Why is Personal Branding Important in Today’s Economy?
…Primarily because the workplace just isn’t what it used to be.
For those working inside the corporate world, job security is almost non-existent. According to research data from Monster.com, only 26% of employees are confident in their job security, 54% are currently looking for their next job, and 90% of those polled have considered making a career change in the last year. Gone are the days of long-term pension plans and corporate loyalty. Today’s workplace is filled with layoffs and cutbacks.
The net result of this radical shift in corporate culture is a new paradigm toward individualization and self-promotion. Those who wish to stay above the lay-off cuts have to find new ways to differentiate themselves. They have to find creative ways to let their talents shine brightly enough to stand out among their peers. Personal Branding creates a platform from which to communicate your strengths to your team members, your employer, and your clients.
For those who have already been laid off, Personal Branding is the key to landing the next opportunity. In today’s job search, you are competing with thousands of other applicants. Most employment opportunities are found in online searches where the volume of applicants is staggering. Often in these situations, you won’t even have a chance to differentiate yourself in the visual presentation of your résumé. Your entire work history is reduced to plain text statistics in an online form. Personal Branding helps you tie together the links of your professional history and punch up your key assets into concise, clear bullet points.
And finally, for those who have abandoned the corporate lifestyle and have ventured down the entrepreneurial path, Personal Branding is the key to rising above your competition and getting customers. The Internet has paved the way for you to reach across the globe to connect with clients in any location, but it has done the same for your competitors. You no longer compete just with those in your vicinity, but with the worldwide market. To find success as an entrepreneur or independent professional, you must be able to target your audience and communicate a compelling reason why they should do business with you.
Personal Branding is the process of discovering your key personal and professional assets in an objective process and communicating them passionately to the audience that needs what you have. Whether you want to keep your job, rise up in your current environment, find the right fit in a new environment, or get new customers for your business, Personal Branding is the path to success.
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Why is Personal Branding So Simple for the Obnoxious?
When it comes to memorability, the vulgar, the annoying, the irritating and the obnoxious individuals have it nailed. Howard Stern, Roseanne Arnold, Dennis Rodman. They all push the limits of what most of us consider social graces in some form or another, and yet they are famous for it. Most even make their living at it to some degree. Their personal brands are obvious and unfaltering in the face of criticism and they laugh all the way to the bank.
It seems almost an unfair advantage to the milder personalities out there. How can we, the civilized, compete with the attention grabbers of the world? And how do they survive in the professional world with their blatant disrespect to political correctness?
The answer is simple. It rests in their lack of fear. And they would not survive without an underlying cache of ability.
It is not that the world responds to their purple hair or glass-shattering laugh and trailer-trash image. These are simply the vehicles that grab our attention and leave an impression. Not one of these individuals would be where they are if it weren’t for an innate talent to showcase once in the spotlight. Rodman is an excellent athlete, Roseanne a talented comedian, and Stern has mastered the art of entertainment through controversy.
None of them would be where they are if they had allowed any fear of rejection or desire of acceptance to hold them back in their brand development. I am certain that they each get their fair share of public criticism and are downright banned from certain households. But whether or not the majority of the public likes what they stand for isn’t the point. Their success has come from the vast multitude of publicity they receive from bucking the norm and showcasing their talent in the process.
So how can this help you if your life tends toward higher standards of moral and social ethics? Again it rests in conquering your fear. Be who you are, authentically, and don’t hold back to fit in. Find your uniqueness and embrace it. Push it. Explore the idea of enhancing your strongest traits rather than subduing them.
The main challenge here is that for most of us, these are the things we were chastised for as children or told to manage in our school years. “You can’t talk about sex in public” – well tell that to Dr. Ruth. “You should get that gap fixed in your teeth” – well tell that to David Letterman and his signature smile. Think of Bogart and his speech impediment, or Ross Perot and his ears and whiny voice. These aren’t the traits that made them famous, but they are the traits that make them memorable. They fearlessly embraced their uniqueness to create an image that stood out from the rest.
So in pursuing your own personal brand, don’t ignore the awkward stuff. Look at it closely and consider how it fits into your image. I have no desire to set the masses out to model Howard Stern, but I do hope that we can break through the box of social conformity to embrace our own individuality and create success along the way.
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Children: The Original Personal Brand Gurus
Kids have it nailed. If you want a quick lesson in some key personal branding basics, spend some time with a 5 or 6 year old. Bring some paper and a crayon to take notes, and you might just learn how to succeed in business.
Number One:
They know what they want to be when they grow up.
For a 5-year-old, there’s no hesitation in answering this question. No qualifying parameters without a solution. No hemming and hawing, as you will find with most thirty-somethings and up. Just a simple straightforward answer. A fireman. A teacher. A doctor.
As adults, the choices get much more complicated — or so they seem — and we tend to waver in our decisiveness. We try to be whatever fits the opportunities available and lose ourselves in the process. What do you want to be when you grow up?
Number Two:
They spend a great deal of their time creating that reality.
If 5-year-old Jane wants to be a doctor, she does everything she can to become a doctor. She asks for the doctor’s bag and stethoscope for Christmas. She practices on her dolls and her friends. She draws pictures of herself as a doctor. She imagines herself as a doctor. She tells everyone who’ll listen that she’s going to be a doctor when she grows up.
The same should be true for any adult trying to build their brand. Live it. Breathe it. Dream it. Talk about it.
Number Three:
A 5-year-old will tell you flat out what he’s good at.
And he can tell you in about 10 seconds. No modesty. No shyness at that age. If you ask them, they’re right up there with Picasso, Pavarotti, and Michael Jordan. When they are good at something, they aren’t afraid to own it and even show it off.
As an adult, what are your skills? Can you list them quickly off the top of your head? What if you unexpectedly met the boss in the elevator and he asked you what your top 5 skills were. Could you answer him quickly and fluidly? Or would you say something and then curse yourself after he got off the elevator and you realized that you forgot to mention your most significant skills?
Number Four:
They do everything 100%.
At 5, you seldom see a child hold back emotionally. When they play a video game, they play to win. When they are on the soccer field, they sink their whole heart into it. They wholly focus on their objective.
If you truly want to succeed in your profession, you have to do the same. 100% whole hearted effort. Passion, focus, and stamina are what make the difference.
This is the wisdom of a kindergartener.
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Realistic Resolutions
New Year’s Day, like many holidays, is somewhat of an illusion that we play on ourselves. Time doesn’t really start over each year on January 1st, just our calendar, our way of marking time. Yet somehow we feel like we have a clean slate on January 1st, and try to begin anew with things we were unable to achieve the year before. Whatever the case, I think goals are a good thing any time of year. Whether you start them now or in October, setting goals is the first step toward achieving them.
Given this idea, did you make your new year’s resolutions yet? If you did, take a look at them, how many are the same as last year?
1. Get in shape.
2. Lose 10 lbs.
3. Spend more time with my kids.
For many of us this list is very familiar.Year after year we start off with high hopes of staying on the right track. Then by March (or sooner) we find ourselves mired in the same entanglements we had last year: too much to do, not enough time. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This happens to everyone. Life is a busy, constantly-changing experience that requires everything we have just to keep up. Getting ahead requires planning and strategy beyond high-hopes and well-meaning intentions. Here are a few tips to set achievable goals and resolutions, and stay on track.
To be achievable a goal must be:
1. Measurable.
If a goal does not have a measurable, quantifiable aspect to it, how will you ever know that you have achieved it? Take #1 on the list for example. “Get in shape.” How will you know that you are “in shape”? When can you step back and check that off your list? You must quantify it by a measurable term such as: when I can wear a size 6 again, or I can run 5 miles, or I can bench press 120, or my body fat is ___ %.
2. Realistic.
As a coach, I’ll be the first person to cheer you on in almost any endeavor. I’ll also be the first person to help you learn from the experience if you have set unrealistic goals. Set your sights high, but be realistic about the mental, physical, and emotional assets you have to help you reach your goal. There is much to be learned from the old fable about the tortoise and the hare.
3. Planned.
You can’t expect to win if you don’t have a game plan. Take #2 for example. “Lose 10 lbs.” It won’t happen unless you break down the goal into achievable steps. Are you going to use diet, exercise, or both? Set an accomplishment date. Break down the goal into pieces to accomplish each week. Set daily actions to meet your weekly goals.
If you remember these three key aspects when setting your goals, you will likely be able to stick to your resolutions and set new ones next year. Of course, if you need an extra push, hire a coach who will help you strategize, cheer you on, and light a fire under you when you need it.
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Falling Isn’t Failing
No one wants to fall. When we feel off balance in reality or in life metaphorically we reach out to grab onto things. We make instantaneous decisions to avoid landing on our rears and risking pain. Imagine yourself in your office or den, climbing a small step-ladder to reach a book on the top shelf. Even on the top step, the book is just out of reach. You lean a little too far and start to fall. Frantically, as you lose your footing, you grab onto the bookshelf to stop yourself. In this split second, reactionary decision, you do not have time to make sure the shelf is stable itself. You just reach for it. Then as you fall to the floor, the shelf comes toppling down on top of you. Now, in addition to added bruises and scrapes, you have an entire bookshelf to reorganize. Well, which was worse: the original fall, or the subsequent complication of the bookshelf crashing onto you?
We all fall sometimes, and it often hurts when we do, but instead of starting a chain of reactionary events, we can shape our future in a positive way by allowing ourselves to land. Yes, land. From the ground we can step back and take a look at the situation. We can give it some thought and planning, and learn from the experience. When we go after that book again, or whatever we reach for, perhaps we can create a more stable foundation before we reach out so far next time.
By learning from our mistakes and making proactive choices in our future, we can greatly affect the success rate we create in our lives. Falling isn’t failing. It is our chance to build a better ladder to our goals.
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Use It or Lose It!
5 Steps to choosing your most powerful and effective personal brand attributes.
When it comes to refining your personal brand, less is more. We are all complex and wonderfully multi-faceted individuals. Each of us has a multitude of adjectives that could describe us at any given time. As we craft our personal brand, however, our challenge is not to describe ourselves with the most detail, but rather to distill these descriptors down to the most memorable, relevant and unique traits.
The ultimate goal of your personal brand is to create positive name recognition for the clients, positions, or opportunities you seek. You do this by taking control of the way others perceive you. Being one step ahead of their perceptions, so to speak, so that you create the impression you desire. That is not to say you pretend to be something you are not. It is about awareness of the impression you leave on others, and consciously maximizing your skills, traits, and personal attributes to be in alignment with the needs of your target audience and your personal and professional goals.
Ultimately, your brand should be memorable, relevant to your audience and very consistent. Based on these objectives, the following 5 steps will help you to choose the brand attributes with the greatest impact for success. On average, people will seldom remember more than 3 key adjectives to describe you, but different people will remember different traits depending upon the relevance to their lives, so settling on your top 5 is a good standard. Using your master list of personal attributes that you have collected from objective survey:
1. Check their relevance to your overall goals.
Based on what you wish to achieve in your career, and in your life as a whole, review which attributes serve your goals. Give each attribute on your master list a score between 1 and 5 (5 being most relevant).
2. Check their relevance to your target audience.
In step 1 you thought about how your attributes affect YOUR goals. In this step you need to thing about the goals of YOUR AUDIENCE. Your audience could be your boss, your clients, and your key networking allies. What attributes in your master list most benefit them? Give each attribute on your master list a score between 1 and 5 (5 being most relevant).
3. Which traits are most memorable?
This is a tricky one. Often these are the traits that we shy away from, so consider your evaluation carefully. You have to be willing to put yourself “out there” for a successful brand. What characteristics about you are the most shocking, outrageous, strange, unexpected, flamboyant, or unusual? These traits will probably be the most memorable. Typically these attributes are “double-edged swords” with potential negative sides, but under careful management can be true brand differentiators. An example might be Madonna’s trademark overt sexuality. Give each attribute on your master list a score between 1 and 5 (5 being most memorable).
4. Which attributes are the closest to your heart?
The things that you are most passionate about will be the easiest for you to maximize in your brand. Give each attribute on your master list a score between 1 and 5 (5 being most passionate about).
5. Add it all up.
Calculate your totals. Write down the 5 attributes with the top scores. How do they fit together? If you find some interesting contrasts do not be alarmed. Contrasting attributes in your brand add memorability, Going back to the example of Madonna’s personal brand. Her overt sexuality would have had far less impact on her career were it not partnered with her brilliant acumen as a business woman.
Once you have your top 5 attributes:
- Commit them to memory
- Use them to describe yourself consistently in every opportunity you get
Using your brand attributes clearly, constantly and consistently is imperative to the success of your brand and at the heart of any branding campaign, personal or corporate. You must feel comfortable and confident in embracing these attributes and using them in what you say, what you do, and what you write. If you do not feel fluid in this, re-evaluate the list and settle on attributes that feel more natural. Use it or lose it, baby.
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Anatomy of a Strong Brand
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Put First Things First: Brand Before Role
The intention of any efforts in Personal Branding is to set oneself apart from the crowd by creating a memorable impression of the unique characteristics you possess. This impression is perhaps the most powerful marketing tool you can create for yourself both personally and professionally. By clearly identifying and communicating what makes you different from the masses, you become memorable and attractive to those who seek what you have to offer.
Given this basis, one key issue that I see frequently in my branding work with clients is that as we begin to identify these brand adjectives to set us apart from the crowd, we tend to perceive ourselves in terms of our role. We see ourselves as parent, or architect, or writer, or attorney. Then as we look for the traits of our brand, what surfaces are actually the traits of the role we see ourselves in. An attorney might say, “I am logical, strategic, detailed, and aggressive.” Then as this attorney progresses along the path of personal branding, he finds that these descriptors are not unique at all, and cannot create the edge he desires.
In order to define our brand in a meaningful and impacting manner, we must look past our roles. We have to look past ourselves as parent or architect, or writer, or attorney. What are the adjectives that exist when we are just plain ourselves? What are the adjectives about ourselves that we bring to our roles that are different than the norm of the others who generally operate in this role? What makes us different?
One key to doing this is to stop thinking about the client at this stage. Clients inherently pertain to a role. As an individual, you don’t have clients. As a parent you do: your children. As an architect you do: the homeowner or developer. As an attorney you do: the plaintiff or defendant. As a writer you do: the publisher or book buyers. Thinking about the client causes us to try to fill the role we think the client needs. Focusing on your own style before the needs of the client is an important first step in branding.
Of course we all need clients, and the objective of branding is to help you get more clients. But when you start with you, and YOUR personal brand, you will quickly see the clients that create your natural target audience. The brand descriptors that you define will naturally appeal to a certain type of person. This is your target audience.
Developing your personal brand creates authenticity, attraction, opportunities, and increased energy (because trying to be what you think a certain audience wants takes a great deal of energy). Developing your personal brand allows you to focus your marketing dollars and efforts on the people who truly have a need for what you, in your natural state, have to offer.
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Top 10 Benefits of a Personal Mission Statement
1. Significance in Your Life
Most people like to conclude Top Ten lists with the most impacting point, but I need to start with this one because it truly is the #1 benefit that I hear from clients. We toil away at work and home every day, but what does it all add up to at the end of our lives? For those who have taken the time to seek their personal mission, their actions have meaning and significance. At the end of our lives, we all long to be able to say, “I did what I was created to do. I contributed to this world in a significant manner.”
2. Clarity for Your Role in Life Circumstances
We each have many different jobs to do every day. We are parents, employees, committee leaders, friends, spouses, and so on. But what do we contribute in each of those circumstances? Living true to our mission provides singular focus through all of these roles, eliminating confusion and emotional conflicts.
3. A Measuring Stick for Life Decisions
Life’s big decisions can be daunting? As much as we wish there was some bell that went off signaling that you have made the correct choice each time, there isn’t. Your mission statement is the best tool to measure any large life choices. Does it support your mission?
4. A Magnet for Staying On Track in Life
Just as the mission can be a measuring stick, it is also a magnet. Keeping our mission in the front of our minds helps to eliminate unproductive activities and puts first things first.
5. Ability To Communicate Clearly What You Bring To Personal and Professional Opportunities
Your mission should be a single sentence that states what you are here to do. You should commit it to memory and be able to recite it at gunpoint. Having this clear concise statement available at will allows you to clearly tell others what you can do for them. Sometimes you only have about 10 seconds to get a prospective employers attention. This should do it.
6. Motivation to Do Your Best
We can feel it when we are not behaving our best. At these times we tend to justify our actions to the circumstances. A mission statement, however, is larger than circumstances, and serves as personal commandment to re-center ourselves on purpose.
7. Maximize Your Talents
Most of us have natural gifts and talents that we are modest about. Generally our mission calls to use all of these skills and requires that we use them for the benefit of others. Talents grow with use.
8. Strength to Stand Tall in the Fluctuating Winds of Change
Life changes constantly. Sometimes we see it coming, and sometimes is sneaks up on us almost cruelly. Whether you lose your job, or your supportive manager is replaced with a difficult one. Whether your spouse remains or your children are grown and out of the nest. Your mission is greater than your role and the circumstances around it. Focusing on your mission in times of change provides a rock of stability and forward direction that brings peace and integrity to turbulent times.
9. Creates Action Rather Than Reaction
Living in a reactive mode allows others to take the steering wheel of our lives. While we need to respond to life, we need to respond with intention. Living within our mission reminds us to choose the best course of action.
10. Attracts People and Opportunities That Support Your Life
When we communicate our mission through words and actions, we will naturally attract those who support it. The more your authentically live your mission, the more those around you will be those who respect and support your actions.
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Finding Strengths in Our Weaknesses
(… and Vice Versa)
A wise friend of mine once said, “Our best traits are right next to our worst traits.” Every passing day I realize how true that is. Like the two ends of a magnet, each aspect of our personality can have either positive or negative effects on our own lives and those whose lives we touch. We will attract or repel opportunities and relationships depending upon how we apply our character traits. Understanding how to “flip the magnet” to maximize the positive aspects can make a crucial difference in the level of success we create in our personal and professional lives.
For those who have been following my article series on Personal Branding, I’ll address how you might use this concept in that context first. The core of your personal brand is the combination of constant traits you present in your life. Perhaps you are creative, or dependable, or practical, but what if you are known for being hot-tempered as well? That isn’t exactly part of your sales pitch. The key is to look at what positive trait lies within that. Perhaps another way to look at it is that you are passionate about what you believe in. This can be a very positive trait when applied to a worthy endeavor, and have very natural applications in personal and professional arenas such as politics, fund-raising, and public speaking.
In order to create and maintain the positive perspective on traits like this, however, it is imperative that we constantly strive to make good choices in our actions. Being aware of both the potential negative and positive aspects of our strong traits can help us to make conscious choices for our behavior.
This leads to another application for this concept, and that is Mercy and Forgiveness. If we truly view most traits as having both positive and negative potential, it allows us to see the positive potential in the actions of others that we do not agree with. Perhaps someone you know seems arrogant or boastful. More than likely, their boastfulness comes from a need to be validated due to insecurity. Having empathy and giving them the accolades they desire might be just what they need to overcome their underlying insecurity. There are always two sides to a situation.
Another application is to foster our own Humility. Sometimes it is hard to see our own faults. Again if we use this principle, we can probably find our faults not far from our talents. Let’s say you are a masterful organizer. Everything has a place and everything is in its place. On the flip-side, you might be a bit compulsive or controlling to those you live with. As in the earlier example, being aware of the potential for this counter-response to your talent for organization is half the solution. The application of compassion and cooperation is the other half.
And finally, truly embracing this concept can encourage those around you to perform to their own positive potential. When you look for and notice the potential within a currently challenging trait, you open up new perspectives of acceptance and accomplishment. As a manager you can empower employees. As a parent you can foster self-esteem and confidence. As a fellow human being you can promote peace.
With all of these applications, can you afford not to try to see both sides?
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