. That's not what makes you distinct. Okay? Anybody can beat a resume. So build a brand around those things about you that allows you to shine the brightest.

You shine super bright, Jerry, on this podcast. As you know, I limit it to 20 minutes. So people will want much more of you. How can they find you?

Oh, my website is Gerry with a G, gerryfosterbranding.com. Just go there, gerryfosterbranding.com, and they can learn all about me and all the different things that I do.

Gerry, thank you so much for joining us from what looks to be a warm and sunny LA for The Unnoted Show today.

It has been my honor, and thank you for doing what you do.

Mate, I'm blessed to be able to have luminaries like you join me on the show and share what you know. So Thank you so much for joining us on The Unnoticed Show, everybody. And what you heard from Jerry Foster all the way in LA is really about the need to be distinct and have confidence in what you've got and brand it, believe in it, and then people will come. We hope. Of course they will, right, Jerry? They'll come to us when we're, when we're bright and have a brilliant brand. Thanks so much.

Thank you.