Posts Tagged ‘Oprah’

   

 

 When you’re in a business such as consulting, where the business revolves around you, rather than company branding, you have to work on your personal branding. An easy way to think about creating a personal brand is to use the Queen of branding herself, Oprah. Oprah has created an entire empire – all based on her personal brand.

 

So what exactly is Personal Branding?

 

 

Essentially, personal branding is the way in which you market yourself to your target audience. A brand of a company is how the company, its products and services make its customers feel, the same holds true for your brand.

 

Your brand is how current and prospective customers feel about you.

 While you can control your personal brand to some extent, you cannot fully control what others think about you.  Don’t let this discourage you, however, because you can influence other’s thoughts of you based on your appearance and actions.

 Think of it this way:  When others interact with you, how do they feel?

 

  - what emotions do they associate with being in the same room with you ,  on your site or your profile?

 - what about when they are conducting business with you?

 

    Confident?   Not so sure?

    Excited?   Or not?

    Relaxed?  Tense?

    Cheerful?  Overly serious?

    Helpful?  Waste of time?

    Plenty of Info?  Not knowing what to do next?

    

These are all questions to ask yourself.

 

Now there are many, many other terms you can use as one-word positive/negative descriptions, but the point is….

 

The associations people make with you, or, the labels they assign to you become your personal brand.

 

So the question is, how do others feel when they’re around you?  Who (and what) are you attracting?   Attraction marketing is closely connected with this (more about that in a future post) so you have to realize that what ever “vibes” you portray when you interact with your customer is what you will attract back.  This can become your unspoken brand simply by default.  

 

Your customer will feel it, and respond, one way or another.  You want this to be a positive “vibe” or experience for them, not something that pushes them away.

 

Think about everything you do, every interaction point you have with prospective and current clients.

  

From sending out emails, tweets, and wall posts to designing your web site and shooting videos, everything has potential for an unspoken positive message, an attraction,  which can become your brand.  It’s the same for phone conversations  (not something to do when you’re tired)  and of course, in person.  (Look them in the eye with a smile!)

 

Decide how you want to come across to your audience. Write it down. 

 

Put it in action :  When you send an e-mail or have a conversation with these individuals, remind yourself of these things and make sure that you’re portraying the brand you want customers and prospects to associate with you.

 

 Until next time,

 

 

 

 PS.  Did you find this post helpful?  I would love it if you would leave me a comment, and let me know….Please feel free to tweet and share!