Rating: 
Summary: Basically an ad for Montoya's marketing firm
Review: A couple of good, but expensive ideas. I have owned two successful businesses, and believe me when I tell you; his self promotion ideas will cost in the tens of thousands to implement. The book also blatantly self promotes his marketing firm for financial advisors. (At least three times in the book) At one point he writes something like, "you dont have to use our firm, but be advised that you will have to spend around 100 hours plus educating another firm about our industry." Classic manipulation. The rest of the "networking" ideas are all ones we've seen hundreds of times. I read the book over a three hour period, and sent it back for a refund. The book could have been two chapters long, one quarter the price, and still as effective. Buy Nick Murray's "The Excellent Investment Advisor." It is truly a work of magic proportion, and covers the notion of "YOU" as the brand the client buys, far better.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for marketing "Personal" businesses
Review: Although this book is targeted to financial planners, as a software programmer I found lots of good ideas to apply to my business, which requires the personal touch.The authors lead you through creating a unique positioning statement and into a recommended marketing plan that combines several proven techniques that work for financial planners. I'd say that 80% of their techniques would work for businesses like mine... that are primarily 1 -10 person businesses and have a strong owner influence. The book is well written and easy to read. I can think of no negatives on the book. The authors consult on this subject as a profession. They present a plan for marketing your business that should be fairly easy to follow. Most people will find that marketing ideas are easy to find, but hard to implement... because most of us are too lazy or too busy. I think the marketing methods presented by these authors have been selected because they are relatively (everything is relative) easy to do. For example, they use a special form of postcards. The postcards are pre-printed with a certain kind of grahpical look (you'll have to read the book to get the secret method). Then you just take the postcard stock down to the Jiffy Print and get this month's message printed on to them. That means you only have to write a paragraph or two each time you mail them out (recommended monthly). All of their techniques have been analyzed from this "time saving" point of view. I think this really adds value to the book -- as most of us don't have lots of time. If you go to their web site, you'll find they have a seminar for financial planners. I might sign up, if they don't mind computer guys being there. Any one with a personal business should be able to translate the ideas presented here to their business type. I highly recommend this marketing book. Another book on this subject is the one by Tom Peters, and that is harder to read given his eclectic writing style. But I'd still recommend Peter's book also. They come in a set of 3 related books.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have Guide Book
Review: As a freelance marketing professional, I'm always reading something about marketing. But rarely does a book come along that makes sense to my clients. Not only did "The Brand Called You" teach me about personal marketing (which is a relatively new concept), it teaches the clients who can't afford my services how they can do it themselves step-by-step. Financial services people, healthcare professionals, Realtors -- even freelance marketing professionals -- will find this book an amazing resource in their careers.
Rating:
Summary: Marketing 101! A great and useful reference.
Review: I hadn't really thought much about marketing. Then, a friend suggested that I read "A Brand Called You." This book was one of the greatest investments that I ever made. It was like I had hired a fulltime marketing, advertising, and public relations staff to promote myself. I put the book to work for me and have seen an immediate impact. This is a reference that has changed my career.
Rating:
Summary: Information tripled my income
Review: I have to disagree with the negative review of this book. The fact is, it's written for financial advisors who are READY to spend thousands of dollars on marketing their practice, because that's what it takes to build a business. And if you're going to make that kind of investment, this is an excellent, detailed guide to how to do it right. As for the ads for the author's agency, so what? If they're a good resource, I'm glad to know about them.
Rating:
Summary: Substantial and usable content.
Review: I read no less than four books a month, usually on the subject of business and personal development. For years it seems that the genre has been a rehashing of everything that's come before so many times. Peter Montoya and Tim Vandehey break the mold wide open with a content-heavy book that presents itself as a textbook to salespeople without the requisite background in marketing. The Brand Called You serves as a success checklist to financial advisors who wonder what they're doing that's working and what they've overlooked that leaves income on the table. If you don't have an MBA in marketing, buy "The Brand Called You". If you do have an MBA and manage a company, require it for your employees. This is the Bible of success for financial advisors.
Rating:
Summary: Substantial and usable content.
Review: I read no less than four books a month, usually on the subject of business and personal development. For years it seems that the genre has been a rehashing of everything that's come before so many times. Peter Montoya and Tim Vandehey break the mold wide open with a content-heavy book that presents itself as a textbook to salespeople without the requisite background in marketing. The Brand Called You serves as a success checklist to financial advisors who wonder what they're doing that's working and what they've overlooked that leaves income on the table. If you don't have an MBA in marketing, buy "The Brand Called You". If you do have an MBA and manage a company, require it for your employees. This is the Bible of success for financial advisors.
Rating:
Summary: oh man
Review: I read this book based on the recommendation of a friend, and let me tell you it pretty much changed my life. Unfortunately I had to give the book back to that friend, so I actually went on-line and bought my own copy. I don't know of any other word to describe my feelings after reading it except for inspiring. Mr. Montoya's broad-based and down to earth approach to marketing yourself is so simple and riddled with common sense; I'm surprised I hadn't read anything like it before. I've read many books like this, but after reading this one I'm inspired, and that says a lot for a lazy bum like me. I hope Peter writes another one in case I lose the incredible drive he's already created.
Rating: 
Summary: Market Yourself Before Your Services
Review: The authors Peter Montoya and Tim Vandehey have written a book that is aimed at a wide spectrum of financial advisors; experienced, entry-level, old, young, investment bankers, private bankers and the independent financial advisor. Their methods are made to help you stand out amongst the many. They start of with urging the reader to create a small one to two page personal brochure which contains an abridged version of the client advisor's personal history, accomplishments, hobbies, several photos as well as anecdotes. Above all this brochure should not contain products or sell anything. According to one of their interviewees, most clients base their decision on trust when choosing a financial advisor. Product range is not the first point they examine. It is easier for a prospective client to trust an advisor if he has something in comman with him i.e. specializing in an area of common interest with the furture client. "Retirement Planning for Dental Professionals" or "Financial Planning for Commercial Airline Pilots" etc...The personal brochure gives the client a chance to attach a personality to the advisor. There are suggestions of creating a one year marketing plan with a combination of personal postcards, sales letters, direct mail, creating a personal logo as well as involving public relations and advertising agencies in your work. It is a good book but if you are a client advisor working for any global financial institution, you will have to go through proper channels to attain approval to execute some of these ideas. Some of these concepts might work well in the U.S. and would need a little adjustment to adapt to local market cultures in Europe and Asia.
Rating:
Summary: Author's Credibility?
Review: The word "charlatan" comes to mind.
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