Written by Canon Wing

I teach entrepreneurs and organizations the proven action steps to stand out within their market, improve the perceived value of their business, and better connect with their audience through naming, branding, storytelling, and communication platforms.

January 14, 2022

Branding To Rule Your Market

Today we’re answering the question on every Entrepreneur’s mind: How Branding Can Turn Reluctant Buyers Into Happy Buyers?

The phrase that plays on our need to pick a side is:

“Either-Or.”

Either-Or frames the conversation between two choices and two choices only. “Either Pepsi or Coke.”  I want you to hear the power of Either-Or to persuade so that we all use it responsibly and use it to create an urgent need to make a choice/ pick a side for the betterment of the people you are here to help.

We are all about inspiring people to make a choice that will lead them toward their greater future. Have you ever experienced this phenomenon: Someone tells you they are looking for a new solution— let’s say they are looking for a new brand of snow tire. Their current brand isn’t tough enough. You have a great new solution for them, proven tough enough for the arctic and at the same price, but still, you are met with resistance from them. Bottom line, their resistance to buy your solution boils down to one fact: You have yet to effectively show them Why You? -and- Why Now?  

Consider this: If I’m faced with the decision of Pepsi or Coke, I’m not thinking about 7-up or Juice or water, or coffee I’m thinking about: Pepsi or Coke only.

This is true, but before we frame everything in the Either-Or phrasing, let’s talk about the waves of hesitancy this Either-Or phrase evokes.

Really, the first wave of hesitance is “don’t fence me in.” Being presented with the Either-Or phrase can feel like being put in a box. Especially if you are selling a product that deals with higher priority needs like shelter, finance, food, safety, family, health…yeah that’s a lot of product categories. That’s why we’re diving into this major branding move of the Either-Or framework.

Nobody likes to feel like they’re losing their freedom of choice in any way. This is why high-pressure sales copy fails. If you introduce the Either-Or in a salesy way and right upfront like in the headline or the first sentence, in many markets you will be met with resistance.

The second wave of hesitance you can overcome is the thought, “Is this for real?” This is directly linked to Why You. It’s the trust factor. Unless this is a close friend and branding is all about attracting people who don’t already know love and trust you, right? Branding is about increasing your audience with new members and deepening the relationship with your current audience.

All this requires is proof, but what kind of proof is truly effective at moving the needle? Is it 12 out of 13 doctors who agree? Is it 2032 five-star reviews on Amazon? It could be the brand story that shows them proof. 

Consider Kim Kardashian’s new brand of undergarments, called Skims. She is not just the owner. She created it for her to use, as well. Why? Because it works better than all other choices. Talk about an Either-Or framework built right into the branding. Here is a woman famous for using a similar product called Spanx, who created her own to work better for her. Great Either-Or move.

Would you like some phrases that inspire trust as well as provide proof for you to use in your next pitch, proposal, sales copy? Be sure to watch the full episode above, where I will provide you with a great list of examples you can use as a template for your own Either-Or branding strategy.

If you liked this video, don’t forget to subscribe. I release new videos every Tuesday and Thursday, and I hope you will use this Either-Or Phase in your next sales letter, pitch, sales page, keynote presentation, book proposal, project proposal…Heck, use it to help your family decide on a family project together as a testing ground. Bring it to your team to test on your next campaign, and do me a favor, in the comments let me know how it’s going along your road to becoming an Inspiration To Millions. And as always remember all along the way to Love what you do, and love how you do it.