What is YOUR Personal Brand?
How are you packaging your own unique talents, style, and personality that represent who you are and how you show up to the world? Whether it is in the way you walk, talk, dress or behave, your brand impacts how people perceive you. It is the essence of what makes you likable, knowable and trustworthy.
It is no longer a matter of IF you have a personal brand; it is more a question of “How is it working for you?” Does it best express your intentions? Is it helping you in such a way that you make a great first impression on people when they meet you, think of you, speak of you or even see you on the Internet? Is it helping or hindering your progress and success in business? Does it serve your needs and make a positive impact? If not, it’s time to change that.
We used to think of brand awareness as being the magic bullet that would make or break a company and the success of their product. However, the word “brand” has now taken an individualized and highly personal shift towards how you are perceived in the minds of others.
For companies to stand out in the marketplace, it is essential that they create and project a “brand” to be remarkable and memorable. Whether through a positioning statement, product, advertising campaign, service, a logo, mission or message, their brand is what makes them remarkable….or not. Their “brand” becomes their identifying uniqueness that differentiates them in the eyes of the consumer and positions how they stack up next to their competitors. It also shares what you can expect from doing business with them.
Is YOUR brand consistent with your desired outcomes? Whether or not you are in business or simply want to be remembered positively in the eyes of others, your personal brand has a huge influence on your success. What makes you feel special and significant? What makes you unforgettable? When people see you or think of you, what do they associate you with?
The GREAT NEWS is that at any moment, you have the ability and power to move the needle in the direction of your dreams and create a brand that best represents you. You can re-design your life, learn a new skill, update your appearance, offer a new service or even change your attitude.
Speaking consultant, Lois Creamer (www.bookmorebusiness.com), has built her career teaching professional speakers how to craft and promote their brand to optimize their business. She helps speakers craft and refine their “positioning statement,” which succinctly brands, “Here’s who I am, what I do and how I can help you.”
When my friend Jenna Atkinson (www.jennaatkinsonconsulting.com) worked in the financial industry, she quickly observed that the reason 20% of the brokers were doing 80% of the business was because they had positioned themselves as the experts. They differentiated why they were your best choice to work with. So when she left her Fortune 200 employer to start her own company, she made it her mission to teach individuals how to personally brand themselves to maximize their opportunities, expand their influence, build their relationships and increase their sales.
My life love Daniel is a Doctor of Chiropractic who is an old-fashioned gentleman with a bodybuilder’s physique. Although he has lived in Wisconsin for the past 26 years, he has never lost his Mississippi dialect. When people meet him and receive his kindness, see his muscles and hear that Southern twang, there is no doubt that his manners, muscles and dialect will make him memorable. He definitely stands apart from the crowd! His brand evolved simply by being himself.
Batman had his car and Superman had his cape. What are your Super Powers? Without hiring a personal PR firm to identity and promote your personal brand, what do you want to be remembered for as your incredible strengths? What differentiates you so well that when people meet you, they will remember you long after the exchange has occurred?
Building Your Personal Brand Awareness
“Define what your brand stands for, its core values and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.” Simon Mainwaring
• Intentionally think of yourself as a brand
• Take a searching moral inventory of your speech, habits, behaviors, appearance, hobbies, preferences and talents
• Ask friends what they think of when they think of you
• Audit your online presence (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Website, LinkedIn, Email Signature & Language, etc…)
• Ask yourself if you are happy with what you’re giving and receiving or if you need to make some changes
• What do you want to be known for?
• What would you like to STOP, START & CHANGE?
10 Strategies to ROCK Your Personal Brand
1. Redesign, renew and recharge your brand
2. Decide what value you bring to others and give it!
3. Share your expertise, experience, education
4. Refresh your personal appearance for fashion and flair
5. Use your signature color and/or accessories
6. Intertwine their needs with your offerings
7. Align your purpose with your passion so that you are authentic
8. Rewrite your story to serve your desired outcomes
9. Create a website and business card that stands apart
10. Remember: Be yourself because everyone else is taken!
“The Art of First Impressions for Positive Impact” is an upcoming book by Motivational Keynote Speaker and Leadership Trainer Susan Young. Susan runs the speaking and training firm, Susan Young International. She helps organizations leverage the power of change to improve positivity and performance so they may THRIVE, PROSPER & SUCCEED. With a Master’s Degree in Human Performance, she is writing books and a series of tools to help people MOVE FROM TRANSITION TO TRANSFORMATION. As a result of her work, people share how motivated they are to shed what is holding them back and reach a new level of potential to live a life they love. To hire Susan for your next event, please visit www.susancyoung.com.
