In a recent presentation to the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, Marny Lifshen, author of “Some Assembly Required – A Networking Guide for Women” explained that while we can’t all have people sleeping on the sidewalk for our brand (as Apple fans have done for many new product releases), there are many things that you can implement tomorrow to establish a great personal brand.
Four ways to establish a great personal brand:
- Notice how you make others feel. Great brands evoke emotion, feelings and opinions. Actors, politicians and YOU will be remembered more by how others feel when they experience you than by what you do or say. So, keep it real and work towards customers, staff, stakeholders feeling better, and more expanded, as a result of being around you.
- What do you want to be known for? Degrees and job titles aside, what is that you want to be known for? Your personal brand is built on the experiences people have of you and the perceptions they form from those experiences.
What is it that you want people to feel about you and what you do? Determine this and you’ll have the foundation of your personal brand.
- Be authentic, distinct and consistent in your brand. Many don’t get the opportunities they want because they don’t put the work into standing out. The best way to stand it is to be truly, uniquely you, and to express that you.
- Know how you are perceived. Scary as it may be to hear the truth, it can be hard for us to know how others see us. And, often we can be unaware of how we are perceived, to the detriment of our efforts to make progress. For example, if you’re perceived as unapproachable, even if it’s not true, people won’t approach you! Choose a small group (3-4) people whom you know and trust (and who are not so close to you that they’ll cover up the truth) and ask about the impression they get from you – whether in person, online, or any of the many touch points though which your brand is expressed.
You can adapt, enhance and grow your brand with small changes by, like any other business skill, spending some time learning how to do it better. (I recommend you pick up a copy of Marny’s book.) Marny presented the Reflect Your Success – Building a Strong Personal Brand and a Powerful Network webinar as part of the Australian Businesswomen’s Network’s members webinars program. Normally $59, Premium Members attended free and also had access to the on-demand recording. Learn more about Premium Membership here. For more great tips on business and personal branding, register for the upcoming “Your Business. Your Brand.” webinar.
