“If no one sells for you, no one will buy you”
Welcome to the world of personal branding.
This is the era of the brand. There is a lot of talk about the product and the corporate brand, but human beings are part of the interface between brands and the product or company. The inescapable result of this fact is that you too must start looking at and working on yourself as a brand.
Let’s get it right, the choice you have is not to have a brand or not, but what kind of brand to have. Why? Simply because everyone has a brand: bad, good, or something in between, knowingly or unknowingly. The difference between you and the person who has consciously built a vibrant, virile personal brand is that the person has taken control of their personal brand. The result is someone who radiates all the attributes and qualities that you have predetermined to exude.
The concept of personal branding is closely related to that of leadership and at the center is passion. The professional who is serious about developing and managing their personal brand is destined to rise to the top and act as a path forward for others.
A fundamental purpose of branding is to differentiate one product or service from another. The same purpose underlies the process and outcome of personal branding: to differentiate yourself from others in your field. A personal brand is, therefore, a defined combination of expectations and associations that are nurtured and projected over time.
In a world that is constantly in need of professional services, success can only belong to those who can rise up and stand out from the crowd, those who can prove they have something to offer before they are even given the opportunity to sell a product or service. , those who have developed a round, viable, virile and vibrant personal brand.
A personal brand is not the result of laboratory alchemy or rocket science. It’s about and it’s about you. However, it takes time to build, maintain and sustain it. It must be carefully nurtured as people’s perception of you is what determines their level of involvement with you.
Your personal brand is not a search for a holy grail but the result of a planned and sustained program that has a definitive result.
Your personal brand stands out and elevates you above the realm of the masses by preventing you from getting stuck in the swamp of monotony and avoiding the impression of “me too”. While it won’t give you movie star status when you’re an accountant, it will make the critical connection between you and your target market. A personal brand is essential in contemporary society and a key factor in your success.