PERSONAL BRANDING

At the heart of the training courses I run is the concept of Personal Branding. This is a relatively new approach to career planning but one which I know from experience offers individuals a clear strategy to follow to achieve career success.

What is Personal Branding?

Before going any further it is important to say that Personal Branding is not Personal Marketing (though the latter phases of the process do touch on that). It is not about helping individuals to try to be something they are not and it has nothing to do with world domination! At it’s core, Personal Branding is all about working out who you want to be in the world and how you can make that happen.

Sound simple?

It is simple. Working out your Personal Brand does not require high levels of specialist knowledge or technical skills. However, it is also complex because you are complex. Every individual is unique and has their own way of seeing the world and interacting with it. To find your Personal Brand, to work out who you want to be in the world, you have to shine a spotlight inwards and take a good look at who you are. You have to dig deep and get in touch with those things that feel right about being you. You have to have conversations with yourself about who you really are and who you really want to be.

And it’s not just about looking inward. Personal Branding also places great emphasis on looking outwards too. How do other people see you? Your Personal Brand only exists as a perception in someone else’s mind. Do the people around you see you the way you see you? Your Personal Brand has to be authentic and consistent and that will only happen if it truly reflects you.

As you begin to get a handle on your Personal Brand you then need to look carefully at your target audience. Who out there is interested in what you have to offer? Which companies and employers are engaged in work which resonates with you and your Personal Brand? Where is the niche market for you? And who are your competitors? What are they offering? How can you differentiate yourself from the competiton?

Once you have a clear grasp on all this you are well on the way to achieving career success. In my training courses I give you the blueprint and tools you will need to build your Personal Brand so that you can powerfully project who you really are into the minds of those people with whom you want to build strong working relationships. Relationships that are built on the ‘real’ you meeting the ‘real’ needs of the other person in ways which are distinctive, relevant and compelling.

The Personal Branding Process

Personal Branding is a three step process.

Find it – the first stage which is all about unearthing your Personal Brand
Firm it up – the second stage which is all about consolidating the work done in stage 1 and calibrating your offering with the needs of the market place and in light of the competiton.
Flaunt it – the third stage which focusses on how you can get your brand in front of the people who really need to see it.

More about Personal Branding>>