Who Are You?

Howdy folks. Sorry this week’s blog is a little late. I’ll try not to let that happen again.

Today I want to talk about you.

Who are you? What is your brand? Who are you representing yourself to be?

The Banff Television Festival is coming up and if you’re going (especially if it’s your first time) you need to be clear on the answers to the previous questions.

When you meet people what are you communicating with your presence? With what you wear? With the words you choose?

You need to have a clear and consistent message. When you meet people and you are representing your show, at that point in time, you are the most tangible thing about your show they have seen, and you need to make sure you are communicating that.

When I went to Banff a few years ago, I was pitching my motorcycle travel show. So, I booked some meetings in LA the previous week, got on my motorcycle and rode it from Vancouver to LA, had the meetings, and then rode from LA to Banff for the festival, and when I got there? I looked like hell.

I was sunburned, windburned, and had a fat lip and a cut on my nose from a tumbleweed that had decided to attack me as I was riding through Utah.

Needless to say when I walked into the meeting rooms in my leather jacket after pulling up on my motorcycle every morning there wasn’t anyone who didn’t know me and what I was pitching.

Now, you may not have a biker show with a 6’2” biker as a walking advertisement, so, what do you have?

I saw a girl at NATPE in Vegas a few years ago pitching a home reno show for women. She had pink work boots, a pink tool belt and a pink hardhat that she wore everyday. I thought it was dynamite. Why? Because it was clear. It didn’t leave the Execs guessing at what she might be doing there. And, if any of them liked her idea? Well she wasn’t too hard to find.

One of the production companies approached me in Banff by yelling at me from across a parking lot. “Hey I want to talk to you!” It turned out it was the VP of Development from a huge production company in Toronto. She was on her way to a meeting but set up an appointment with me for later in the weekend. They ended up wanting to option the show (though as we know I went with an American company for that one).

And they found me because I was consistent and easy to recognize.

Now this is not saying you have to dress up in character, but if there is a character play it up. Now’s the time to get their attention. You can show them how smart you are later when you sit down with them, not by putting on a fancy shirt or dress you’d normally never wear.

So what if you can’t dress it up with a character? Maybe you have a weight loss show (I’m thinking that would be hard to show in a costume or outfit).

You still need to be, have to be, must be, consistent in your message. Whatever show you are bringing, you are the face of it for now. So if you’re selling a weight loss show don’t be loading up your dessert plate at the buffet. It’s the wrong message.

So dress to impress, whatever that dress may entail, be consistent, and do not be apologetic.

Know who are and what your show is about. This is you! This is your brand!

You don’t need everyone to like it or think it’s funny. You need one. One executive. And that executive can become a fan. And after that they become your ambassador to other executives.

And then it goes from there….but only if you know the answers to those first three questions.

Let us know how you communicate your brand in the comment section below.