Personal Branding for Professionals.
For any professional, a strong identity
and a distinct market position are key
factors in achieving optimum business
success. They can supersede academic
credentials, experience and even your
skill sets as a competitive edge. The
power of perception allows you to make
a unique mark in the minds of your
industry, peers, customers and
prospects.
ompanies and organizations worldwide spend
enormous resources on building their brand.
They know that a sound brand adds value to
their existence, secures customer and employee
loyalty and enhances profits. For professionals,
the same fundamental brand building
principles apply. A personal brand can deliver
significant professional benefits, allowing you to command
higher fees, earn more money, increase your market share
and even enjoy a celebrity status.
Whether you are referring to a product, company, organization
or an individual professional, a brand is a mental
imprint, which conveys a personality, promise and unique
position. Brands are visual, emotional, rational and cultural.
Powerful brands start at the core of one’s existence and
spread throughout every point of contact with their target
audience.
When you see a Volvo, you think safety, when you fly
Southwest Airlines, you think cheap fares and when you
ship FedEx, you think overnight. Some brands are so
strong that we as consumers actually replace the common
noun with their brand name, like Xerox—photo copies,
Jell-O—flavored gelatin and Kleenex—facial tissues.
These established brands make selection easier and
enhance the value and satisfaction from the experience.
As consumers, we have a distinct mental image of these
companies or products. When someone says your name,
what do people think? That’s the essence of Brand Moi™.
It is your personal mark that makes you special, memorable,
desirable and worth money in the bank.
Brands are not just for big companies.
Personal branding, just like big company branding starts
with a value-based strategic scheme and is followed by a
tactical action plan. The universal branding principles are:
know who you are, be unique, target those who want what
you have, deliver a great experience and always speak
loudly even when you whisper.
Brand Moi™ is your personal identity or brand. Build your
brand plan from your core being and always be consistent
with your values, or consider a new profession.
1) Start with defining what you offer the market, your brand
proposition. This applies to everyone from business people
to sales professionals to corporate employees. Do you cut
hair? Provide financial advice? Or sell houses?
2) Articulate your brand promise.This may include your
talents, skill set, competencies and attitude.
3) Clarify your unique brand position. What makes you
different and distinct from your competition? Don’t even
think about saying service and quality, that answer is far
too general.
4) Describe your brand personality, just like you would an
acquaintance. Include qualities, attributes, characteristics
and traits.
Developing a personal brand strategy is usually the toughest
part of creating a Brand Moi™. As you answer these
questions make a list of whatever comes to mind, then ask
your peers, customers and industry colleagues for their
feedback. Filter through everything, follow your head and
heart and strive to end up with a simple, concise snapshot
of YOU!
Brand Moiª By Karen Post
Make your Mark and Succeed.
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“Land your Brand™” with a focused tactical action plan.
This is where many professionals can sink their brand in
a minute if they don’t adhere to their brand plan with
passion and commitment. Remember, audiences derive
their impressions from what they see, hear, read, experience
and even smell! All your points of contact with your
target market should pass your strict brand standards
code. And don’t try to be all things to all people.
Stick with you core purpose.
• Small names are big.
If you’re serious about building a powerful Brand Moi™, I
would start with your professional name. Can people
pronounce it? Does it have a meaning that would hurt
what your brand promises? For example, I would consider
a name change if your name were Tom Paine and you
practiced dentistry. If your brand plan includes achieving
celebrity status in your industry or in a mass market, short,
memorable names are best.
• What they see they believe.
Next I recommend auditing your graphics and visual
presentations. This includes every piece of correspondence
that you can control. If you are an independent
professional this means your web presence, business
cards, letterhead, thank you cards, proposals, advertising
and all business forms. If you work for a company that has
their own brand, this may mean internal communications
and personal correspondence to your customers and
peers. Your wardrobe and personal appearance express
your brand everyday. Make sure it’s saying what you
intended.
• Speak loudly even when you whisper.
Audio points of contact are also brand important! From
your recorded message on your phone, to your on-hold
noise, to how you answer your phone, they all add to your
brand imprint.
• Deliver a great experience, every time.
Doing business with you should be a rewarding,
memorable experience.Your environment, whether your
place of business or where you host events, should be
brand sensitive and support your message. Signage, your
office, your desk and the cleanliness of your car speak
about you also. All elements of your customer service and
interactions with your market reinforce your brand.
• The written word is the language of your brand.
Do your written documents scream your brand? Are they
consistent with your brand promise, personality and unique
position? If not, it’s edit time.Your writing style, choice of
words and content are the foundation to your brand
communication. This means emails, proposals, letters,
speeches and by-line articles.
Brand Moi™ is essential. If you compete with anyone for
anything, you need a brand. Just like the products on the
grocery store shelves, it’s a cluttered, aggressive environment.
It’s human nature to gravitate to people you like,
trust and can relate to. Connect to their souls. Stand out.
Be heard. Make your mark and tout the very unique and
special being you are!
About the author.
Karen Post, The Branding Diva™, is
an author, national speaker, coach
and consultant on branding,
marketing and communication
issues. She founded her first
company at 22. Without any formal
education in her chosen field of
marketing/communications, she
built two successful enterprises: an
advertising agency and a litigation communication
company. For nearly 20 years she has provided counsel
and communication programs for individuals, start-ups;
local, regional, and national companies; politicians; and
nonprofit organizations.
For more information contact Karen Post at 813.250.1730 or email
her at kp@karenpostbiz.com or visit her web site at
www.karenpostbiz.com. |
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