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Personal Branding
First of all, let's examine what exactly branding is. I think the very definition seems to be so personal that many people don't understand it until they stop and think about it in their own personal context... Take a moment here and STOP and THINK about it? (Seriously, take 30 seconds here to reflect on how you would define it? What does it mean to you?)
The dictionary says... a brand (noun) is a label, kind, grade, or make, as indicated by a stamp, trademark, or the like: i.e. The best brand of coffee. Branding (verb) can also be used to explain a process, as to promote as a brand name. In my opinion, personal branding is the sum total of who you are and how you connect to your target market. You are promoting to the world that you are for sale!
Branding begins with a personal self-belief before anything! Others will believe you, and then buy from you, when you believe in you! But, you must also be yourself. Michael Jordan, one of the strongest personal brands on the planet, says this about his own self-belief, "Such authenticity is about being true to who you are, even when everyone around wants you to be someone else."
Your brand is also your first impression to the world. Perception is reality...whether you like it or not - this is what your customers are buying or not buying!!! It is such a key aspect to your business. It promotes you to the world and tells the world you are for sale... It's more than your logo, a slogan, a color and or/marketing... It's the sum total of all these branding ingredients plus personality, product and service working together to engage, create an emotion, and leave a feeling behind after you have left the room... I believe all successful entrepreneurs work hard on the following Branding Essentials that bring out the feelings and impressions that they want to leave with their target market.
Reliability: Successful entrepreneurs are TRUSTWORTHY. You can always depend on them for a positive outcome. They make sure they keep their word and do what they say they will do when they say they will do it.
Convenience: All successful entrepreneurs understand that they need to be convenient and easy to do business with. Like Starbucks..., we should all try and be everywhere our clients are.
It's not possible to be on every other street corner , but you can position yourself everywhere your clients are if they are online. Wouldn't you agree that a strong brand is recognizable both on and offline? You really cannot afford to miss the daily opportunities that exist, especially with the plethora of social media tools that are available to us all for free. My question to you is, "Are you innovating and using technology to position your brand online (www.yournamegoeshere.com)?
You can be even more distinct and convenient by making house calls and/or meeting for coffee on the weekend or at night to review a brochure or travel website together with your customers. You can also check out the latest online/offline idea called www.meetup.com. I personally joined my first meetup.com group last week here
Value: A successful entrepreneur makes it worthwhile for the client to do business with him or her. You need to ask yourself what return on investment / value do you offer? Are you using your product knowledge, specialization, and experience to the best of your abilities? What I mean by that is... Is your CLIA, CTC and/or destination accreditation ( HVCB) working for you and helping you increase your sales and grow your business... or not?
I challenge you to call 5 good clients today and ask them why they do business with you! You will determine in a hurry what value you offer and how to prioritize your strengths and thus grow your business!
Consistency: Most successful entrepreneurs are consistent in everything they do. When I started my coaching practice, I made a conscious decision to provide value-first in everything I do. I am consistent with providing value-driven content in all of my coaching programs. My personal branding theme is also consistent in how I position brandUcoaching Inc. everywhere - online and off. My business card, website, e-coaching programs, e-marketing, and BLOG have branding congruence to establish the same feeling to my target market. As well, you might have noticed that in my introduction to this article, I branded myself as a busy man trying to balance family life with professional growth, which is truly what I am.
Customer Service: All successful entrepreneurs are customer centric. Customer centric is all about making the customer the center of your business focus. How much do you take into consideration your customers needs and feelings when making business decisions? Do you ever really talk to your customers? How often do you do business with a smile?
I have developed a strategy called the 6 'P's of Personal Branding. These personal and professional traits will help you stay focused on your brand. Work on these daily and you will sell yourself.
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Implement a Positive Mental Attitude... every day,
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Be Passionate in everything you do... every day,
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Personality... Be yourself. Everyone else is taken!
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Product-Knowledge never ends - Be distinct. Be the expert in your field!
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Be Proactive in everything you do with your customers,
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Profitability - Work for your customers and they will work for you!
Warren Buffet said it best:
"There will never be a better you than you".
I hope this article helps you think about what systems, strategies and long-term goals you have in place that contribute to your brand and how you present, yourself on a daily basis.
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