Understanding the importance of ‘Branding’ is crucial. Not just a logo but what it stands for. The stones in Coaching to Success are about taking steps (that get bigger and stronger) to reach your goal and will be found on all their correspondence.
On a personal level, look at your LinkedIn/Twitter/Facebook profiles. What IS your branding? Your recognisable trait?
Question… how do you want to be thought of when your name is brought up in conversation? Are you the go-to person, knowledgeable in your own field of expertise? The vivacious up-lifter or motivator? The studious completer? You will have a ‘brand’. Consider how promoting your personal brand will obtain a great ROI whether it be looking for a career, or standing out from others.
Now you have started thinking of yourself as a brand, how do we go about promoting it?
- Study – Get to really know your industry or subject. Become the expert. Immerse yourself in all the latest updates as well as current matters. Sounds obvious but often people get to a level and stop!
- Match taking with giving! Be a humble expert. Build working relationships with others where you can give equally as much as taking. Stephen Covey refers to this as Win:Win, an expression we have all heard, meaning to allow the other party to contribute which accordingly encourages them to speak favourably of you adding value to your brand.
- Avoid camouflage – Be seen, refrain from hiding behind an office door or computer monitor. Attend networks and industry conferences. Open Social Media channels so others can see you and comment. Write features (like this) about your area of knowledge. Paint your picture for all to see and soon your style will stand out.
- Align your brand with existing strong examples – This isn’t to say copy, but associate with established brands who emit similar beliefs to your own, e.g. “GoPro: Helps people capture and share their lives”, “Marriot Hotels: Quiet luxury. Crafted experiences. Intuitive service.” and how can you associate who you are to them?
- Be charitable – Whether this means your time or finance. People remember selfless acts adding immense value in the eyes of others. There is no shame in marketing this on your social media or web sites either.
This is not only a start on a road of self-awareness allowing you to recognise how each of us have ‘branding’ but also understanding how you go about enhancing it. Once you truly get to know how people see you, you can then look to market the qualities you wish to be made more visible, enabling others who may not know you that well (or at all), to seek an association with you.
Coaching to Success know how to dig deep and help you extract what makes you stand out from others, to look for that USP. When you are ready to create your own Brand to compete with the best and stand out from the rest, contact Neil to discuss how he can help by emailing neil.nutburn@coachingtosuccess.co.uk or 07761 187238.
Having read this, why not check out Neil too by watching our YouTube video HERE.
