If the opportunities you desire are not coming to you, it could be because of your personal brand.
What? My personal brand? Yes, a personal brand can be equated to that of products you buy or services you purchase. For example, if you love a designer and trust their brand, you are likely to continue buying their products. From an experiential aspect, people distinguish you through their thoughts, feelings, perceptions, experiences, attitudes, and so on – those impressions become linked to Your Brand. When adding up all points of contact with the brand, that is known as the brand experience. What is your brand experience with others? How do your friends, co-workers, customers, and partners or spouse identify with you?
Four types of relationships that are important to your brand:
1. Friends. Most people like to be included in social engagements, and not be left out. If you desire close and trusted friends, or want to be accepted by the social circles of your choosing – then how your personal brand is perceived will provide you with either many options, or very few. “Good friends” can help you. The world is full of positive energy people who want to help others – and it’s important to get connected with them.
2. Co-workers. If you are in the business world, you know how important networking and relationships can be – they can either propel or sink your career. If your personal brand is projecting weakness, lack of commitment, or not being a team player, then negative-based co-workers will jump at the chance to make you look bad, thinking it will make them look better. Yet, if you are supportive of others, and create success, like-minded people will be drawn and attracted to you – and they will help you succeed.
3. Customers. Everyone has customer-supplier relationships, whether it’s from products you personally make or sell, to internal customers at your company, to vendors or teachers you associate with at your child’s school. Is there an extraordinary experience between you and your customers or vendors? Are you being the best you can be and encouraging others you deal with to be their best? Sometimes you don’t have a choice of who you have to interact with in certain circumstances, but if you walk into those situations with an air of confidence, positive energy, listen and are respectful of the other person’s position, you might find that those difficult to deal with may ease up, because they respect your brand.
4. Associates. Reliability and trust is paramount in any type of relationship, from business partners, to spouses, to soccer-mom car pools. The people you associate with many times put their lives and their families’ lives in your hands. Do you trust their personal brand, and they yours? You can rebuild trust if it has been broken; but be patient – as it takes time, commitment and good communication to change the perception of your brand.
Shopping for the best brands. Imagine you are shopping in a unique store that lets you select new friends, co-workers, ideal customers, vendors and those you would like to associate with. Yes, I mean choosing the types of brands (people) you would select in each of the four relationships mentioned above. Now turn the scenario around, others are in the store shopping for the best-of-the-best. Would you be their first choice, or for some – a choice at all? “Top-of-Mind” is the first choice of a brand that pops into a consumer’s mind. For example, when someone is asked to name a type of facial tissue, the common answer is “Kleenex,” which is a top-of-mind brand. Are you the top-of-mind brand of your friends, coworkers, customers or associates? Think about it.
The next blog will cover Four steps to help you become the top-of-mind choice.
Though this blog is about developing a personal brand, many of the same principles apply to a company brand. If your company needs help with that i can be reached at: ggreer@tampabay.rr.com or at http://www.3dbgroup.com
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