Like it or not, we all think in stereotypes. If someone’s introduced as an accountant, an actor or a pharmaceutical sales rep, our brains immediately plug those people into preassigned roles before we know them as people at all. Prospects do the same with businesses. So as you work on your brand, take a big step backwards and ask two questions. What do people think of your industry? What do they think of people who work in your industry? The answers to those two questions will give you some sense of the true challenges you face as you try to carve out a niche for yourself.