From Martha Stewart to Alan Dershowitz, all successful marketers need a verbal identity to illustrate what they stand for and how they stand apart.

The question this week was: I can verbalize what sets me apart:

1. In one sentence – 0%

2. In one paragraph – 0%

3. In a somewhat rambling way – 50%

4. I can’t verbalize it – 50%

My Thoughts: An even split between "rambling" and "can’t verbalize it"… not so good! The questions for most of you become: What exactly do you stand for? What COULD you stand for? What makes YOU stand out in your firm culture? You may be the one with all the answers; the one that can make on-the-spot decisions; the one who takes on the toughest of cases; or simply the one who knows their clients inside and out. The key is to communicate that to the rest of the world…and especially to your target market (but more on that next week).

And if you don’t know what you stand for? Don’t be afraid to ask. Others who have worked with you might have a great sense of what makes you rise above the crowd, so take their comments to heart and see how it fits in with the brand you want to build.

Some great advice from my friend Jeff Kennedy of Martin Pringle:

Always have a ‘30-second commercial’ ready in your mind, so when someone asks you what you do, you have a prepared response.”

Black Pearl: When crafting your message read “Made To Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath. They offer great insight on creating a message that will resonate with your market.