Follow these seven simple steps to make yourself and your brand memorable to your clients

We all know people who are more memorable than others when you meet them. What is it that makes one person memorable and another person completely forgettable? Being memorable matters, like your favorite brand. Brands are everywhere, so making a brand stand out can be extremely tricky. When you think of a brand as a person, you see more than just the outside appearance. You see the way they act, the way they speak, the way they dress, the way it makes you feel and all the other items to make the brand.

And why should we care about whether people remember us or our brand? Being memorable does matter. Think of yourself as a brand, a brand held in higher regards and esteem. These individuals are great leaders with a unique style and approach, an active listener, great communicator, believe in two-way communication, provide service to others and they go out of their way to make others feel secure. Here's seven ways how they do it.

1. They are great communicators:

The biggest communication problem is we are not active listeners, we listed to reply instead of listening to understand. An active listener does not have to wow them with their vocabulary or use large words we need to look up in the dictionary. .

2. Memorable people are passionate about what they do:

We all know that passionate person who is authentic, self-driven, energetic, resilient and motivated. They work hard, have ambition and are willing and eager to learn.

3. Be genuine:

Don't be fake, show your flaws. No one likes the company of someone who portrays their life as perfect, be real and show them who you really are. Make yourself the person people feel comfortable around, trusting, and you are on your way to making that memorable first impression.

4. Tell a story:

Whether it is about yourself or your brand, get people excited about telling your story. If you're in the corporate world, turn your employees into storytelling evangelist. I always tell the story about my company Meetings & Incentives Worldwide and how wonderful they were to me when my mom passed away. It was the end of the year and I had limited vacation. My co-workers knew how close I was to my mom and how devastating this was for me. How amazing, my teammates donate their vacation time so I could spend additional time with my family with pay during the hardest time of my life.

5. Curiosity is key:

They replace the fear of the unknown with curiosity. Have you ever met a person who shows an eagerness to earn more, find a better way to do things, and they ask more questions to understand the objectives? The important thing is not to stop questioning. The larger the island of knowledge, the longer the shoreline of wonder. — Ralph W. Sockman

6. Positive body language:

They always have a positive body language. Have you ever seen a positive person talk to you with their arms folded? A memorable person uses the SOFTEN technique when they can be in person. S = Smile, O = Open Posture, F = Forward lean, T = Stay out of their territory, E = Eye Contact, N = Nod to show understanding.

7. Do something different:

The art of letter writing has gone by the wayside. Print is on life support these days, so let's make yourself memorable and write a note to let them know you are thought of. When you go to your mailbox, how nice is it to see a handwritten thank you, a birthday card or a package from a friend, co-worker or a client. How does it make you feel? It makes you feel important and loved. One of my favorite quotes, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou

•Melissa Hahn, CMP, is senior account lead at Meetings & Incentives Worldwide