Quickly,
can you identify who coined the phrase, "Everyone has a brand, by default
or by design.” By now, it's irrelevant. Wherever you are, I believe you've seen
or heard that phrase before. Regardless of who originated it, the quote has
become so common that it has become a cliché.
When
talking about branding, the first thing that comes to mind of most people is a
company or a certain logo. However, there is a type of branding that calls for
attention but has been so neglected or underrated by most people. This type of
branding is called “Personal Branding.”
What
then is a Personal Brand? Your personal brand is the mental picture other
people have of you. It’s the sum total of values, talent, skills, competences,
and actions that other people tend to automatically associate with you on
sighting you or hearing your voice or name.
Whether
you like it or not, you already have a personal brand. By default or by design.
The world perceives you in a particular way and puts you in a certain category.
From an external imaging standpoint, what you wear, your personality, and your
gestures and presence guide how people perceive you. But, more importantly,
your unique knowledge and experience is the foundation of your brand value.
You
may ask, “Is perception a reality?” When it comes to personal branding, perception
is a reality and whether you like it or not, you will live in that reality for
as long as it takes you to realize and make a conscious and deliberate effort
towards building a strong and appealing personal brand for yourself. For professionals, a strong personal brand is the key to
influence, opportunities and advancement. For recent graduates, personal brands
can be the difference between getting a job and ending up in the circular file.
For entrepreneurs, a personal brand that inspires confidence can be the edge
that propels investors to fund you or make people give you jobs. Yet many
people haven’t a clue as to what personal branding is or what to do to achieve
a brand. Many think that personal branding is merely cosmetic. An old saying
goes, “You
can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.” This is true of personal branding. You can put on
a new suit, shoes, shirt, and makeup but if you lack substance or content,
people will see the makeover for what it is—shallow and lacking real proof of
change.
If Personal Branding is a game of perception, then the basic
question you should ask yourself is:
How can I influence the perceptions that other people have of
me in other for them to perceive me the way I really want them to?
A personal brand is your image and reputation. Think of
personal branding as both what you create (your personal brand) and the act of
creating it.
To develop your personal brand, you can follow the step
below:
However, branding yourself can be a difficult task as it is difficult to be objective about yourself. When trying to build a personal brand, seeing an expert who will hold you accountable for the entire process can help achieve a good result in a not too long time.
Brand or be branded. Get yourself out there and create the image you desire for yourself.
Brand or be branded. Get yourself out there and create the image you desire for yourself.
