Why investing in a Personal Brand is a non negotiable in 2018

‘I don’t need a Brand, I don’t have a business.’

‘I am not a leader, so it’s not for me.’

These are just a couple of examples I constantly hear from people when I tell them what I do.

My answer always is: 

‘So why did you buy xxx shoes you are wearing?’

‘Because they are long lasting and are super comfy’

is a standard answer.

Ok - there we go. 

You made up a reason for your purchase decision based on either your own experience or someone you trust.

This is the power of branding.

You associate some attributes, features and values with this product or service that are valuable for you .

The brand is all of a sudden not just a logo, colour or the physical means to an end - it’s a promise to deliver the value you are after - in this case, long-lasting and comfortable.

The exact same thinking applies to Personal Brands.

Each of us has a brand, whether we like it or not.

People form opinions about something or someone based on perceptions, based on what they have seen, heard and/or experienced/felt with them.

What you want to do is give them the confidence that you - with all your expertise, experience and personality - are the best person for their needs.

People buy of people and no matter if you are on the job hunt or want to attract clients and/or staff to your organisation, you need to make sure that everything you do, say and is said about you supports the opinion you are the best solution for what they need at that given moment.

With that in mind, all your thoughts, words and actions need to align to make it easy for others to see what you are all about and what makes you stand out from everyone else.

With the internet, there is a new layer of transparency added which needs to be taken into consideration too.

People will look you up, will watch you and will make their decision about you.

The good news is though that you can take control over it by knowing exactly 

• what your strengths are
• what your interests and passions are and 
• what you can do to add value to the ones you want to engage with - may it be your future employer, your employees or your clients.

Being clear about this and living it day in day out, online and offline is also exactly what makes you stand out over someone else.

It’s not the degree in Marketing, it’s not the 10 years in leadership roles and it’s not the sales they can generate - that’s skills everyone can learn. 

It’s your way of doing those things that makes you rememberable

- for one or another reason.

 

If I introduced you as ‘a great digital marketer’ or if I introduced you as ‘the passionate digital marketers who always inspires with the most cutting edge ideas’ makes a massive difference in how you will be remembered. 

It’s not your marketing knowledge that people will associate with you when thinking of your name. It’s creativity and ability to come up with ideas no-one else can.

A 'great' marketer is forgotten in the minute I introduced you.

Your turn!

 

I bet you can’t wait to get started with building your Brand.

To make it super simple and easy - do this quick exercise:

Think of brands of everyday items in your life - food, car, clothes, sunnies ... anything you love to have with and on you and write down a few attributes why you have them and what they do for you. 

Are they stylish, are they innovative, are they reliable, are they prestigious, …. ?

You will see a pattern and those are the attributes you are drawn to because of your personality.

Select the few that really resonate with you the most and you would be more than happy when other people would describe you as that.

Then take the test:

• Is your job in line with those attributes?
• Are you dressing the way you want to be remembered?
• Are you taking the actions that are in line with those attributes?

If not, it’s time to re-assess! :)

If you are stuck with something that’s not you, you will feel burnt out and always feel you do an average job, produce average outcomes, attract lousy clients and will always strive for something better.

As much as you can look for external factors to improve your happiness, you will never feel content if they are not in line with your values. 

Ready to fast track your journey to build your Personal Brand?

Book your 45-minutes Strategy Session HERE to see if my Program is the right fit.