In Part One of this three-part series, we reviewed the importance of a personal brand and the first four steps to crafting your own. In this month’s segment, we’ll build on what you have done so far and work on steps 5 – 8. The steps we are covering in this segment are focused on honing in on your unique value and gifts and how you choose to express those meaningfully in the world.

To recap, steps 1 – 4 asked you to start with assessing your current brand. Then, you identified your talents and core values. And, lastly, you created your mission statement which focused on the contribution you want to make to the world.

It’s time to flesh out your personal brand a bit further. Let’s get started.

5. Why are you valuable to others?

• A good value statement can be as simple as, “I help X get Y.” Fill in X with a specific group of people that you serve. This could be a particular demographic (e.g. Baby Boomers), an industry (e.g. technology), a size of business, etc. Fill in Y with what you help your employer or your client to achieve.  Being as specific as possible is important. The more that your employer or client can identify with who you serve and how you serve them, the more likely they are to be interested. Here are some examples:
  • I help analytical leaders to become people leaders.
  • I help small to mid-size companies improve employee engagement, decrease attrition and improve productivity.
  • I help companies use marketing automation software to grow their businesses.
  • I help solo entrepreneurs in service-based industries build a six-figure business in 18 months or less.

6. Identify what is unique about the value that you bring and what drives you.

• If you have been in the working world for a while, bring to mind what stands out about you. If you are relatively new to the workforce and are still building your skills, what do you need to do to become unique? Some refer to this as the Unique Selling Proposition or USP. I prefer a term coined within the Transformational Presence community – Unique Soul Position. This refers to articulating how you are equipped to serve different people in your company, your business or your leadership that is in alignment with who you are at your core. What is unique about who you are and what inspires you to do what you do? To get in touch with that, consider the following questions:
  • What have you been good at your whole life?
  • What are the top three things that you get compliments on?
  • What are three things that others find memorable about you?
  • What do you simply love to talk about in regards to your personal life?
  • What do you simply love to talk about in regards to your work life?
• If you’re having a little trouble with this step in the process, it can be helpful to gather a group of supportive friends, who know you well, and ask for their input. Because our unique talents come so naturally to us, they often don’t stand out to us as being special. Others can help to illuminate them.

7. Your brand must have impact.

• Without impact, no one will remember you. In this step, you want to consider what you’d like people to say about you after they’ve met or experienced working with you. What positive characteristics and attributes do you already demonstrate that you can leverage to make you more memorable? What characteristics and attributes might be important for you to develop in order to have greater impact?  Keep in mind to maintain alignment between the impact that you want to make and your personal values and mission. Below are a few examples of impact to get you started.
  • Compassionate / Collaborative / Energetic / Knowledgeable / Bold / Passionate / Meticulous / Risk-Taker / Innovative / Trustworthy / Assertive

8. Be prepared with proof to back up your promise.

• There are many ways in which to quickly improve your credibility such as volunteering on the board for a relevant professional association or non-profit; serving in a leadership capacity where your ideal clients tend to gather; or speaking at a professional association. Examples of proof include:
  • Case studies that document outcomes with previous clients
  • Credentials and on-going development
  • Testimonials or recommendations from past employers or clients
  • Published books or articles
  • Articles in which you’ve been interviewed and quoted

Call to Action

Set aside some time in the coming weeks to build on what you completed last month and take action on these next four steps. Please stay tuned for Part Three next month where I’ll discuss the final four steps in building your personal brand.

Adapted with permission by Center for Executive Coaching.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development, Career and Retirement Coach and Facilitator who works with corporate leaders in small to mid-size businesses, across the span of their careers. She helps them to accelerate business growth and team performance, navigate their own career path, and transition to retirement with ease using proven methodologies and strategies that get results. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.

 

Who needs a personal brand?  Essentially everyone who has a career. Whether you own a business, serve others as an independent consultant, or work inside a company, personal branding is a powerful tool to help you further your career goals.

In an increasingly complex world, we must develop our own personal brand where we clearly and consistently define, express and communicate who we are and what we uniquely offer the world. Gone are the days where we join a company after high school or college and stay there throughout our careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has indicated that the average worker holds 10 jobs by the time they are forty and this number is expected to grow for younger generations in the workforce. Developing a personal brand allows you to stand out and increase your chances for success.

What makes these well-known people masters of personal brand?

• What comes to mind when you think of Beyoncé, Lada Gaga, or Elton John?
• How is it that Michael Jordan still gets amazing endorsement and business opportunities long after his basketball career has ended?
• What makes comedians like Jim Carrey and Whoopi Goldberg stand out?
• Why did Richard Branson, Walt Disney, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, and Arianna Huffington become such business icons?
• What makes Tiger Woods still so popular after more than one major misstep?

All of them have developed a personal brand containing key characteristics:

• They are unique. They march to the beat of their own drum and are instantly recognizable.
• They stay true to who they are. The experience we have of them is consistent.
• They are memorable. Their personal brand creates a vivid picture of them that stays with us.
• They have something valuable to offer. A truly powerful brand is built on a foundation of competence, value, and substance.
• They are trustworthy. When you break trust, your personal brand will be damaged. In some cases, like Tiger Woods, you can rebuild that trust but it can take a long time. It’s better to ensure that you don’t break trust in the first place.

In order to have a successful brand, it’s critical to embrace the characteristics above. To help you begin the process, I’ll be sharing twelve steps to creating your personal brand. In Part One of this series, I will share the first four with some tips for each to get you started.

1. What is my current brand?
   • Identify 10 – 15 people you work with who interact with you on a regular basis and ask questions that help you to understand how you are currently perceived. Make sure that you answer the questions for yourself first and see how much alignment there is or there isn’t in the responses. This can be eye-opening as we often don’t see ourselves in the same way that we are perceived. Some suggestions you might consider include:
     • What is most unique about me?
     • What are three strengths that stand out?
     • What is one thing I can do to have a stronger personal brand?

2. What are my talents?
   • We talked earlier about having something valuable to offer. What are the things that you already do exceptionally well that you can leverage and continue to develop to mastery?
3. What are my most important values?
   • A strong personal brand is established on a foundation of core values that you’re willing to stand up for. What are those values that are most meaningful to you?
4. Create a mission.
   • This is focused on what brings meaning and purpose to your life. What is the contribution that you want to make to the world with your unique talents and gifts?

Call to Action

Set aside some time in the coming weeks to take action on these first four steps. This is your opportunity to begin defining how you choose to be known in the world. Why leave it up to chance?  Please stay tuned for Part Two next month where I’ll discuss steps 5 – 8 in building your personal brand.

Adapted with permission by Center for Executive Coaching.

About the Author: Sherry Dutra is a Talent Development, Career and Retirement Coach and Facilitator who works with corporate leaders in small to mid-size businesses, across the span of their careers. She helps them to accelerate business growth and team performance, navigate their own career path, and transition to retirement with ease using proven methodologies and strategies that get results. If you would like to uncover and address hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your success, leverage your strengths, and accelerate your progress toward the results you desire, contact Sherry for a complimentary consultation.