The Power of Your Personal Brand – Celebrate your talent, your uniqueness and market yourself!

As a young corporate manager in the 1980s, my colleagues and I heard a lot about “dressing for success” and the importance of professional image. We were told that creating a powerful persona was crucial to a successful career (especially for women), so we read books and magazine articles, watched Oprah’s guests, listened to image consultants, and learned some valuable tips on how to look professional. and powerful

But twenty years later, the image has become a broader and more strategic concept known as personal branding. While the image was mostly about the outer shell, the brand goes to the core of who we are: our competence, talent, character and personality.

“And why should I care about the mark?” you ask. “I’m an employee in a big company, I don’t even have a brand.”

Oh but you do! Think about the people you know and work with. I bet in five seconds you can name someone who is grumpy, friendly, helpful, funny, weird, or careless. (The Seven Dwarfs were well qualified now that I think about it!) And you can be sure that people have a few adjectives to describe you too. Such words create your distinctive brand, and most of the time you have no idea what your real brand is.

What makes your brand important is that it can have a huge influence on the direction of your life…if you meet your goals…even if your dreams come true.

— Will your royal brand rise?

Whether we like it or not, each of us already has a brand. It may or may not be positive; it may or may not paint the perception we want others to have of us, it may or may not be accurate…but it is there nonetheless. It is the first impression others have when our name is mentioned, and if we have not designed and maintained it carefully, it may have become something that does not represent us well.

The poet Robert Burns said, “Would that some power gave us the gift of seeing ourselves as others see us.” Seeing ourselves exactly as others see us is one of life’s great challenges. And we often fabricate an image of who we think we are, and we often miss the mark. Like the children’s story The Emperor’s New Clothes, it is obvious to everyone but us.

So we try to be real, but we often “assume” a persona in order to be accepted into a particular social or professional group. We make an attempt to fit in through external packaging (costume, jewelry, style), social behaviors (quirky, reticent, cynical, etc.), clichéd language (“Dude!”; “value proposition”; “send me a message of text”), or other external manifestations of identity.

Unfortunately, more often than not, others see through our facade and our personal brand gets damaged…unbeknownst to us.

So the powerful personal brand is real and at the same time projects the best of us, the part of ourselves that we want others to see and appreciate. A good brand is researched, strategized, tested, and refined. Disney, Coca Cola, and Lexus don’t leave their brands to chance, but instead spend millions on research, design, public relations, and advertising, all designed to protect and proliferate a consistent public image. If the brand is tarnished, the PR machine kicks in to correct the mistake and get the brand back on the healthy track. We have to do the same for ourselves! After all, what ARE we but our good name?

Our “brand” gets us jobs, promotions, sales, clients, and even friends. And so often we neglect it. In fact, most of us spend little time on our own personal brand, the main marketing tool that should be our number one priority.

— Brand = Emotion

There is nothing more valuable to a company than its brand; Smart companies know that branding is the key to customer emotions. Study after study tells us that purchasing decisions are always emotional. Remember this principle: people buy through emotion, then justify with logic.

Your brand, then, creates an emotional connection with your customer. The brand is the feeling evoked when one thinks of, say – Sears, Mercedes, Kodak, Ritz Carlton – each of these leaves an impression on your brain – you feel good or neutral, frustrated or happy, depending on your personal experience or what you perceive about that brand. And there are plenty of powerful personal brands that are even better examples. What comes to mind when you think of these “brands”: Oprah, Britney Spears, Rachael Ray, Hillary Clinton? You certainly have an emotional reaction (of some kind) to each of them. The same thing happens when your name is mentioned!

So what is your personal brand? What are the three to five words others use to spontaneously describe you and your business? Did you know? Can you affect the perception that others have of you?

Your personal brand represents your true self in the most accurate and positive way… a light that you have helped create.

— Three ingredients of a powerful personal brand

1. Authenticity

Being real is the mantra of the millennium (albeit a paradox in the age of cosmetic surgery, Paris Hilton and Enron!) And these examples are precisely why people are reluctant to trust, to put their faith in another, to give their money, your time. or emotion. Therefore, the person who leads by example, is transparent, honest about her shortcomings but aware of her talents, is someone we welcome into our lives.

We are so driven to succeed that many of us (if we admit it) “pretend” to be more successful, knowledgeable, and important than we are or could be. Think about it: those who DO have admirable qualities but are also honest about their weaknesses are endearing and trustworthy.

So the first task on the road to a strong personal brand is to decide who you really are. Take an assessment of your talents, dreams, values, qualities, personality traits, quirks, and yes…your flaws. Know what you believe and where you won’t cross a line; know your weaknesses better than your critics and make your vulnerability and honesty your strength.

2. Consistency

Considered the most recognizable symbol in the world, the Coca Cola brand logo has remained stable since its appearance in 1886. There have been some modifications along the way to keep up with the times, but that same red swirl logo font and white has remained. familiar and therefore trustworthy, for 120 years. Trusted brands adapt, but they don’t change… as Coca-Cola found out the hard way in 1985-86 when it introduced “New Coke,” which was a marketing disaster.

You must also be unwavering with your personal brand. Mixed signals breed distrust, so decide who you are and be that person 24/7. If you are conscious of the details, proudly show that quality at all times and do not slack off. If you are well informed, stay up-to-date and don’t become stale. If you’re trustworthy, don’t start being late for meetings. Nobody creates your brand except you!

3. Uniqueness

I used to work at Walt Disney Imagineering, a very creative place that was brimming with some of the most quirky, rebellious, and creative minds on the planet. These people made an effort to break the models of normality, to be “different”, but in their search to be unique, they ended up looking and acting the same way!

The male “uniform” there used to be a shaved head or ponytail, body or ear piercings, sports t-shirts with political statements, faded baggy jeans or knee-length shorts, etc. A colleague told me one day… “Have you ever noticed how all the ‘creatives’ look alike?”… and I answered yes. One day a new designer came in with a three-piece suit, and he happened to be the only one!

As you discover your true self, consider what makes you truly unique and distinct. Each human being is different from the others: each accountant, lawyer, housewife, computer programmer, etc., each has unique qualities.

Find your uniqueness and carefully integrate it into your brand. Being the expert accountant in commercial fishing; the opera-singing lawyer, the real estate agent who is an award-winning rose breeder. People will remember you, plus you might find some niche markets just for being different.

Being authentic, consistent and unique are the three keys to a powerful personal brand. Take the time to get to know yourself, learn about your unique gifts and talents, and pass them on to the world. There will be nothing stopping you once you know who you really are!