050: Mastering Your Brand Conversation with Kate DiLeo

In this episode of The Remarkable Project Jay speaks with brand architect and author, Kate DiLeo, about why finding your sweet spot as a business or brand is what attracts the ‘right’ customers for you, how conversations trump stories when it comes to compelling buyers, and the value of identifying where your ideal customers already hang out.

Kate DiLeo is a brand architect and #1 international bestselling author, whose approach is rooted in the belief that brand is the path of least resistance to revenue. She advocates for the elimination of complex and ineffective storytelling, by delivering simple yet provocative messages that tell prospects what you do, how you solve their problem, and how you differ from the competition. Brand conversations that convert being the outcome.

‘Muting The Megaphone’ is the title of Kate’s book on this topic, which discusses why, as far as she’s concerned, we need to stop telling stories and start having conversations in order to bring in new work and better serve our customers and clients.

The term “accidental” is one Kate herself has used to describe her own journey as a brand strategist. She originally intended to pursue a PhD in Anthropology, yet discovered the power of branding during her first sales job. In the pursuit of making quota, she realised that cutting through the noise with a message that would compel prospects to want to have a conversation was crucial. In that case, it was learn fast or be out of a job.

After honing her craft, Kate went on to successfully manage millions in pipeline by throwing out long monologue sales scripts and unsubscribing leads from complex story-based marketing campaigns. Instead, she focused on delivering simple pitches (centred on what she calls “The Brand Trifecta”) that invite prospects to engage in compelling conversation.

Having pursued her branding side hustle throughout much of her agency and corporate, Kate turned it into a full-time business in 2019. She has now partnered with more than 200 organsations across 20 sectors, helping them craft brands that bring more prospects to the table, more users who click, and more customers who buy.

Remarkable Takeaways

• Why finding your sweet spot as a brand attracts customers who are easier to work with, make faster decisions and trust what you’re doing.
• How conversations, more than stories, compel people to buy, and the three things they'll need to know about you before engaging in one.
• The importance of identifying which rooms, physical and digital, your ideal customers are in already, and how to join them there.

Remarkable Quotes

“When you’re serving your customers, your clients, they can smell a mile away if you hate it.”

“Smack them between the eyes to say “I get you”, I understand the pain you’re going through and here’s how I solve that pain.”

“If you’re a red pen, don’t go write in a blue pen – number one, your brand has to sound and feel like you.”

Connect with Kate

Find her on Linkedin

Learn more about how she helps businesses grow via her website