Practical insights and best practices to enhance your professional brand in your work environment
09/03/09
What If You Had No Legs?
Where do you find inspiration for your personal brand?
In my hometown of Philadelphia you don't have to look very far. It's on the river that runs along Philly's exterior.
There, rowers with no legs, or with multiple sclerosis or spina bifida, rowed in the country's oldest rowing event for disabled rowers, the Bayada Regatta.
Want inspiration? Look at 19 year old Kaitlyn Willard who has been in a wheelchair half her young life, or Oksana Masters, who has no legs, or 50 year old Laura Schwanger who has multiple sclerosis. Each of these courageous athletes rowed in the Bayada Regatta and inspired the world.
The Brand Trait of Champions
What's the personal brand trait that each of these fantastic athletes share? One could argue that they have many, many traits to admire, but in the end it's determination that sees them all through.
They have their eye on a prize and they train and push themselves to the limit to make it happen. For them, it's not just the prize of winning, but in some cases, it's just the chance to compete. How many of us have that level of will power, strength and determination? If you want to see determination personified, look at Melissa Wheeler.
Spina bifida (a disease that leaves the spinal cord exposed) left Melissa confined to a wheelchair. Her ability to maneuver and get around even in a wheelchair is a Herculean task. It's so difficult that she requires a therapy dog (a Labrador retriever named Sasha) to retrieve things for her and even hands over her wallet to pay for items at stores. But there she was, on the river rowing.
The next time you feel like giving up on a project, or want to throw in the towel, give your personal brand a hard smack to the face. Just think of all the athletes like Melissa Wheeler and the determination that keeps them going every day. Pure inspiration.
08/24/09
Brand Yourself as Irresistible
Want to be irresistible? No, not in the way that first came to your mind! How about as a presenter?
No matter what field you are in, presentations are the lifeblood of business today, and your ability to present can directly impact your brand and career. How can you extend your brand when you are presenting? By becoming the type of presenter audiences find irresistible. Here are five principles I've seen work again and again to help you develop an irresistible presentation brand.
No matter what field you are in, presentations are the lifeblood of business today, and your ability to present can directly impact your brand and career. How can you extend your brand when you are presenting? By becoming the type of presenter audiences find irresistible. Here are five principles I've seen work again and again to help you develop an irresistible presentation brand.
The Five Irresistible Presentation Principles
1. Make It All About the Audience
The very first words out of your mouth should pull the audience in and engage them. Many presenters begin with thank you's and introductions and background information. Get audience-centered right away. All of the "chit chat" can come a little later in your opening. Audiences don't really care about the presenter; they care about themselves. Think about solving their problems, inspiring them, and opening up new ideas to help them. Make it all about them!
One way to bond with the audience is to ask an intriguing question. Not a superficial question like, '"How many of you are enjoying the conference so far?" Pose a question that addresses a concern they have, or a problem they will soon be facing. By asking this audience-centered question at the top of your presentation, your listeners have a reason to keep tuning in to the rest of your speech.
2. Create a "Hook"
Very few audiences can resist a good "hook." Tease them…get their attention…make them interested and force them to get involved.The opening question you ask can be the hook, or you can create the hook after your question. Get creative and be different. A hook is NOT simply stating, "For the next 20 minutes we'll be looking at innovative selling techniques." A hook might be a relevant and compelling story, or an irresistible proposition: "Let's start off with a quiz: what does selling to enterprise customers have to do with Steven Spielberg movies?" or "What does an iPod have in common with your customer's objections?"
3. Turn Your Passion On
It's hard to resist speakers who are excited and passionate about their topics. Audiences feed off your energy. Especially in the first few minutes, find a way to "turn yourself on." Put all your efforts into demonstrating your passion for the topic. That means your voice, hand gestures, how you walk and move and even your facial expressions. The total you. If you are not passionate about your topic, change it or don't speak at all.
4.Tell a Story
Very few people can resist a really good story. Think of it. Most of us can remember almost all of the fairy tales and stories from our childhood. Why? Because stories captivate us. If you want your audience to bond with you, feel connected and remember your presentation, tell them a story. You can open with a story, build in stories as examples throughout your presentation or create one large meta-story that frames your whole presentation. A well-crafted and well-told story is irresistible for any audience.
5. End With Emotion
08/18/09
How PPT Can Kill Your Brand
What's the very worst PowerPoint slide you've ever seen? My guess is if we had a dollar for each bad slide we've seen, we could bail out GM, Ford, Bank of America and the country of China.
Sadly, slides can be pretty boring and sometimes, just downright awful.Think of a slide that imitates Word and is just line and line of text, or a slide with so many effects it just swirls and twirls forever. OK. We all agree we've seen some pretty bad slides in our day. So what do bad slides have to do with your personal brand? A lot!
Your Slide is a Mirror of Your Mind
Presentations can make or break a brand or a career and leave lasting impressions. And the look and feel of your slides is a critical part of that impression: the slides are an extension of you and your professional brand. What are they saying about you?
- Your overly wordy PPT slide is screaming out to the audience, "This is how my speaker thinks and communicates: blah, blah, blah."
- The chart-riddled slide with fifty boxes and lines is saying, "My speaker has a very complex way of seeing the world."
- Your swirling, twirling, flying-in and SO full of special effects slide is saying, "Hey, my speaker just learned animations and is trying to impress you...and failing badly."
What is the image you want to portray? Sophisticated, intelligent, insightful? Design slides with that end goal in mind. Do you want to be seen as collaborative and inclusive? Your slides can reflect that. Innovative and creative? Develop a slide deck that not only contains an innovation story, but one that looks innovative as well.
Worst Slide of All Time
If you want my vote for the absolute worst slide of all time, we need to look no further than our government (couldn't you have guessed this one?).
I submit Ranking House Republican Member Congressman Kevin Brady's chart on the current heath-care initiative as the worst chart I
have ever seen, bar none. Warning: do NOT click on the link. You'll end up seeing the chart blown up, and I guarantee you, you'll reach for an aspirin...or hard liquor.
Here's the brand tie in. Forget how you stand on health-care, think about what this slide says about Congressman Brady and how he thinks, manages, sees the world, and communicates. Scary!
Here's an even scarier thought: OMG! Did out tax dollars pay for this?
08/13/09
A Mickey Mantel Brand
Today, 13 August, is the anniversary of the day Mickey Mantle died. That got me thinking about what this sport legend's brand is, and how we can all take some personal branding lessons from this baseball great.
Mantle, although dead for over a decade, still holds the records for the most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases(123).
WOW! That's some record! So, taking a page out of Mickey's playbook, how are your hitting home runs for your personal brand?
Do You Have a World Series Personal Brand?
1. Are You hitting Home Runs? What have you done for your team or organization lately that would be the equivalent of a home run? Did you push yourself to land that really big account? Did you apply innovative strategies to your assigned project so you came in on time and under budget? Did you volunteer for a tough assignment, knowing you could ace it?
2. What is your RBI? An RBI is simply when you're at bat, is a run scored? It could be yours or a team mate's. What did you do to help your team land a deal or complete an initiative or advance their agenda? Get collaborative. Use as many collaborative technologies as you can to help create an open environment that allows you to reach out and assist team members to bring home the prize.
3. How many times did you walk? In baseball, the pitcher throws four balls and you get to advance to first base. Sweet. But in your company, walking might not be that great for your brand. How many times have you "walked", i.e. not proactively done anything, but gotten some advancement anyway? Think about how you would feel if someone "walked' into a promotion or a raise, or a public acknowledgment. If you want your brand to really stand for something, take a very proactive stance on getting ahead, and leave the "walking" for those who are not World Series material.
World-class players like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson helped define the great sport of baseball and their brands by always playing by the rules, not whining when things got tough and most of all, they executed and brought home the gold for their teams and their brands. Great lessons for all of us seeking to advance our personal brands.
Mantle, although dead for over a decade, still holds the records for the most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases(123).
WOW! That's some record! So, taking a page out of Mickey's playbook, how are your hitting home runs for your personal brand?
Do You Have a World Series Personal Brand?
1. Are You hitting Home Runs? What have you done for your team or organization lately that would be the equivalent of a home run? Did you push yourself to land that really big account? Did you apply innovative strategies to your assigned project so you came in on time and under budget? Did you volunteer for a tough assignment, knowing you could ace it?
2. What is your RBI? An RBI is simply when you're at bat, is a run scored? It could be yours or a team mate's. What did you do to help your team land a deal or complete an initiative or advance their agenda? Get collaborative. Use as many collaborative technologies as you can to help create an open environment that allows you to reach out and assist team members to bring home the prize.
3. How many times did you walk? In baseball, the pitcher throws four balls and you get to advance to first base. Sweet. But in your company, walking might not be that great for your brand. How many times have you "walked", i.e. not proactively done anything, but gotten some advancement anyway? Think about how you would feel if someone "walked' into a promotion or a raise, or a public acknowledgment. If you want your brand to really stand for something, take a very proactive stance on getting ahead, and leave the "walking" for those who are not World Series material.
World-class players like Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson helped define the great sport of baseball and their brands by always playing by the rules, not whining when things got tough and most of all, they executed and brought home the gold for their teams and their brands. Great lessons for all of us seeking to advance our personal brands.
08/09/09
Going to the Dogs: Canine Lessons in Personal Branding
This week a study was released that showed how the average dog is as smart as a human two-year old.Hmmm. That means that dogs, like their terrible-two human counterparts, can learn between 160 and 250 words AND do simple math! Not bad for a creature who licks himself, carries fleas, sucks fur-balls, and drools after eating.
It got me thinking about canine attributes and human brand traits. Are there any canine lessons we can apply to our personal brand development? Here are my choices for the top three breeds to emulate to enhance and develop our human personal brands.
The Top Three Breeds for Branding Lessons
Border Collie: fast and agile. There is no better Frisbee-catcher in the world than a border collie--they're the dogs that win all those agility competitions. Lessons for human brands? Be fast. That does not mean you're the first one who sprints to the coffee room when the Dunkin' Donuts arrive. It means be the team member who gets the job done with alacrity, does not waste time, and brings the project home before the deadline. 
German Shepherd: loyal. Known for their loyalty to both individuals and family, the German Shepherd would die for his master. In most companies, loyalty to a manager or an organization is considered critical. Wave the company flag and never be overly critical of the brand that pays your salary! Let people know you are the Rin Tin Tin of you team. (OK, Boomers and most Gen Xers might know this canine great, but for you Gen Yers, here's a link to the world's most famous Shep: Rin Tin Tin.)
Standard Poodle: super-intelligent. OK, I'm not talking about the frou-frou standard poodle who has puff balls on its head and tail (how could anyone do that to an animal?). But supposedly, the poodle is THE Einstein of the dog world. What can you learn from this canine brainiac? Let people see how brilliant you are. Tap into your creativity...get innovative in your approaches, but the key is to let your managers see and hear your insights. Speak-up in meetings and let your ideas go public. BTW, keep your hair style more like a Shep than a Parisian Puff Ball.Take a cue from our canine friends and make the sultry months of August and September your time to polish up your brand and really give the "Dog Days" of summer new meaning.
08/02/09
Branding Lessons from the Beer Summit
OK, we all have heard about the fabled "beer summit" with the President, Professor Gates and Officer Crawley. Based on the news talk shows, clearly there are strong opinions on both sides on whether the President did the right thing having brewskies with the guys. Inviting VP Biden is a whole other conversation!No politics allowed on this one...take your political hat off and put your personal branding cap on.
From a personal branding standpoint, are there take-away lessons from the Rose Garden Beer Fest that you can apply to your brand in your workplace? For sure! Put down that mug of Bud and listen-up.
Personal Branding Beer Lessons
1. Be known as a mediator. Try to bring two opposing sides together to straighten out differences. For example, are sales and marketing not seeing eye-to-eye on a new product launch? Procurement and administrative staff up in arms? Pick up the phone and arrange a meeting. Be the type of person who is known for getting them to sit down and iron out issues.
2. Get a dialogue going. Ultimately, conversation is always a good thing. As long as people are talking, there is progress. When someone tics you off, rather than go into reaction mode, go into dialogue mode. Don't get all Psychology 101 on them and delve into why you or they are ticked, just diffuse by talking.
3. Keep your mind open. Don't prejudge or fall back on preconceived notions. One key to having a great brand is being a tabula rasa. Be open to new experiences, new ideas and don't dismiss people or concepts based on a knee-jerk reaction.
No matter what your job role--an engineer, a sales master, a PR rep, a graphic artist--if you become known as someone who promotes an open atmosphere based on dialogue, your brand can only prosper.
Add some Bud Light to your conversations and you can't go wrong!
07/27/09
Are You the Real Thing?
Is your brand the REAL thing? Take a brand tip from Coca-Cola. No one doubts the Coke brand. Its tag line, "It's the Real Thing" says it all. It's totally consistent and no matter where you buy it in the world, it tastes the same. Now, whether you should even be drinking sugared water that eats away at tooth enamel is a whole other question. (Can you say aqua vita brand fans?)
But sucrose content aside, there are great lessons for our personal brands from the folks at Coke. Is your brand Coke-consistent in different situations? Take a moment to do a brand assessment on that one.
Our Brand in Different Situations
Think about the brand traits you want to be known for. Let's say you want the world to see you as a team player. Not a bad trait, go for it! OK, now, think about these activities:
- Delivering a presentation
- Writing a "reply all" email
- Voicing an opinion in a team meeting
- Advancing your ideas in a one-on-one with your manager
- Leaving a voice mail to management
Every time you engage in an activity at work, think of ways to display your brand trait. The way we get "branded" is when people see a consistent trait displayed over a period of time.
So, the next time you take a sip of soda, use it as a reminder to reinforce your consistent brand in all the activities you engage it during the workday.
And oh, BTW, water works as a great reinforcer too (and your teeth will thank you)!
07/22/09
One Wrong Email Can Sink Your Brand
Did you ever send an email that you regretted? Perhaps you left out an attachment, or you did not carefully proofread and hit "send" prematurely. We all have such email regrets. These mis-steps momentarily tarnish our brand, but they're not brand killers. But can one email diminish or even torpedo your brand? Oh Yes! And here's an example of a CEO's brand that will take some time to realign. Lessons for us all from the following brand fiasco.
A Personal Branding Fiasco
It all started with a Sprint customer named Rick DeVirgillis who wanted an itemization of texting charges on his bill. No luck getting it according to the AP article that chronicle
d his efforts. After weeks of hitting a brick wall, he wrote to Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. Now Hesse shows a very open and approachable brand on the Sprint TV commercials. Did Hesse take this opportunity to further advance his personal brand? Nope. All the customer wanted was his texting charges itemized. Hesse's response? An e-mail saying that Sprint wouldn't provide the text-message records without a subpoena, and an invitation to cancel service - albeit with an early termination fee of $200 per phone!
Ouch! That was the sound of Hesse's personal brand hitting a brick wall. Both Hesse's and his company's brand are diminished by this snotty reply.
Brand Email Best Practice
Lessons for the rest of us: our brand is baked in non verbal, verbal and written communication. Sometimes what people remember is the tone and attitude as well as the message. To double check that your brand is sending out the right messages in important emails:
- Read them out loud slowly to catch your tone
- Proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, and
- Ask yourself, "What is the personal brand message I'm sending out"?
07/20/09
Brand Traits for the Summer
Ah…summertime, we tend to lay back, slow down, kick it into neutral. That's great for weekends and vacation. One the job, you might want to try a different tactic. Summer is a great time to recharge your brand and make yourself standout in your organization. Think of it. This is when most people are taking time off, laying back a bit, so personal brands that kick into high gear tend to get noticed a bit more.
Steaming Tactics
To polish up your brand and make it stand out, here are five tactics to add some sizzle to your brand barbecue:
1. Go the extra mile. Since some of your colleagues might be laying back, this is a perfect time for you to take on some extra responsibilities. Ask your manager for a slight additional workload and let him/her know that you can be counted on.
2. Come in early and leave late. While others might tend to leave a bit early, you might follow the 15 minute rule. Clock in an extra 15 minutes early and leave 15 minutes after your scheduled time.
3. Be known as a "doer." In a previous brand post I talked about executing. Especially in the summer, this is the time to let your employer be aware that you are someone who gets the job done.
4. Mentor a colleague. Since the pace at work might be a bit slower, this could be a perfect time to mentor a junior colleague. Take someone under your wing and up-level their skills. You can only increase your brand traction if you are known as someone who is approachable and a great teacher.
5. Meet with your manager. Because things tends to slow down in summer, often managers have a bit less on their plates. Might be a good time to have a sit-down as talk about your goals, initiatives etc. It's also a good time to tell him/her about the ideas you have to improve efficiencies and productivity (you HAVE been thinking about that, haven't you??).
BTW, while chatting with your manager, the most important thing you can do is tell him/her all the cool things you have been doing! Without bragging, let the brass know about your summer efforts. You are your own best brand ambassador.
The key to a great summer brand is to not let your brand take a brand vacation!
07/13/09
Brand-killing Phrases
Can a word or phrase impact your personal brand?
Product and company brands use phrases all the time to gain market share and further advance their brand's standing. Coke tells us it's the "real thing." We all recognize Apple as a company that, "thinks different," and Nike's "Just Do It" reeks with action and determination.
With individuals, it's bit harder to find a powerful branding phrase like Nike's (don't we all wish we had thought of it?). But we seem to easily find phrases that can soil our personal brands. Sometimes,without really thinking, we use and overuse words that can send out bad brand messages.
Avoid Cliches
Every time we rely on a worn-out phrase, we're saying, "I'm not original," or "I'm not terribly creative," or "I'm too lazy to think of something new." Once in a while we all slip and use a cliche. No harm done. But if you repeatedly use the same phrase over and over again, it's not the best way to create a unique brand.
S
o here are my choices for the business phrases to avoid, the ones that are so hackneyed and worn out, they might take your brand down, not up.The Top Twenty Brand-Killing Phrases
1. Bottom line
2. At the end of the day
3. Locked and loaded
4. Think outside the box
5. Let's not reinvent the wheel
6. Go the extra mile
7. It's like herding cats
8. Push the envelope
9. Hit the ground running
10. Change gears
11. Mission critical
12. Take it up a notch
13. Peel back the onion
14. Secret sauce
15. Get on the same page
16. Firing on all cylinders
17. Level the playing field
18. Do we have the bandwidth?
And my all time top two favorites to send to cliche heaven (better yet, cliche hell):
19. Eat your own dog food, and
20. Eat what you kill
Get original, and find creative ways to express your unique brand. Remember, bottom-line, at end of day, take it up a notch: your secret sauce needs to get on the same page with your firing cylinders and come up with a mission-critical phrase that thinks outside the box!
07/02/09
A Brand for a Down Economy
So...what are you going to do for me?A pretty honest question. What if it came from your current or potential employer?
How would you answer the question? Hmmmm.
In this economy, it's more than a valid question and should also be an expected query. Employers are questioning a lot these days, and the value you bring to your organization should not be on the table for consideration. You've got to go the extra mile. A status quo brand does not hack it anymore.
Get Your Brand OUT THERE!
If this downturn has taught us anything, it's that brands should stand out even more. You need to make your brand more visible, be more diligent, be more proactive in getting out your brand messages. Make your personal brand strong enough so that you become invaluable.
How do you do that? What brand traits might work in our current challenging business environment? Each company will have its own favorites: "must have" traits that all employees need to bring to the table in that culture. But some brand traits are universal to business, especially when the economy is weak. Here are my top three brand traits to nurture in a down economy.
Universal Brand Messages1. Execute! Lots of people can talk the talk. Some can even paint a good vision for the future. But not everyone can act...get the job done...execute. In this economy, learn to shine a light on a problem, collect data, analyze and then execute and solve it. If your brand is, "Lights, Camera, ACTION!" you'll go a long way in a down or up economy.
2. Go Green. Not the eco-friendly kind of green (although yes, you SHOULD be turning off the water as you brush your teeth). Think green as in greenfield opportunity. Can you tap into a new customer group, some yet untapped market opportunity? Bringing in new revenues and opening up new categories or types of customers will make your brand a hero in this tight economy.
3. Loyal. Yes, your loyalty to the organization is important, but equally important is customer loyalty. What are you doing to maintain customer satisfaction and customer loyalty? Helping your company retain existing customer in a downturn is critically important to ensure a strong and solid customer base for when the economy picks up. Keep in touch with existing customers, reach out and solve their problems, let them know you care, and most importantly, let your managers know that you've reached out.
The economic climate is challenging for all personal brands. Right now, it's a season of discontent and uncertainty, but the really smart personal brands see this as a golden opportunity to make their brand indispensable: a true brand for all seasons.
06/19/09
Do You Have a 2.0 Brand?
How does your brand stack up in the 2.0 world?
Do your colleagues turn to you for the latest insights on how to Twitter, or do they IM you when they need some help posting a blog or revamping their Facebook page? Congrats! Your brand is flourishing in the social media world. Now, the question is, do you want to be known as "Twitter Tom" or "Facebook Fran"? Do you want a brand that is exclusively aligned with social media?
Hard question, especially in a world seemingly obsessed with tweets and posts and more social sites than there are stars. The popularity of social media has clearly extended to the professional world big time, with corporate blogs and professionals signing up for collaborative sites like Plaxo and LinkedIn. And if you are a social media cognoscente it quickly circulates around the water cooler. Cool...at least for now.
The question is, ten years from now, will you be happy with the moniker, "Twitter Tom"? Is this a sustainable brand trait and one that will serve your career well as you advance in your organization? Your personal brand defines the core value of who you are in the workplace, and that brand tends to last: changing it is a long, time-consuming process. Ask any marketer.Being aligned with social media can make you a very popular, hip and sought-after expert in your organization. But it can impact your brand in a negative way. I know of a PR professional at one of the Fortune 500's who is obsessed with blogging. He posts on his own blog, his company blog, partners and customers' blogs as well as tweeting many times a day. His colleagues joke that he has rewritten his job responsibilities to include "must blog." That is how he is now defined. Now, come promotion time, is his company looking for someone with brand traits like being a visionary...someone who can execute...a collaborative team player...or a blogger?
If you are fluent in social media, it can be a great addition to your personal brand. But consider making it only one part of your brand portfolio, not the cornerstone.
06/11/09
Your Words ARE Your Brand
Can an email cost you a career?Possibly. Consider this. Would you hire someone for a senior position if they:
- Consistently wrote typos and misspelled words?
- Misused homonyms like it's and its or their and there or to and too?
- Constructed sentences that grammatically made no sense?
You Are What You Write
We forget that emails are an extension of our brand, and every typo and every poorly chosen phrase reflects back on us. All of our emails, (and blog posts and tweets) have unwritten messages about our precision, our attention to detail and our leadership potential.
Now, we all make an occasional mistake with punctuation (does a period go inside or outside of a quotation?), but consistently sloppy emails are a red flag about our professionalism.
Five Email Tips to Help Your Brand
Here are a few tips to keep your brand intact when composing any type of electronic communication:
1. Proofread, proofread, proofread. Every email, no matter how short should be reread for errors, and really important emails, I'd double or triple read them. No time, you say? Make the time...your career and brand will thank you.
2. Do NOT rely on spellchecker. Yes, a good spell checker can save your brand from major misspellings, but it won't catch correctly spelled words that are used incorrectly. Spellchecker won't mark: "this is fore all employees," or "the warranty extends form January 1 to Dec 31."
3. Avoid emoticons and text message abbreviations. Adding a smiley face or sending an email with an OMG does not do much to extend your professional brand. Keep them for your personal emails, kids and BFFs!
4. Use a full email signature. Simply signing your first name is not professional. For external emails include full name, address, phone and website. Receivers might not recognize your email address and they might know many people named "Joe."
5. Keep it short! No one wants to read a dissertation.
Our spoken words are also brand windows. But with our written words, there is a permanent record that can be circulated and reread. So, heads up to the brand conscious: think twice before hitting "send."
06/01/09
The Glass is Half-Full Brand
"The Joy in the Transaction" is a phrase marketing guru Seth Godin uses a lot.
It got me thinking about the business types I like to hang out with. They're a diverse group, but they all have one thing in common: they always see the glass as half-full, not half-empty. Not a whiner in the bunch.
Optimism and a "can do" attitude go a long way, especially in this downturn. And Godin's phrase really hits home. From a product marketing point of view, is there joy in the transaction for the consumer of your product or service? Well, the same can go for your professional brand. Where is the joy when colleagues are transacting with you?
Everyone in business is stretched thin these days: asked to do more with less resources.
The personal brands that succeed are those that don't complain or moan about how much work is on their plate or the hours they are putting in. Everyone else around you could be saying the same thing. So shut up already!The way you extend your brand is by being someone that brings "joy to the transaction." That means with every customer or partner you interact with; with every staff member; with every executive or colleague you speak with, present a strong personality that is action- oriented, someone who executes and says, "yes!' to a challenge.
I'm not suggesting we become a smiling Pollyanna and sugar-coat everything, and put on a false happy front. Blech! That does not help your brand in the least. But in the end, we all have choices. And choosing to see the glass as half-full is one of the best brand choices you can make.
05/27/09
Introducing Yourself: A Good Way to Kill Your Brand
The First Words Set the ImpressionWhen you give a speech or deliver a presentation, you open with an introduction, right? These first few words set the tone and create the first impression of who you are. Here's the key question: Are you killing your brand with your intro?
What if you open like this:
"Hi, I'm Jane Doe, VP of NotMuch from Company Bland, and I'm so very happy to be here speaking to you today, I want to thank Mr. John Smith, your head of HR for asking me to speak...John, you always know how to make a girl feel wanted...that was a lovely introduction. I want to tell you a bit about myself before we get started..."
How many of you got bored just reading this? Imagine if you heard it in person!
The problem with many presentations is that in the open, when we should be getting the audience's attention and creating a "wow", we end up blathering on about ourselves. How many people really care?
Begin with a Bang!The next time you present, don't begin by talking about yourself. Open with a compelling or interesting anecdote that gets their attention. Or begin with a provocative question that is really relevant for your audience and makes them think. Or rivet their attention with a startling fact. But don't start out talking about me, me, me. Your brand is much better served by being known as a great presenter who opens with a bang.
So how do you get in relevant information about you, your background and your accomplishments? Three options:
1. If you are speaking at an event or conference, create a very compelling and original bio that gets printed in conference materials.
2. Have someone introduce you and set you up with all the brand attributes you want this audience to know about.
3. Weave bits and pieces of your bio and accomplishments throughout the presentation. At appropriate moments you can say, "When I was the Director of Engineering for Company X, we developed the following grid..."
How you begin your speech or presentation is an opportunity to brand yourself, so don't miss the mark: get branded as a riveting and compelling speaker from the very first words that leave your mouth.
05/07/09
The Power of Personality
What's the difference between having a brand and have a personality? Matt Grant in a post at Marketing Profs raised the issue in terms of a company's brand having a personality. Now brand personality for a product is different, but it got me thinking about personality and human brands.
So what is your personality? And how does it impact your brand?
The two are somewhat intertwined, but bottom line, if your personality is vibrant, so is your brand. If your personality is aggressive and overbearing, it SO affects your brand, and if your personality is as formal as the queen's,
well...you get the picture.
Just think of Martha Stewart. Her personality has almost overshadowed her brand.
We all know the power of brand, but the power of personality can't be discounted.
Perfect example of brand personality coming thru loud and clear and having tremendous impact is Ashton Kutcher. His personality is outgoing, fun with a bit of sass thrown in for good measure. Bleeds over to his brand. And if you think that sass doesn't sell, just check out Ashton on Twitter. His aplusk following is over 1.6 million. Now that's brand traction!
In business, Steve Jobs is another great example of how personality dominates brand, or Bill Gates, or better yet, look at the business of politics. Both Barack and Michelle Obama's personalities are undeniably upbeat, caring and humane.
So when you think about developing or extending your brand, think first about your personality. It's the lightning rod for your brand. How does it hurt or help your professional image. Do you need a bit of a personality make-over or is it a brand asset?
So what is your personality? And how does it impact your brand?
The two are somewhat intertwined, but bottom line, if your personality is vibrant, so is your brand. If your personality is aggressive and overbearing, it SO affects your brand, and if your personality is as formal as the queen's,
well...you get the picture.Just think of Martha Stewart. Her personality has almost overshadowed her brand.
We all know the power of brand, but the power of personality can't be discounted.
Perfect example of brand personality coming thru loud and clear and having tremendous impact is Ashton Kutcher. His personality is outgoing, fun with a bit of sass thrown in for good measure. Bleeds over to his brand. And if you think that sass doesn't sell, just check out Ashton on Twitter. His aplusk following is over 1.6 million. Now that's brand traction!In business, Steve Jobs is another great example of how personality dominates brand, or Bill Gates, or better yet, look at the business of politics. Both Barack and Michelle Obama's personalities are undeniably upbeat, caring and humane.
So when you think about developing or extending your brand, think first about your personality. It's the lightning rod for your brand. How does it hurt or help your professional image. Do you need a bit of a personality make-over or is it a brand asset?
05/04/09
Personal Brand Communication at Work
Do Words Speak Louder Than Actions?
I was thinking about how our brands get gelled in our working worlds.
Clearly, our brand is a combination of many factors, from how we look to how we interact, but ultimately, our language and communication at work offer more insights into our professional brand than anything else we do. Emails, phone chats, Instant Messaging, presentations, texting, meetings.
Think of all the times we communicate. Each word...each phrase...each sentence gives off powerful brand impressions.
To get a handle on your brand, think about doing a brand communication audit.
A Communication Brand Audit
There are a number of ways you can monitor your brand as you communicate on a daily basis at work. Think about the following as you try to assess your work brand:
1. What is Your Email Brand? When you send off virtual comments, are you curt, to-the-point? Do you have a conversational style, a bit of chit chat, a bit of attitude? Think about how your brand comes across every time you hit the send or reply button.
When rushing to catch a plane and you quickly respond to an email by just typing the word yes on your Blackberry, what does that say about your brand?
Decide what email brand you want to convey and keep a consistent email style. Within a very short time, your email style will get recognized by colleagues and associated with your brand. Make sure it's a brand image you are comfortable with and remember to communicate NOW for the job you would like to have two years from now.
2. What is Your Brand in Meetings?
You give off brand vibes not only in emails but also when you interact in a company meeting. Are you the quiet one who sits and never comments? Or do you offer value and important insights when you speak? Do you blather on and never come up for air? Are you the practical one who gets the meeting back on track when colleagues stray from the agenda? Try to be known as the person who always gives good insights, on-target advice and never wastes the valuable time of colleagues.3. What is Your Online Brand? Do you have a company blog or a personal one? Do you Twitter? How about comments in user groups or responding to friends on Facebook? Think about the image you project based on what you say online. The social and business worlds all blend together on the web.
If the CEO of your company typed your name in Google, would you be proud or ashamed of what he or she would find? Every time you respond to a BFF, or make a snide comment in a blog post, it gets intertwined with your work brand. Remember, there is no place to hide on the web...it is like a giant water cooler where the world can hear what you say.
Bottom line, our professional brand image is influenced by many factors, but what we say, how we say it, and where we say it, go a long way to creating our brand image at work.
04/28/09
Social Media Communication Best Practices
It's a Brand New World.
Social media has changed how we communicate. And that change can impact your brand drastically.
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogger.com and dozens of other social media sites have given us a new way to communicate with friends and colleagues. They have also given us a new vocabulary. We now “blog” and “tweet” and “text”. We read “blooks” and “microblogs” and are concerned about “trackbacks.”
But most importantly, social media has given us a new set of communication rules. And if you are in business, knowing the ins and outs of social media communication can be critical to your online reputation and your business presence.
Eight Social Media Guidelines
Here are eight guidelines you might think about when communicating in this brave new social media world. Each can help impact your online brand in a meaningful way.
1. Think Eternity. When writing a blog, tweeting, or commenting on any social site, the first thought in your head should be, “These words are permanent.” Will you be proud to see the comments you wrote, let's say twenty years from now? Comments associated with your name can advance or tarnish your online reputation, so write with an eye to your future.
2. Think Like Aretha Franklin. Remember her famous song, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”? No matter what social media you engage with, offering up respectful comments, recognizing and calling-out the efforts of others, and keeping a collaborative mindset will serve you well.
3. Think Like Twitter. Few people have the time or inclination to read rambling and lengthy articles or comments. Twitter's micro blogging 140-character limit forces us to be crisp and focused. No matter what the venue, concise and to-the-point writing will gain you an audience.
4. Think Like the Audience. What do THEY want to read? What are THEIR likes and needs? Make your comments and writing more about your readers than about you. That's not to say you should keep your opinion in check, just make your opinion relevant and topical for readers.
5. Think Story. People all over the world love narratives. You can never underestimate the power of a good story, no matter how long or short it is. When commenting and especially when blogging, add stories, examples, and real-life people to make your writing come alive.6. Think With Your Ears. Listen to the crowd. Don't just jump in and write to Facebook BFFs or respond to a blog post. Really listen to the collective voice first. Maybe read a post more than once before you respond, or review a few of the blogger's key words. By really listening, you'll know how to more effectively frame your comments—you'll add more value and be more a part of the social fabric.
7. Think of the Venue. Each social site has its own conventions and ways of doing things. Spend some time checking-out the lay of the land before you land your comments on a page. Conventions for Twitter are vastly different from those for LinkedIn or a corporate blog. Think, “Editorial Guidelines” so your comments will be in keeping with the look, feel and flow of the social site you're writing for.
8. Think Twice Before You Tweet. Does the world really care that you are going off to the slopes now, or meeting Mr. X for lunch, or taste-testing a new microbrew? The types of comments that might be relevant to your favs or family might NOT be relevant to the world. If it's not of value to the collective crowd, think twice before posting.
Bottom-line, the social media is not like the American Wild West, there are rules, conventions, etiquette and best practices.
Thinking about guidelines before you jump in can impact your brand AND make the experience a better one for both you and your readers.
04/23/09
BEST BRAND TRAITS FOR LEADERS
So what are the best brand traits for a business leader if she or he wants immortality?
A recent Portfolio.com article on the Best and Worst CEOS, ranks this century's top leaders. It might surprise some readers, but Henry Ford came out on top. Innovator, change agent, mover and shaker.
The university profs who helped portfolio.com put the traits together, also pointed to traits like innovation a la Apple's Steve Jobs, or being a great philosopher like Warren Buffett, the business Buddha, or demonstrating responsibility like Katharine Graham when she backed up Woodward and Bernstein over their Watergate investigation.
How about we add three other brand traits to the list: communication, honesty and execution.
If a leader can't communicate his or her vision...rally the troops...inspire action and speak in plain language everyone can understand, then they don't get my vote. We only need to think of Ronald Reagan (nicknamed "The Great Communicator" ) as an example. Simple language, yet inspiring.
As far as honesty goes, it should be a default trait. But in the post Nixon and Clinton era, leaders who lie seem more like the status quo than the exception. This year, the chip-maker Microsemi decided to keep their CEO James Peterson after he lied in public about his qualifications. Go figure.
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nd lastly, let's hear it for executive execution. Any Tom, Dick or Jane can talk big ideas and vision, but real leaders act...get things done...they execute.Sir Richard Branson is the quintessential role model. He's some one who acts and executes and has the accomplishments to show for it.
In his book, "Screw It, Let's Do It: (14 Lessons on Making it to the Top While Having Fun and Staying Green)" Branson talks about executing in business and in life. Main message: stop talking: just get out there and do it!
Advice doesn't get any better than that! Think and live like Nike and Sir Richard!
03/16/09
FLEX SOME BRAND MUSCLE
Brands are taking it on the chin lately.Company brands and personal brands are having a tough time standing out in this doom and gloom economy. With economic news capturing our interest everyday, it's hard to focus on your personal brand...it almost seems like the wrong thing to do in this climate. Au contraire.
Now is the best time to grab your brand by the collar, shake it up and flex a little brand muscle.
The individuals in organizations who stand out in this downturn are the ones who are showing their value to their team, their organization, and to management. And if you are management, what better way to rally the troops than with a strong brand statement?
So what are the best brand traits to develop and promote in these economic times? Here's my take on the top three brand traits that can help you navigate your brand through tough economic waters.
1. Passion and enthusiasm. These are pretty good brand attributes in any situation, but especially now, people need to feel revved up...inspired. We love to be around people who make us feel energized and charged up. Whether you're in the trenches or in management, give off confidence and show passion about everything you do.
2. If you can't say anything nice... Don't you hate it when moms are right 20 years later? Good advice no matter what economics are guiding us, but let's do a redux on, "If you can't say anything nice about someone, don't say anything at all." Strong leadership brands don't complain, so if you can't say anything positive, keep your mouth shut. We might forget that you did not speak up, but we won't forget if you opened your mouth and whined.
3. Chart a clear course. Now is the time for your brand to stay focused and articulate a clear and understandable plan. Whether you are the CEO voicing the vision for the company or an individual contributor advancing a team initiative, be clear and concise in your strategy and planning. People need and want direction, but they have to understand where you want them to go.
Bottom line, this is a perfect environment for honing positive brand traits that can elevate your value. Any thoughts on other brand attributes to cultivate in these times?
12/11/08
CONDUCT A PERSONAL BRAND SCAN
CONDUCT A PERSONAL BRAND SCAN
If our brand impression is already in our colleagues and customers' brains, how do we get in there and find out what they think of us?
Take a clue from global product brands when they launch or re brand a product. They scan the marketplace. What are current perceptions? What are existing brand attributes? What are our brand strengths... weaknesses? The same goes for our personal brands.
You're brave and fearless and willing to take risks, right? OK, check your ego at the door, and ask three or four colleagues the following questions:
1. When you think of me what word comes to mind?
2. Am I an expert...at what?
3. What am I passionate about?
4. What do I do better than anyone else on the team?
5. What is holding me back from greatness?
6. Do I differentiate from others on the team...how?
Since communication is critical, additional questions might be:
7. What brand traits come thru in my emails?
8. When I leave a voicemail message, what impression do I leave?
9. What does my handshake say about my personality?
10. When I speak in a team meeting, what is your take on my brand?
11. How do I come across in a conference call?
12. When I deliver a presentation, what is your impression?
CONSISTENT BRAND INSIGHTS
Don't just stop here, and DON'T just ask your friends! (Come on, do you really think they'd shoot you down with brutal honesty?) Ask a colleague who interacts with you regularly and has daily insights into how you speak and behave. Think about when you communicate to groups--on conference calls, in team meetings etc. To get a better handle on how consistent your brand image is, ask a few different people from different situations.
The best personal brands have a similar or consistent quality. Do the same answers come up from different people? They don't have to be the exact same words, but similar. For example, one colleague might say you are analytical. Another might say very practical and pragmatic. Those brand attributes are close enough to show a consistent brand image. Bravo!
Answers to your questions will help you assess the current state of your brand. Now the task is to zero in and hone the strengths and develop a plan to reduce the weaknesses. We'll be continuing this dialog with additional insights...so stay tuned.
OK, final food for thought. Can you pinpoint three other ways you communicate in your professional environment--where colleagues can see or hear your brand clues?
Continued success on your brand journey!
If our brand impression is already in our colleagues and customers' brains, how do we get in there and find out what they think of us?
Take a clue from global product brands when they launch or re brand a product. They scan the marketplace. What are current perceptions? What are existing brand attributes? What are our brand strengths... weaknesses? The same goes for our personal brands.
You're brave and fearless and willing to take risks, right? OK, check your ego at the door, and ask three or four colleagues the following questions:
1. When you think of me what word comes to mind?
2. Am I an expert...at what?
3. What am I passionate about?
4. What do I do better than anyone else on the team?
5. What is holding me back from greatness?
6. Do I differentiate from others on the team...how?
Since communication is critical, additional questions might be:
7. What brand traits come thru in my emails?
8. When I leave a voicemail message, what impression do I leave?
9. What does my handshake say about my personality?
10. When I speak in a team meeting, what is your take on my brand?
11. How do I come across in a conference call?
12. When I deliver a presentation, what is your impression?
CONSISTENT BRAND INSIGHTS
Don't just stop here, and DON'T just ask your friends! (Come on, do you really think they'd shoot you down with brutal honesty?) Ask a colleague who interacts with you regularly and has daily insights into how you speak and behave. Think about when you communicate to groups--on conference calls, in team meetings etc. To get a better handle on how consistent your brand image is, ask a few different people from different situations.
The best personal brands have a similar or consistent quality. Do the same answers come up from different people? They don't have to be the exact same words, but similar. For example, one colleague might say you are analytical. Another might say very practical and pragmatic. Those brand attributes are close enough to show a consistent brand image. Bravo!
Answers to your questions will help you assess the current state of your brand. Now the task is to zero in and hone the strengths and develop a plan to reduce the weaknesses. We'll be continuing this dialog with additional insights...so stay tuned.
OK, final food for thought. Can you pinpoint three other ways you communicate in your professional environment--where colleagues can see or hear your brand clues?
Continued success on your brand journey!
04/15/08
HOW DO I BEGIN BRANDING MYSELF?
You CAN'T!
Recently, before delivering a Personal Branding Workshop, someone asked how they could start branding themselves. I'm always surprised by this question. The answer is simple. You can't BEGIN branding. You already have a brand image at work. It's as if a branding iron seared your brand impression into the minds of your colleagues (disclaimer: ouch! do not try this at home).
YOU'VE GOT BRAND!
For as many years as you've been on your job, that's how long your brand has been implanted in the minds of co-workers. It's in there with their grey matter. Take a look: cerebellum. medulla, and right there next to their frontal lobe--your brand!
More importantly, you've been reinforcing that brand every day. Whether you are in the Boardroom or on the shop floor, your communication constantly gives off brand vibes.
- Send off a snotty, curt email? BAM! You're branded. Hello, Ms. Snitty!
- Talk about colleagues behind their backs...a little gossip and back stabbing? Enter your brand, Mr. Creepy Guy.
- Leave a long-winded, never ending voice mail that has no point? Enter brand, Mr. blah, blah, blah.
- Speak in a meeting and deliver a succinct, actionable plan? Move over Spider Man, Enter Strategy Guy!
A GAME OF BRAND CLUE
We constantly give off brand signals or clues. Sure, initial impressions are obviously formed by the exterior things like clothes, hair, posture etc.
But the substance of our brand clues--the hard core brand stuff--is intertwined with our communication. Our brand is like a thick rope--lots of individual strands all connected. People don't necessarily concentrate on each strand or clue. We come up with a general impression based on those clues. Colleagues will think: strong rope, weak twine, sturdy clothes line (for millennials who don't know what that is, it's an ancient ritual where wet clothes were hung outside on ropes to dry. Can you believe it?). Many clues revolve around what we say and how we say it. Clues might be based on:
- how we conduct our selves in meetings
- our email
- our handshake
- our voice mails
- how we deliver a PPT presentation
- phone conversations
- comments around the water cooler
The question shouldn't be, "How do I begin branding"? The question should be, "So, what IS my brand and am I happy with it "? And that's the focus of our next post--to find out how others perceive your brand. Check it out.
