Written by: Alen Kuriakose, Trainer, HSSW
“The good news — and it is largely good news — is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark.” – Source: Tom Peters – The Brand Called You – August 1997
The world of work has been changing rapidly during the past decade due to increased globalisation, the proliferation of online social media, and technological advances which are “Today brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services—from accounting firms to sneaker makers to restaurants—are figuring out how to transcend the narrow boundaries of their categories and become a brand surrounded by a Tommy Hilfiger - like buzz.
Determine your unique value proposition: Spend some time thinking about what makes you different than others, your strengths, your passions and your goals.
Who am I?:
Ask your trusted colleagues, co-workers, and friends for four or five adjectives they would use to describe you. What are you good at? What are your strengths? In which areas do they view you as “irreplaceable?”
Who are you in 2020?:
Where would you like to be known in the field in six months? One year? Five years? Ten years? Defining your goals is necessary to crafting a message that helps you reach them.
Define your Audience:
Define to whom you want to send your message. This will not only help you hone your message, it will help you deliver it to the right places. Little things are going to important: Everything you do ultimately contributes to your personal brand. Once your brand has been defined, make sure that the little things — the way you dress, your body language, how you behave with co-workers, the emails you write — are consistent with your brand message.
Update Up to Date:
Set up accounts at social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Ask those in your target audience to subscribe to your pages, and update on a daily basis. Make sure your updates are germane to your branding message. Brand boldly :A common way to position your personal and business brand is to boldly “own” an attitude on a key attribute. Every product or service has specific attributes that are important to key customers, like integrity and trust, or customer focus. Craft a simple message to make that your identity.
Enchant your Clients:
At the end of the day, you’re only as good as your clients who love and appreciate you. That’s why having a special client relationship model that’s hard to copy can propel your training growth. According to Guy Kawasaki, enchanted customers elevate your brand, like advocating a good cause. Have a space in online: Your website should highlight your professional accomplishments, your skills and knowledge, what you stand for, and your overall value. Make it primarily about you. Commit to posting a couple of times a week on topics that your audience will find interesting and educational, but that also highlight your unique skills and experience
Get published:
Write a book, contribute to industry publications, or simply update the content on your own website. Being published is an ideal way to promote yourself as an expert in your field. Promote yourself. Promote yourself in person — give talks or offer to be the project leader of a community event.
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