This week I’m continuing the theme of reputation, and I want to cover the idea of “personal branding.”
I hate the term - I feel like it’s a marketing gimmick designed to sell corporate workshops - but the idea of it is an extremely important one, especially as the economy and work structure are changing. And, since I don’t have a better term to replace “personal brand” - we’ll run with it.
Last week I wrote a bit about “presence” - and what people see of you in the moment. It’s an often-forgotten area of focus for people, especially as we get so busy in meetings and with delivering our work, yet it is a fundamental component of what makes our personal brand.
It’s no secret that reputation is key to success. But reputation is only one aspect. Reputation, presence, personal brand - all of these fall under the same umbrella but have nuanced definitions that require different focus.
Presence is what people see in the moment. Reputation is what precedes you, and the story people tell. Your “personal brand” is a culmination of all of this.
While I think the term “personal brand” is ridiculous, the idea is a necessity in today’s world. Think about it - you have a story out there. And when you meet or hear about someone new - you instantly go online to look at them. And if you are like me, you judge them.
Establishing and maintaining your personal brand is a great exercise to go through and to revisit a few times a year. To do so, there are three questions to answer regarding Character, Commitment and Story.
First, Character.
The ever-present question of “Who are you?” What do you bring to the table? Character, or personality or persona, is a combination of your inner drivers and what other people see. It encompasses your values, your motivations, your interests. It’s what you prioritize and find important. Your brand has to align with your character, otherwise we are pretending to be something we aren’t.
I won’t beat a dead horse on this - as it’s in a few previous posts - but doing the exercise of what words describe you and what people would use, is an excellent first step.
Dos, Commitment.
What do people experience when they interact with you? Think of a corporate brand that you recognize, like Starbucks. When you think of Starbucks, you know exactly what to expect every time you walk in that store. They have made a commitment to you: wifi, coffee, bathrooms.
What about you? When people interact with you - what expectations do they have? If they approach you for something at the office or in the community, what outcome do they foresee? The importance of this step can’t be understated. Expectations on how you will act impact the ways that people treat you, ask you questions or offer you assistance.
Trois, Story.
What is the story you want people to tell about you? Taking pieces of your Character and Commitment - how do you stitch them together into a package so people will tell the story for you. This is the reputation that we want to harvest and nurture.
Day in and out, your presence will impact this story. Also, what other people say will impact the story. While we can’t completely control this, we can do everything in our power to impact it so that the story that goes ahead of us is one that will make our interactions more productive.
Whether going for a promotion, looking for a new job or simply getting a project done - your personal brand, when properly defined and working, will open many more doors. Happy branding!
