This couldn’t be further from the truth! True personal branding is not superficial. It’s more about understanding who you – and, therefore, ‘YOU™’ – are. That’s right – the Trademarked You. But just like in corporate branding, no matter how much money a company spends on marketing its brands, product brands aren’t all about promotion either.
Neither corporate branding nor personal branding is about creating a façade. Any company that produces a product that doesn’t deliver on its promises has developed a very short-lived product in the marketplace.
Just as corporate branding is about zeroing in on the product’s benefits for its customers, personal branding is about zeroing in on your greatest talents, strengths, and character traits. When someone needs the perfect person for the job, they’ll know immediately that you’re the person to call upon. Why? Because you have learned how to successfully define and communicate your personal brand. Just like we all know Volvo is about safety, and Starbucks is about a rewarding coffee experience, so everyone will know exactly who YOU™ are and what YOU™ have to offer.
Self-promotion is part of the process of personal branding, but only a part. Indeed, promoting your personal brand may not be what you think! Communicating your personal brand to the people who most affect your career is essential, but it can also be subtle. You don’t have to boast about what you can offer or send self-congratulatory emails.
In fact, no one has to know you’re creating your personal brand at all. They’ll simply become more aware of the contribution you make in the workplace. Your value will increase without anyone necessarily becoming aware that you have consciously and deliberately worked toward making that happen.
How is this done? By simply paying attention to the five activities you do every day that help you communicate your personal brand. You won’t be marketing yourself in an obvious or intrusive way. You’ll simply become more aware, as you make sure your Actions, Reactions, Look, Sound, and Thoughts communicate your personal brand in an unobtrusive way. Your boss, colleagues, and customers will begin to notice YOU™ more, and will begin to count on you to deliver in the areas that you have defined for your personal brand.
What does this mean for you – and YOU™? It means that you can apply my step-by-step personal brand system found in my book, Master the Brand Called YOU™: The proven leadership personal branding system to help you earn more, do more, and be more at work, to create a personal brand that is absolutely right for who you truly are, without feeling like you’re promoting yourself 24/7. You can stand out at work without the discomfort of bragging or constantly blowing your own horn. True personal branding allows you to increase your profile and become known in a natural way for what you do best. Now, that doesn’t feel like self-promotion, does it?
Happy branding, and here’s to YOU™!
