Developing Your Personal Brand
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Communicating
�who you are� is essential to effective leadership and effective
marketing. Establishing �who you are� as a person becomes
your personal brand. And rather than our intelligence,
education or years of experience, people base their opinion of who we
are on other factors. They determine it based on the level to
which they respect, trust, and admire us. Their opinion of
you is based on what kind of person you are, what your philosophies
are, how you express yourself, how you treat people, and the values you
value define you as a person. Taken together, they form your
�personal brand�.
The question is, how do you help people learn �who you
are�? The key is consistently communicating in a way that
reflects your values and philosophies.
Be
Mindful in Your Interactions
People form opinions about us based on how we come across to
them. It�s not so much about how accurate we are as much as
it is about how it makes them feel. People are attracted to
those they respect and trust. We earn respect by showing
respect. Showing respect to others face-to-face is fairly
straightforward, but showing respect online (email, tweets, posts,
blogs, forums, social media) can be a bit more challenging.
As an example, you can disagree with a comment someone made but you
need to do it with style and respect. If you disagree with
someone, there�s no need to tell them they�re wrong. There�s
nothing to be gained by belittling someone or pointing out their
mistake. Instead, simply let them know you disagree or that
you have a different perspective. Then go ahead and state
your point of view.
Also, in order to express yourself effectively so the real you
comes through, you should first draft what you want to say and then
re-read it as someone who doesn�t know you, your state of mind, or your
sense of humor. Often you�ll find that your initial wording
can be misinterpreted and could therefore send the wrong message about
what you mean and who you are. A perfect example of this is
in the use of sarcasm. A sarcastic comment like, �Maybe you
should fire them and start all over,� might be humorous to people who
know you and your sense of humor. But to the majority of
people reading your comment, you run the risk of coming across as
someone who is mean-spirited, angry, or just plain
inexperienced. It would be far safer and go further in
establishing your brand by re-writing your comment to say exactly what
you mean and how you feel.
Building
Your Brand Online
Participating in a social network, especially LinkedIn or
Twitter, can be a great way to communicate who you are in the business
world. It allows you not only to share your knowledge, but if
done right, will help people you don�t know you get to know you as a
person (your brand). Look for opportunities to participate in
group discussions. You don�t have to spend hours on end doing
this � just engage at a level that�s comfortable for you. The
key to success is, of course, being mindful of how you come across in
your interactions. (Follow all the suggestions we discussed
in the previous paragraph.) As you interact over time, people
will draw conclusions about �who you are�. Your style of
communicating sends a strong message � maybe even more than your
content.
If you make the effort to develop and maintain your �personal
brand� on a steady, consistent basis, you�ll find that your leadership
effectiveness will improve and you�ll attract new career and business
opportunities. After all, people do business with people they
like, trust and respect.
About the Author
Written
by Michael Beck, an Executive Coach and Strategist specializing in
employee engagement, executive development, and leadership
effectiveness. Connect on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mjbeck
and visit www.michaeljbeck.com
to learn more.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2014-11-17 09:04:35 in Business Articles
