Customer Reviews

The Brand Called You: The Ultimate Brand-Building and Business Development Handbook to Transform Anyone into an Indispensable Personal Brand

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As a professional consultant, I thought I was the target market for this book. I mean, it does call itself "the ultimate", doesn't it?

Well... I was beyond disappointed. If you have ever marketed yourself or your business, if you have ever read a business book in your life, if you have even just managed to stay in business for more than a year, this book is far too basic for you.

According to the authors, the crux of personal marketing seems to be creating "personal postcards" and sending them to people anytime you can figure out an excuse to do it. There are a few other ideas that they beat to death, as well. While these ideas may be a good idea for some, there is just so much more that.

The book looks good, but the reality is that there are too few ideas, the ideas covered are outdated, and I thought the whole tone was pitched really low and patronising. It was a waste of money, but more than that, a total waste of time.

"The Brand Called You" has one of the longest subtitles that I have ever seen on a book, but it is an accurate synopsis - "The Ultimate Brand-Building and Business Development Handbook to Transform Anyone into an Indispensable Personal Brand". If you ever wanted to know about personal branding this book will give you a thorough understanding of what it is and what it is not. "Branding" is pretty much a buzz word in the marketing arena but rarely have I encountered anyone who truly understands it as well as Peter Montoya. In this book he examines a specific type of branding - personal branding. The coverage is absolutely the most exhaustive that I have seen anywhere. He starts with the basics of defining personal branding and continues through building an appropriate brand, strategies for personalized branding, power tools for developing a personal brand, and a plan for establishing your personal brand in twelve months. If you want your business to be the next Eddie Bauer, Charles Schwab, or Ben and Jerry's this book is an indispensable guide to get you there. It is a highly recommended purchase for anyone seeking to establish name recognition as a personal brand and the best guide I've seen on the market today.

The biggest takeaway from Montoya's book is the need for consistency.

The fact is some experts lose track of the need for a steady hand on the wheel, thereby blurring their "brand" (ugh, that word is far too overused and meaningless; but that's a debate for another day). Whether they are authors, trainers, lecturers, or entrepreneurs (or a combination of each), all signs must point to a consistent image that the expert consciously tries to cultivate.

Some of Montoya's techniques are a bit simplistic and oversold. It is important to remember that readers have the ability to take what works for them and discard the rest. If I get one or two "wow" ideas from a book these days, I consider it a worthwhile read. Montoya's emphasis on consistency was a pertinent "wow" reminder.

This book is a must read for anyone who finds him or herself in a battle for survival with competitors. It's even better for those who wish to avoid such a battle. Competition is a blessing to the buyer but it makes life difficult for sellers. Peter Montoya show you how to rise above the croud and become the only choice. If you'd rather not play the "me too" game, "The Brand Called You" teaches you how to stand out. In a systematic view of the value of your own personal brand Montoya shows the value of creating your unique identity and the way to make it happen!

The Brand Called You: The Ultimate Brand-Building And Business Development handbook To Transform Anyone Into An Indispensable Personal Brand is a solid guide to building a personal relationship with customers and selling oneself even more strongly than one's product or company. Peter Montoya (Founder and President of the advertising agency Peter Montoya Inc.) offers a compendium of tips, tricks, and personal branding techniques from creating a quality personal website; to taking advantage of networking and referrals; to using a catchy personal logo; to writing a one-year branding and marketing plan, and so much more. The Brand Called You is an excellent and commended resource for getting ahead of the game.

This guide book on achieving personal branding, or what used to be called name recognition, may be focused toward financial advisors and other types of consultants, but it contains useful guidance for any professional who needs to be remembered by potential clients and customers. Author Peter Montoya, who wrote this with Tim Vandehey, believes that everyone has a personal brand, that some people manage their brands and that to manage your brand effectively you have to be serious, deliberate and methodical. The book provides a step-by-step program supported with sound analysis and clear common sense to help anyone succeed in building a strong personal brand for career growth. We find that there is something in this metaphorical image-building manual for everyone. Even those who may find it a bit off-putting to objectify themselves like soap or some other commodity could benefit from these solid tips on individual image building. After all, people who affect your career are going to form opinions of you anyway - you might as well control those opinions as much as you can.

This guide book on achieving personal branding, or what used to be called name recognition, may be focused toward financial advisors and other types of consultants, but it contains useful guidance for any professional who needs to be remembered by potential clients and customers. Author Peter Montoya, who wrote this with Tim Vandehey, believes that everyone has a personal brand, that some people manage their brands and that to manage your brand effectively you have to be serious, deliberate and methodical. The book provides a step-by-step program supported with sound analysis and clear common sense to help anyone succeed in building a strong personal brand for career growth. We find that there is something in this metaphorical image-building manual for everyone. Even those who may find it a bit off-putting to objectify themselves like soap or some other commodity could benefit from these solid tips on individual image building. After all, people who affect your career are going to form opinions of you anyway - you might as well control those opinions as much as you can.