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On SiriusXM satellite radio each channel falls under a broad category, and yet every one has a unique identity. There are five country stations, but only one exclusively features country hits from the 2000s (Y2Kountry). One channel focuses on country music from the 80s and 90s (Prime Country), one plays strictly classic country tunes (Willie’s Roadhouse), while another introduces listeners to the new stars of country (The Highway). In many cases the title of the channel itself doesn't tell you much. It’s the one-sentence description of the channel that sets it apart.
Studying the SiriusXM channel descriptions can you teach a lot about differentiating your company, product, or personal brand. For example, your career might fall under the large category of “Financial planning.” There are hundreds of thousands of professionals in the category and they use titles to differentiate themselves: Retirement advisor, insurance broker, wealth manager. Most will add a designation after their title such as CPA or CFA. Titles and certifications are fine, but they fail to identify a person’s role in the ‘channel lineup.’
Your clients don’t care what your channel is called; they care about how your channel will improve their lives. The one sentence description means everything. You might work in the financial planning industry, but specifically you might be an expert in persevering the wealth of couples who have over $5 million in assets. Perhaps you have 25 years of experience helping individuals grow their money so they can attain financial independence when they reach retirement age. The more specifically you describe your role, the easier it is for your customers to differentiate your brand from the competition.
Some titles are so common they've lost nearly all their meaning. For example, “Social Media Expert” is a common professional title on Twitter. There are tens of thousands of individuals in the channel line-up. The smart ones differentiate themselves. I met Gary Vaynerchuk one year ago when we both spoke at LeWeb in Paris. In a very broad sense Gary is a social media expert, but he defines himself much more specifically, and it’s in his specificity that he sets himself apart. Gary is “An entrepreneur with a passion for storytelling.” His agency, Vayner Media, is “A digital shop that focuses on storytelling across platforms.” In a few short words Gary differentiates his personal brand and his agency’s focus.
You only have a few seconds to set yourself apart in the minds of your customers or prospects. Every business professional is unique. It’s up to you to highlight your unique experience or focus, otherwise you’ll get lost in the line-up. A title doesn't explain much. It’s all in the description.
Carmine Gallo is the communication coach for the world’s most admired brands, a popular keynote speaker, and author of several bestselling books including The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Apple Experience, and his latest Talk Like TED: The 9 Public Speaking Secrets Of The World’s Top Minds (named by Amazon and SUCCESS magazine as one of the best business books of 2014).
