Personal Branding has nothing to do with being a celebrity! A lot of people tell me that they are not famous, so they don’t need a personal brand. They couldn’t be more wrong! It might be that the term “personal brand” scares you? Does it sound too pompous to you? How about I called it “public profile” or “reputation” instead? Does that sound friendlier? More accessible?
As I do like provoking you, my readers, please think of yourself as if you did not know you. Before meeting YOU, look at yourself from a distant. Do you like what you see? What is it that you would like to change? How does seeing that make you feel? Be as shrewd as possible! This is confidential, just between you and YOU. So you already feel something towards YOU before even meeting.
You now met YOU, said your names, what you do. Are you happy with what you hear? Is YOU interesting enough to make you want to explore YOU further? Yes? No? Maybe? If the answer is no, then that’s bad! Call me now!!!
If the answer is yes or maybe, YOU still stands a chance J.
You are now engaged into a conversation regarding what YOU does, what YOU likes, hobbies, people you might both know. How does YOU come across to you? Confident, knowledgeable, credible, pleasant and dominant or not quite so? Are you engaged in the conversation or you’d rather be somewhere else?
The meeting is over; YOU left. Thinking backwards how would you describe YOU? Would you like to be YOU? Now a day or two have passed. Does YOU still come to your mind? Are you intrigued? Pleasantly surprised?
Regardless of your answers, that’s what branding is all about. How you communicate yourself across to the others. How in control you are with your image and with the way you communicate. It’s all about spreading your knowledge and assuring that the people around you not only notice you, but also remember you. It’s about being connected, but not spreading yourself thin. Is about being accessible, but not obtainable. It’s about the others, the public, wanting to be YOU!
Don’t fool yourselves by thinking that you don’t need that! Because if you are not in charge, others will definitely take charge of your YOU and they will not manage it to your benefit, but rather to the contrary. They’ll most probably try to do that anyway. But if their unkind intentions are met by your positive solid personal brand, not only they unsuccessfully attempted to ruin your reputation, but it will actually turn against them.
I let you reflect about all of the above and I encourage you to wait no longer! When it comes to YOU, be DISTINCT or be EXTINCT! The choice is yours and yours alone …
