There’s a lot of personal branding advice out there, much of it really good. There are guides to SEO for your personal brand, The Brand YU Life, how to answer “What do you do?” to support your personal branding efforts, and how to brand yourself on LinkedIn. All of these are focused on what you put out there — your marketing message.
But your marketing message is only one part of a cohesive personal branding effort.
Think of the last time you had a crappy experience with customer service — something you really got your panties in a wad over. How do you feel about that company today? Have you ever considered egging someone’s office? Written a strongly worded letter? Wanted someone fired?
Bet that perspective isn’t anywhere in their brand messaging. But it’s definitely a part of the brand experience.
Your brand is more than a summary of your resume, a polished professional photo and a strong handshake. It’s even more than well-crafted copy and a cohesive online presence. It’s a feeling. It’s a relationship. Where effective personal branding truly comes into play is when you can align what you say with what you are. That’s when you have a strong,
integrated brand.
Do you know what other people think about you? What they perceive as your talents and your weaknesses? How they think you fit into the world? Their estimation of your competitive value?
If you don’t, you’re not effectively managing your brand. Understanding how you’re perceived can help you improve your value, and better understand the value you’re already delivering.
How do I know how others experience my personal brand?
- Ask. Find a few trusted advisors who might be willing to give you some honest feedback and ask them what they think of you. Try the following script:
(Get agreement.)
“Great. It’s really important to me that you feel comfortable giving me completely honest information. Please don’t worry about hurting my feelings. The more direct and honest you can be for me, the more helpful it will be. Just a couple simple questions. First, what do you think of when you think about me?”
(Give space for reply.)
“Fantastic. Thank you. That’s very helpful. One more question — is there anything that you think I can do to improve?”
(Give space for reply.)
The key to success here is to be relaxed, open and comfortable with the conversation. The person you approach may be nervous. So, the more you can convey that the information is both important to you, and also not a big deal, the more likely that you’ll get an open, honest assessment.
- Listen. Even without asking straight out, there are clues delivered all the time. In what contexts does your name come up? What are peoples’ reactions when you ask them for or offer help? Do people say the same things to you over and over? (“I know you must be swamped” might indicate that you’re perceived as overworked or not open to participating in new projects. “I know you’re the person to go to for X” may show your perceived expertise, or perceived willingness to help.) Look for trends or themes.
- Notice. What results are coming your way? Are you often invited to participate in groups, or do you seem to be missed? Are you getting new assignments? Is training available to you? Or do you feel like you’ve stagnated? Seeing opportunity come your way is a positive indicator of your brand, and seeing it pass you by is a negative. It’s up to you to determine exactly what part of your brand is bringing success and what is getting in your way.
Take an interest in how you’re perceived, and you’ll learn how to better market yourself.
Kristi Daeda is a Success Coach and creator of Career Adventure, a blog which helps professionals in the pursuit of their inspiring work. To receive her free report, 51 Ordinary and Extraordinary Places to Find a Job, sign up for her free Career Kick Start newsletter.
