On a weekly basis, I have the opportunity to work with 50-60 Executives and Middle Managers from various corporations. I am consistently amazed how few of these professional men and women really understand the importance of their
personal brand. Most of my clients are in leadership roles managing programs, projects or departments within their organizations and I get the chance to work with them in their real-life, everyday work setting. I see how they interact with their staff, peers and customers. I facilitate meetings and strategy sessions and have the opportunity to witness how they present information and ideas to others.
It’s clear to me that many professionals have not embraced the concept of personal branding. When you really understand the impact of your personal brand in the work setting, it will guide how you speak, act and interact with others. Here’s the reality, we are all Brands! If you aren’t branding yourself in the workplace, you can be assured that others are doing it for you. Your personal brand allows you to differentiate yourself by consistently demonstrating and articulating your unique value proposition.
What do people think about you? What are you known for at work? When your name is mentioned in a business setting, do you believe that there is a positive feeling about your value? Wouldn’t it be great to have your name “buzzing” positively around your office? Have you created the type of footprint in your organization that would even generate a good “buzz”? Word of mouth is the most powerful force in our professional careers. In today’s complex, global economy—buzz is king. If people like you, respect you and have a good experience with you (or hear about you from someone else) they hire you, promote you and put you in creative roles.
Why is your Personal Brand Important?
Your personal brand adds value to an organization. A corporation’s brand is enhanced by hiring and retaining staff with strong personal brands. To be effective in business today, you have to be your own marketing and advertising firm. Every day, your number one goal should be to launch a marketing campaign for the brand called YOU! Your brand gives you visibility, credibility, influence and connects you to people on multiple levels within your organization. This makes you a valued commodity in the corporate world.
Just like a product brand, people develop a feeling about you, almost as soon as they meet and interact with you. Their perception continues to be shaped through ongoing interactions and observation of your work. Eventually, when co-workers and superiors see you or hear your name, something registers in their minds, positive or negative. It’s up to you to make that feeling positive. Your work alone will not create a strong brand, because branding is about more than the tasks that you perform.
So what signifies a Strong Personal Brand?
• Instant Recognition
• The Perception of Value
• Trust in terms of Quality, Dependability and Effectiveness
• Positive Word of Mouth
• Standing Out above the Rest – Competitive Advantage
• Professional Appeal – Others Seek Your Advise and Support
Every week, I see hard-working, talented people miss out on business & professional opportunities. They are overlooked because people either don’t know them or don’t have that instant positive feeling about them or their capabilities. Building a personal brand will help you move out of the trap of toiling away in obscurity to getting the recognition and advancement you deserve.
Wherever you are today in your professional life, you can start sending strong, positive signals that will reach beyond your day-to-day work tasks and create buzz about the overall value that you bring to the table. It begins with learning how you are personifying and communicating your brand and what you need to do to improve. If you don’t think enough people are talking about you in a positive way, find out why and start to change that today. You can immediately begin to figure out what it takes to create a distinctive role for yourself—you can create a message and a strategy to promote the brand called YOU!
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