What is personal branding?
Remember the good old days when hard work earned you a raise, promotion or the recognition that you desired? There was a time when stability and longevity mattered. Not anymore. Today, knowing your job is barely enough to help you keep your job, much less advance beyond your current position; which is why personal branding is more important than ever before.
What exactly is personal branding?
To brand yourself, is to establish a unique promise of value, to authenticate yourself in order to establish trust and distinction. Branding is the process necessary to distinguish you as a person and your service or work in a way that is easily recognized. A personal brand is an authentic depiction of who you are, what skills you have acquired, and the value that you continuously provide. Your personal brand helps you to get noticed and draw people to you.
The appeal of your personal brand will determine whether someone will want to have a sustainable business relationship with you and tell others about you and the service or product that you provide. A personal brand is used in business to differentiate work or services from each other and to help create associations in the minds of consumers which leads to awareness, preference and ultimately the choice. Your personal brand is conveyed in every action, dialogue, attire, and deliverable.
If you are one of several different customer service representatives, or a member of a region sales team, your personal brand will be what sets you apart from the others to gain the visibility that will distinguish you from the others. Your brand is the reputation of the reports, presentations, performance or event created and executed by you.
Here are a few questions to ponder in order to help you begin to establish or foster your personal brand.
When people hear your name, what do you want them to think or feel?
What do you want to be known for?
How do you bring value to the organization?
Personal branding is not a passing trend; it is required to remain relevant and visible in the workplace and in the marketplace. Make sure your brand is valuable and sustainable. –deondriea cantrice, author/brand architect
