"Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEO's of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You."
Tom Peters
 
In today's virtual world, the manner in which both business and personal relationships are defined and cultivated has moved away from the traditional face-to-face interactive methods to the new mediums that focus more on sound bites of information.  

 

Online profiles have become the billboards of who we are and have laid the foundation for what has become known as the Personal Brand.   

 
While the term may be a new one, the concept behind it is not.  Effective leaders have always been aware of and paid attention to the key factors that go into the makings of a personal brand and did so without the use of the slick moniker. 

  
At the most basic level, your personal brand is the unspoken commitment that you make to anyone you come in contact with...it is your promise of quality, consistency, competency, and reliability.  In previous generations, it was simply referred to as 'reputation'.    But, in today's information-based environment, reputation is just one component of an individual's personal brand.

 
I encourage you to review the six key components that make up PERSONAL BRANDING and reflect on the questions to help you gain clarity around your own personal brand. 
 
Packaging - In what ways does your outward appearance reflect the image and level of quality that you want to convey?  Without knowing you personally, what would someone presume about you based on how you present yourself (both in person and in an online profile)?

Credentials - Including education, work experience, accreditation, and professional certifications, how do your credentials support the level of credibility and expertise you want to have associated with your personal brand?

Reputation - What attributes are you consistently known for? Name three absolutes anyone who knows you, has worked with you, or is familiar with you would say about you.
 
Spokespeople - Who talks about you and what do they say? By what method do you pick who you use as a professional and personal reference or spokesperson? 
 
Alliances/Partnerships - Examine each professional and personal alliance (i.e. partnerships, colleagues, friends): what is the criteria by which you choose to engage in those relationships?  In what way(s) does each affiliation support and reinforce your personal brand? 
 
Avocations/Altruisms - In what ways do you invest your free time?  Why ?  What might someone infer from knowing of your hobbies, charitable or volunteer interests, or recreational activities?

A great brand is a story that's never completely told.
Scott Bradbury

So, if you had to describe your own brand in terms of a retail 'item', what would your packaging look like, what buzz words would adorn the label, and at what type of store would your product be available ?   Lastly, what type of quality guarantee would it come with?