Personal Branding
To succeed in your career and keep a head of competitiors, you have to build up a strong brand image for yourself
Have you wondered why Porah Winfrey's talk show is still one of the most popular on TV? Or why Madonna is still such a popular pop singer after more than two decades?
The answer lies not only in the talents possessed by these individuals but something beyond that as well. These personalities have branded themselves well, and they make a conscious effort to do things that improve their brand image.
As businesses become more and more competitive, there are many people out there who offer the same products or services as you do. Whether you are a senior executive, the president of your own company or a worker in a small organisation, you need to stand out from other people so that you can be in control of your business or career.
Personal branding is a powerful way of communicating the unique promise of value which you offer to your boss or clients. As management guru Tom Peters said in his book, The Brand You 50 (Reinventing Work): "Regardless of age, regardless of posiion, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc."
Here are 6Ps to help you make your personal brand come alive:
1. Personal
Like any other good marketing plan, you must begin by understanding your true self. Remember, you are an original-there is no one else quite like you. What do you stand for? What are your beliefs? Jot down a few phrases that describe your unique value, vision, purpose and passion. Take some time to discover your strengths, weaknesses and hidden talents. Ask yourself what impacts you the most and what drives you.
2. Perception
It is imperative that you be aware of how you are communicating yourself to those around you. In this area, you will need to know your attributes and how others perceive you as an individual Develop a focus group comprising close friends, colleagues and family members to ask, collate responses and consolidate their perceptions about you. For example, are you seen as reliable, trustworthy or adventurous with a natural instinct for business?
3. Position
You must know your target audience and business or job competitors. How can you stand out unless you know whom you are standing with? When people see your name or face consistently over a period of time, they will assume that you have something special and that you must be successful. Having your own brand keeps you visible within the marketplace as it sends out a clear message about you that makes you worth contacting.
4. Performance
Establish yourself as an expert in your field because expertise can bring you increased recognition, allowing you to position yourself well in the hearts and minds of your target audience. Get good testimonials from your satisfied customers. As an employee, create an outstanding portfolio of your past accomplishments. Create a personal mission statement and tagline. Seek out new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Write articles to showcase your knowledge and get them published or, better still, give speeches or presentations to share your expertise and achievements.
5. Promote
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you will not go ahead. Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called word-of-mouth. What your network of friends, colleagues, clients and customers say about your brand is what the market will untimately gauge as the value of the brand. If you do not have a personal website, now is the time to buy a domain (such as myname.com) and let the world know about it. Take your personal image seriously because your appearance is the packaging will either attract or detract people from your product.
6. Planning
Make an appointment with yourself at least twice a year to re-evaluate your personal brand statement. Also, obtain honest and helpful feedback from your focus group on your brand performance, value and growth. There will always be competing brands ready to fill in any gap that you leave, so you must work consistently to close the gap. The great thing about personal branding is that it works for everyone, no matter what business sector you are in or whether you own a start-up or an established company.
Generally, people work with you for three main reasons:
>>They know
>>They like your character or reputation; and
>>You create value.
When you know youself, what you offer and what makes you unique, your business or career will progress more effectively.
Source: June Tan, The Star Metro Classified, Saturday 1, September 2007
