Everyone is a brand of some description whether you manage it or not.
Your brand is how others describe, know, interact, respect and follow you.
To be a successful brand/have personal brand recognition is to have reached a high standard. At an outward view brand recognition is based on a set of actual and perceived expectations others have about you. Many business professionals and leaders focus on this outward view. Influencers mostly focus on the outward ‘view’.
This outward view focus, however is only one part of brand you and not the most important part.
The value of brand you is not about your value in monetary terms it’s about your values.
Your values go to the core of who ‘brand you’ is.
We all live our lives on the basis of values and ideals. They take years to develop and, mostly they simply ‘are’. Most people’s values are built unconsciously over time. They are absorbed from our immediate family and close peer groups. We make decisions about what we say, do, associate with, engage with on social media channels based on our values.
So, when was the first time or last time you actually looked at what your values are?
Last week, last year, never?
Why should you take the time to explore what your values are, rather than taking them for granted?
Because ‘brand you’ is what others say about you when you’re not in the room or on social media. It’s what they tell your friends, colleagues, potential clients, customers, business partners. It’s what your next employer will search for when they undertake a reference check, police check or any check.
If you’re not clear about what your values are how can anyone else around you be clear about them?
Your brand, your reputation, your relevance
Brand you is, in essence what you stand for, your reputation. If you care about your reputation/your brand and what you stand for then you must actively manage it, not leave it to others to determine.
The stronger and clearer your brand/reputation the more relevance you’ll have in your chosen field, with your family, industry and wider community.
If you’re not sure about brand you, here’s 3 things you should explore to get started on the journey of actively managing brand you.
1. Ask yourself this question. What would your peer group say is your superpower? What are you known for?
For example: I’m known as a FMCG and personal branding expert. My network recommends me if anyone asks them about branding.
A friend of mine is known as ‘the business book expert’. If anyone asks if they know someone who can help them with their business book, her name is the first they recommend.
2. What are your values?
Warren Buffett commented that ‘We can afford to lose money, even a lot of money. But we can’t afford to lose reputation. Even a shred of reputation.’
Everyone has a set of values through which they see everything.
What are your values? Can you name them clearly and concisely?
Write down what your values are. Have you ever been tested on them and if so what action did you take, or not.
What will you NEVER compromise on?
Have you questioned and then changed your values?
3. Is what you say aligned to what you do?
Authenticity is the word (apologises to the writers of Grease).
Do your actions align with your values and what you say?
Take a really good look at this. There’s noting more damaging to ‘brand you’ than saying one thing and doing another.
If what you say and do are different, people – your colleagues, boss, friends, family – won’t trust you. In fact, they’ll ignore you.
As Henry Ford said, “You can’t build reputation on what you are going to do.”
If you’re ready to explore and develop brand you contact me, Garry Browne - Brand New Brand You OR buy my book Brand New Brand You Shop — Garry Browne and take the first step in actively managing your brand.