Business lessons from Lady Gaga

I believe there are a few simple business development principles this superstar uses that business professionals can implement to boost their marketing to the next level.

Build a unique brand, consistently

Much of Lady Gaga's success lies in the brand she has built and how she consistently portrays that brand in every interaction with her audience. Business people should understand what makes them different from their competitors and then constantly drive home those points in every interaction because people are not always attracted to the best, but to what's different.

Ask yourself how you can stand out from your competitors. What can you do differently? Think about yourself and your brand differently. Look at the value you can offer and then find ways to consistently convey it to clients.

Build on what you've got

Lady Gaga maximizes on every opportunity that comes her way, building on her successes, whereas most business professionals are so focused on finding new clients that they neglect to get the "easy" work by looking for further business opportunities with their existing clients.

Research indicates that in professional services businesses, 25% of new work should come from existing clients. A further 25% should come from referrals from existing clients. What services or products do you offer that you're not actively marketing to your existing clients? Look first at the opportunities under your nose before you spend time and effort chasing new clients.

Be valuable and be relevant

It's obvious that Lady Gaga's fans adore her and I believe that their loyalty is so intense because they feel an emotional connection to her.

On the contrary, business people often forget that client satisfaction does not equate to loyalty. Good relationships with your clients are not enough anymore. You need to prove your value and find ways to excite and inspire your target market. This means interactions that are outside of the norm.

You don't need a meat dress to make a lasting impact, but the idea is the same. You need to find ways of growing emotional connections with your clients, adding value to their business and standing out from competitors. Go beyond offering a good price or product - be truly unique and make sure you deliver real value.

Be bold

Lady Gaga is constantly in the limelight because she puts herself there. She's active on Twitter, she attends media events, she interacts with her fans and she consistently engages with the world, highlighting her key messages whenever she can.

Marketing should be a continuous activity. Think about how you can invest in marketing your business in five to 15 minutes every day, whether that means posting social media updates, following up on referral leads, networking or touching base with your clients. Then do it, and you'll start to see results.