 If the hospitality industry is about experiences, shouldn't that experience start with you? I believe that our personal brands can set us apart from our competition in our industry and create an experience for our clients. So today I'm sharing six tips on how you and your brand can set yourself apart. Stick around. So I'm Itzlian and I honestly believe that the experience that our clients have in hospitality, it starts with us, the people, first and foremost. Whether we're a sales manager, a bartender, a concierge or front desk attendant, it's their interaction with us that sets the tone of the experience to come. And while there are many individuals that do the exact same job that you do, how you set yourself apart will be a springboard about how we can set our product and our service apart as well. Today I'm sharing six ways on how we can create this differentiation and create more brand traction not only for yourself as the individual, but also for your product or service. And if you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel, I recommend you do so and click on the bell to be notified of new content because we talk about branding and LinkedIn as it pertains to the hospitality industry each and every week. Let's get started. The first way that you can set yourself apart with your brand is by providing value to your end user. Right now, the buzzword in marketing is about social selling. And part of this social selling strategy is to provide something of value or free of charge to your potential clients. The key to a successful social sell is to provide them with something and not expect anything in return. Trust is what translates into the sales later on. It is a long-term strategy and you need to stick it out and continue to provide value in order to see the return. Some popular methods for providing value include blogs, checklists, resource guides. These are all ways that you can help solve a problem that your client is having and build that trust with them. I did a post about inbound marketing, social selling for the hospitality industry and you can check out that post right here. Tip number two is to showcase the unique and the extraordinary. Your product or offers standalone features may become habitual or common. So this exercise will not only set you apart from your competition, but also spark your creativity and energy during the sales pitch. Highlight things about your product that are truly unique and different from anyone else in your comp set. Leaning on your product's unique selling proposition and your own becomes a hard combination to beat. Tip three, make your brand about customer service. Smart professionals will take their clients through a journey of determining what they want out of the experience and all the decisions related to the experience should address their objectives. Hospitality professionals can become part of the strategic dialogue this way and then you can tailor your sales delivery to address their goals in meaningful ways. Make sure when you talk about customer service that you provide that social proof as well through testimonials and referrals. Tip four, make your brand about gratitude and appreciation. Busy clients love to be interrupted when it's done in meaningful and thoughtful ways. Send a gift that really speaks to your clients' preferences or send them some online resources that you thought that they may enjoy and expect nothing in return. These touches show that you are really listening and they'll feel that their needs are being heard through the service aspect as well. Tip number five, make your brand about connection and collaboration. If you know someone that your contact should be connecting with, make that connection for them. Bridging the gap between two like-minded individuals brings value to both parties and care above your own self-serving purposes. And of course, one of the best platforms to make those connections is using LinkedIn. Tip number six, make your brand authentic and honest. If your service is not a great fit for the client, let them know that rather than trying to fit a square peg into round holes. Take it one step further and make recommendations of your competitors so your client isn't back at square one. By being honest about what you can do and what you cannot do to help with their objectives, that will be respected and you create goodwill for both your brand and your product moving forward. I did a post about authenticity and hospitality and you can check that out right here. Do you feel some of these strategies may help you set yourself apart from your competition? Drop a note in the comments below if you've tried any of these or if you have some nuggets of your own to share. Personal branding is an activity we can all engage in to grow our business and our opportunities. I'm hosting a webinar later this month called the Five Myths of Personal Branding and the truths you can start to use on your own brand. You can sign up for the webinar over at liankolderwood.com forward slash webinar. My friend, I encourage you to become part of the experience. Create a personal brand, create an experience and set yourself apart from the competition in your industry. Best of luck and we'll see you soon. Bye for now.