How strong is your personal brand?

Iconic brands iPhone and YouTube

Just how strong is your personal brand? What are you known for?

Can you talk about why your brand is so strong or great?

Do you even have a personal brand?

Yes? Great, I’m sure you’re very successful.

No? May I recommend you keep reading…

I encourage people to introduce themselves to others and connect with them by leading with what they do and deliver, not their job title. Why? Well, it was a change I made a few years ago and the results have been astonishing.

OK, so some people were impressed with “I’m an executive leadership and career coach”, but most just looked at me with a blank face or blatant disinterest. I get why. It’s too abstract.

It means nothing to THEM, the people I’m trying to connect with.

Now, I say, “I help women be more confident and able to talk about themselves,” and the result is very different.

Every time I’ve said it (no lie), I’ve had a reaction. It sparks curiosity in other people and usually kickstarts a conversation. Why?

Because THEY can relate to it. They know what being confident – or lacking confidence – at work feels like. It’s personal. It’s meaningful. And so, we spark a connection.

Admittedly, my opening is sometimes met with “Really, are you a magician?” or “I could do with you helping me, I'm not very confident and I hate talking about myself”, but at least there’s an exchange and an opportunity to move the conversation in a more positive direction.

So, how did I make the change? And how can you do it?

It starts with noting down:

– Who you are: what words you would use to describe yourself. Ask people for their ideas too, to gather vocabulary (and insight)

– What you are: your job/area

– Your expertise and strengths: think about your superpowers, the things you do really well and do better than others. Summarise your expertise and what makes you good at what you do

– The impact you generate: the problems you solve and the benefits that brings to people and organisations

– Your values: what’s important to you in your professional world and why?

– Why you love what you do: what does it give you?

The data that comes out of this reflective exercise gives you a framework and language to start playing with.

Then, ask yourself – what happens when you do what you do? What’s the (desired) result?

It might take some time to find the right definition and the right words, but keep playing until your concise, clear brand statement options surface. Talking it through and out loud can lead to lightbulb moments! Then test a few options on people you trust, get feedback and pick the best one.

I accept that we need to talk about what we do and my second line when I introduce myself is exactly that. My third is how I do it. But I don’t ever lead with those now.

So, what does your personal brand say about you? Is it compelling? Is it meaningful to other people?

If you’d like help to define your brand and come up with a pithy one-liner that grabs people’s attention, and/or build your confidence talking about yourself, why not try a session of Career Therapy?

Click on Book a call on the website or email me at louise@careertherapy.co.uk

Why not follow me for more confidence boosting tips, tools and talks:

LinkedIn Louise Newton

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Check out my post on Power Words Make Your Personal Brand Stand Out and for a comprehensive intro, I highly recommend Susan Chritton's Personal Branding for Dummies.

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Check out my other articles on careers and confidence: What is my brand?, The power of passion for career growth and Your Work vs. Your Brand. Photo by Sara Kurfeß on Unsplash