Know-How Exchange : Taglines/Names

(Aside: Your brain/illness is not relevant to people who are looking for your experience, unless you're specifically trying to target people who have similar circumstances to yours').

Since you're presumably trying to stand out from your competition, what can you tell us about why people should hire you? Who are they? Where are they? What do you specialize in? Your 10 years of experience is in placement or in management or something else?

Dave

you have 10 years experience in the IT industry, or the IT recruitment industry?

Secondly, you need to do something pretty special if you are to beat a path through this thicket of a market. That means doing things you are best at for those you do it best for. Who they are and what they like is the key to effective and affordable advertising/marketing.

Now as to your brain tumor - remember that life is a terminal illness in itself. It's just that few people think of this when driving faster than the recommended speed limits. However, you can use this in your marketing, in two ways:

(1) It tells people you have a determination to do a good job regardless of circumstances.
(2) You can use it to rid yourself of people you might not want to do business with. Intolerant people don't usually make for good clients, and they won't stand for people battling brain tumors as well as a business.

In fact you have two elements of a very clear USP. Rosser Reeves* began forming the idea seventy years ago, and still people don't use this amazingly powerful tool. Why? Because they are scared to. My guess is that with a brain tumor, this kind of stuff isn't very scary any more. Right?

I would like to know a little more before submitting a tagline or business name suggestion.

(1) What are the likes and dislikes of your favorite clients/colleagues. The people you really get along great with - because it means you will get on great in business.
(2) What kind of guarantee could you offer wavering clients who would otherwise make a good match? This is the sort of thing that can really hurt, its negative impact is much reduced by picking good clients from the outset. The ones who are most likely to claim on this are the kind who don't like people doing business with a brain tumor.

Any thoughts?

To your success,

Moriarty xx





(*Rosser Reeves, Reality in Advertising, published 1961).

1. I'd avoid referring to your health issues to generate business. It's as likely that prospective clients will avoid you as be attracted to you. And you will quickly become defined by your illness rather than your skills and the value you can bring to a business.

2. Integrity, innovation and determination are all great ... but they are hardly unique, and they require concrete examples that demonstrate how they make you better than competition ... or they're just nice words.

3. Your innovative pricing structure is only relevant if a client wants your services. If they're not convinced you're the best person for the job, it doesn't matter what your price is or how you charge for your services.

4. Your first priority ought to be to identify a small niche specialty -- a narrow target audience -- and define a unique positioning that will truly set you apart from the dozens (or hundreds) of IT recruiters in the world. Without that you're a commodity and you'll be competing on price forever. Perhaps it's a smaller geography. Perhaps it's an industry sub-segment. Somehow you have to be the best at delivering something, not just another recruiter. So far I haven't heard anything about the unique and important benefit you provide.

Dave - still more information would be useful to help us more. The values you listed are assumed - everyone is likely to list these. What else can you tell us? For example, please answer the questions I asked above. Also, what type of IT talent (CIO? Manager? Service operator? Repair?)

Dave - Here are some names to get you started:
Competitive Software Recruiters
Professional Software Recruiters
Hard Software Recruiters (nickname: "HardSoft")

Dave,

Expert Software Recruitment
Strategic Software Recruitment

However, you have a problem: everybody says they are an expert, specialist or whatever. Poor Scarlet O'Hara was faced with suitors all of whom were neatly shaved, said the same things and all wore gray. What choice had she?

SwitchedUp IT Recruiting