Who Else Wants a Personal and Profitable Connection?

March 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

Connections make the world go round. To achieve success in this world, most of the time, it’s not really what you know, but who you know. Trust is the building block of any relationship, and this includes the relationship between a seller and a buyer, an employer and an employee, and a professional and a client.

This is why it has become essential for both business and personal brands to create strong personal connections with their customers and audience. This could mean the difference between success and failure.

People listen, follow, and buy from individuals and companies they know, like and trust, which is why building a relationship with your audience or followers is key to the success of your personal brand.

How exactly do you do this? How do you create strong personal connections with your audience both online and off? Here are some tips:

1. Remember that first impressions are important

Whether you’re meeting a client for the first time in person or interacting with someone new online, always remember that first impressions count.

Make sure that your online profiles are updated so that anyone who searches for your name in the search engines will have accurate information. It’s also essential that you have an updated photo, so that people will know what you look like. People want to interact with a person, not a faceless, nameless creature.

If you’re meeting someone new in person, it’s a good idea to do your research about them. You can do this by Googling their name, checking their social media accounts, or by asking a mutual acquaintance (if any) to tell you more about them. By knowing something about the person, you’ll have lots more to talk about and can enjoy a deeper, more meaningful interaction with each other.

2. Ask questions

People like knowing that someone is genuinely interested in their lives, which is why asking questions is a great way to create a strong personal connection with someone. Avoid being the person who views people as merely customers who can give you a profit – learn about your clients, discover what they need, and find ways to help them.

The more questions you ask, the more you can discover how to help your audience and satisfy their needs. You build a relationship with your followers by knowing them and genuinely caring about them.

3. Reveal things about yourself

To build strong personal connections with people, it’s also essential that you share things about yourself. You don’t reveal something too personal yet you can share stories that your clients or audience can relate to. I heard a phrase that has served me well – “Facts tell; Stories Sell.” What’s your story? And, how can you utilize storytelling in a way that engages and creates connections with others?

4. Communicate regularly with your audience

In our hyper busy lives, we often forget to connect just to reach out and get to know someone or to connect with providing ‘help’ in mind. If the only time you reach out to someone is when you need them, your relationship with them is in serious danger.

Social media has made it a lot easier to engage and interact with hundreds of people with just a click of a button. It’s been an easy tool to help us become more consistent so that we can get to know people better and they have the opportunity to sample ou character and competence. It’s also important to comment and reply to your followers’ posts as much as you can, because this really helps in creating a strong bond with them.

There are also many ways for you to connect with people off-line. Though people have started to rely on online communication quite heavily nowadays, these cannot completely replace the connection you create when talking and interacting with someone in person. Face-to-face meetings are still the best way to establish meaningful relationships with people.

Also, with email being such an easy and convenient way of communicating, sending a personal letter just to say thank you is a great way to help you stand out and connect with someone more strongly.

5. Be patient

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and strong personal connections aren’t created with just a snap of the fingers. Be patient – remember these tips, and give yourself a goal of interacting with someone meaningfully at least once a day.

Building a great relationship with one person beats having meaningless interactions with hundreds of people – so who can you connect with and make a difference in their life….today?

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

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The Real Truth about Bouncing Back from ‘Reply All’

March 8, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The technology of today has made it a lot easier for people to communicate with each other. In the past, people sent letters through what is now called “snail mail,” and expected them to arrive in a couple of days or even weeks. Nowadays, most people prefer communicating by email – it’s quick, it’s easy, and you even get confirmation that it’s been sent (unlike snail mail, where you worry about your letter getting lost, stolen, etc).

Communicating by email is incredibly convenient for people. With just one click, your message can arrive to its destination, and you can even have a copy in your sent folder for reference. Need a document signed? You can simply scan it and send the document through email. And best of all is the fact that email is free, and you can do it right in the comfort of your home.

Due to the ease and convenience of email, however, issues have cropped up in people’s usage of it. Spam emails, for example, are very rampant – there are times when a person signs up for a newsletter or something similar, only to have their emails flooded with advertisements. You don’t even have to sign up for anything actually – many people get a deluge of spam everyday, which is why the ‘spam folder’ has become a necessity.

If there’s one common email faux pas that many people have already committed, it’s the ‘reply all’ button. Though most incidents are simply annoying, such as a personal conversation by two people being sent to everyone and cluttering emails, some incidents can prove detrimental to your job and business. Due to this button, people have accidentally sent emails to their boss, colleagues or clients that they really shouldn’t have, resulting in loss of jobs, businesses and even friends.

As a personal brand, you may experience this dreaded mistake. So what do you do? How do you bounce back?

1.   Apologize immediately

Most of the time, the best thing to do is to immediately and sincerely apologize. Yes, the damage is done, but if you express true regret in doing it, then you may get off lightly.

Cases when an apology should immediately be done include accidentally sending private information to many people, making rude remarks about a person, and getting caught on a lie. Though someone may still take you up to task about what you’ve done, a sincere and heartfelt apology may help you keep your job.

2.   Let the message run its course

If the message you sent to everyone through ‘reply all’ isn’t that serious, it’s best to just let the message run its course. You may get a few rude comments, people asking to be taken of your list or people making fun of you, but in the end, there’s really no (or not too much) harm done, so you simply get a slap on the wrist for your mistake.

3.   Lighten the message with humor

With some email ‘reply all’ mistakes, you may get away lightly if you lighten the message with humor. It won’t work for all, however, and don’t do this if you made a serious faux pas, such as insulting your boss. If you accidentally revealed something embarrassing about yourself, it may actually turn out well for you. You may have to put down your head in shame for a while, but people may accidentally see you as more human afterwards (because really, no one’s perfect).

4.   Lay low for a while

After a ‘reply all’ mistake, it would be best if you lay low for a while. You might have become an overnight sensation due to it, so it’s good to be on your best behavior so as not to create more reasons for you to get reprimanded, suspended or even fired. Put your best foot forward and avoid sending out any more errant emails.

Sadly though, there are incidents when it’s hard to bounce back from a serious ‘reply all’ faux pas. Jobs are lost, friendships are ruined, and relationships are broken all because of a simple email mistake that could be avoided.

So lesson learned. Though the ‘reply all’ feature of emails can be very helpful to people, it can also be the cause of your downfall. So use it sparingly, and always take note of the people you’re replying to.

And never assume that an email you sent is private. Did you know your emails could even be subpoenaed if you’re involved in a lawsuit? So always think twice before writing an email, and avoid the ‘reply all’ button like the plague.

Maria Elena Duron, CEO (chief engagement officer), buzz2bucks | a word of mouth marketing firm, is skilled at making networks “work” and harnessing powerful online and offline buzz, she facilitates online visibility services and word of mouth coaching and workshops – taking companies and professionals from buzz-worthy to bucks-worthy.

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Filed Under: Personal Branding Quick Tips, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Get your personal brand ahead – by a leap second or two!

February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Rather predictably, especially given the current economic climate, the news headlines for today, February 29th have been about the extra costs the leap year brings. Extra payroll for hourly or weekly paid workers, extra power to run businesses, extra IT costs to deal with computers and chips that cannot allow for the extra day.

There’s also a leap second — the extra moment added to atomic clocks to keep them in sync with the earth’s rotation, which is slowed by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the Moon. It’s been added 24 times since 1972, the year the International Telecommunication Union defined Coordinated Universal Time. Last month, a timekeepers’ meeting failed to agree on whether or not to scrap the leap second (perhaps they ran out of time!). This has come under criticism because every time a second is added, the world’s computers need to be manually adjusted, a costly practice that also boosts the risk of error. Defenders of the leap second say without it, hi-tech clocks would race ahead of solar time, amounting to a discrepancy of about 15 seconds every 100 years.

However on the positive side here is what an extra day means for your personal brand;

- One extra day for you to work on defining and developing a clear brand message.
- More opportunities to communicate that brand at work or to clients and get noticed.
- Using a leap year to do something on brand that really gets noticed because its only one every 4 years!

And finally Happy Birthday if you are one of the approximate 5 million ‘leapers’ globally. You probably have to make up at least 4x for missed birthday opportunities!

Paul Copcutt first aligned with personal branding after reading Tom Peters ‘Brand You 50’ in 1997. Now a sought after speaker and media resource he has been featured by Forbes, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Elle. He works with executives, managers and teams for leading Fortune 500 corporations.

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Is Your Personal Brand LINtastic?

February 22, 2012 By 3 Comments

My trip last weekend to keynote at Ball State University took me in to the heart of basketball country. Everywhere you looked there was connection to the game.

Coupled with this has been the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin over the past two weeks. A social media personal branding sensation.

It was a case of basketball, basketball, basketball! It truly has been LINsanity (he has just applied to trademark that phrase!).

There are a number of lessons from Jeremy’s LINtastic recent success that you can take and apply to your own personal brand;

1. Continue to play to your strengths.
Even though he was not picked up originally by an NBA team, dropped and relegated to minor leagues he still continued to play to his own set of strengths.

Personal Brand Lesson
It is important to understand your weaknesses and how they might impact on your brand. But if you spend all your time on them you draw attention to them and you will never get a weakness to a point of strength. Take the extra time and effort to leverage your strengths.

2. Be ready for the opportunity.
A number of injuries and poor results gave him another chance, just when the team were considering releasing him. His persistence paid off and now he has helped the team to win 8 of the last 10 games.

Personal Brand Lesson
In the new reality that is work today the next opportunity might come when you least expect it. You have to be ready. Once you have been given the chance make the most of it and be sure to give 110%. People will remember you for your hard work and results.

3. Be authentic, remember where you came from.
There have been his detractors, but Lin has remained humble and appreciative of the chance to play. Even crass (or just thoughtless) sports reporting he recognised as a mistake and accepted apologies.

Personal Brand Lesson
Your personal brand is who you are. It should not be some false image or manufactured personna. The temptation once you have found more success might be to conveniently forget the past. Remain true to who you are and recognise what got you where you are now.

What other lessons can you see and apply to your career and personal brand from the recent LINsanity?

Paul Copcutt first aligned with personal branding after reading Tom Peters ‘Brand You 50’ in 1997. Now a sought after speaker and media resource he has been featured by Forbes, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Elle. He works with executives, managers and teams for leading Fortune 500 corporations.

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Filed Under: Everything is a Brand, Personal Branding Quick Tips, Personal Branding Trends, Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Don’t Quit on Your Brand!

February 20, 2012 By 2 Comments

In the world of bicycle racing there are three letters on race results that racers dread - DNF - “Did not finish.” A DNF could be the result of a mechanical problem, an injury, or worse yet that evil voice inside your head telling you to just quit! Your legs are cramping, your head is pounding, and your lungs are burning. Pain has settled in and taken over. Before you know it, you pull of the course and give up.

The video above reminds us that “Pain is temporary, but quitting lasts forever.” Lance’s battle with cancer more so than his 7 Tour de France victories epitomizes this philosophy. Here was a cyclist in the prime of his career taken out by a fatal disease, and yet he had an unyielding focus to not quit. He simply refused to get that DNF in his race against cancer and he won.

4 Actions to Avoid Quitting on Your Brand

Personal branding is not a race and there is no finish line. However, in the face of pain it is possible to quit believing in our brands. Here are 4 actions you can take to quiet that evil voice telling you to quit.

1. Stay focused on your ‘Why’

Your vision, purpose, values, and passions energize you.  They are the bedrock of your brand and  remembering why you do what you do will always reinforce a strong belief in your unique promise of value.  Guy Kawasaki reminds us that purpose and passion ‘enchants’ others.  Your ‘Why’ is your brand differentiator and pulls people in. ‘What’ you do and ‘how’ you do it is likely the same or similar to many others. Simon Sinek refers to this as the ‘Golden Circle’ in his TED Talk and tells us that “People do not buy what you do, they buy why you do it.”  Keep your sights on the ‘Why’ and you will have that strength to power through the pain and pedal onward.

2. Be selectively famous

Personal branding guru William Arruda says that “personal branding is not about being famous, but rather about being selectively famous.” Focus on just the target audience who need to know you and avoid trying to be all things to everyone. This may seem counter-intuitive as you do not want to turn away possible business, but the more selective and targeted you are, the more focused you become and the more successful you will be. Spreading yourself too thin will begin to dilute your brand and your ‘Why’ will no longer be clear to those who are making decisions about you. Your passionate ’Why’ will transform into a painful ‘Why am I doing this?’ and the desire to quit will prevail.

3. Keep Your Goals to Yourself

To realize your ‘Why’, you need goals. So set your goals, make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound), write them down, post them in a place where you can see them every day, and internalize them. Then keep them to yourself and don’t tell anyone! Psychology tests have proven that the simple act of telling someone your goal makes it less likely to happen. Announcing your goal to others and receiving praise for it satisfies you just enough so that you are less motivated to do the hard work needed to complete your goal. Your goal now has a DNF!  Once you have actually achieved your goals then tell the world.

4. Thank Your Champions

A champion believe in you and your ‘Why.’  Of course fans, followers, and subscribers are important members of your brand community, but your leap of faith is not theirs as well. Your champion’s support runs deep. When that inevitable nagging voice inside your head is telling you to quit, your champion will remind you that your pain is temporary and you are riding on the right road to success. Whether your champion is your husband, wife, business partner, life partner, parent, teacher, or friend, make sure to thank them every day for believing in you and giving you the strength to continue riding down that road to follow your dream. The simple act of thanking them is a powerful force.

How have quieted that voice inside your head telling you to quit?  Share your comments below.

 

Peter Sterlacci, Founder of BeYB – Believe. Become. Be Your Brand, combines personal branding strategy with cycling imagery to empoweron-the-move careerists in global companies in Japan to shift gears, get out of the saddle, and sprint to career success


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Filed Under: Personal Branding Quick Tips, Sports, Strong Personal Brands Tagged With: , , , ,

Do You Love Your Personal Brand?

February 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

Happy Valentines Day!

Do you love YOU enough?

How often do you take time to reflect on your strengths?

I would quite confidently suggest very little. In my work with leaders and employees in Fortune 500 Companies the most under leveraged part of their personal brands are their core strengths.

Your core strengths are the things that you do so naturally and so well that you perform them almost sub-consciously. When I point out to someone that others have identified a particular strength in them they say

“Oh really, but I do that all the time!” – EXACTLY!

Many people are very poor at spending enough time on their own personal development. It might only be in their annual reviews that they do this. Those experiences are not always very positive ones. 5 minutes spent reviewing what you did well. Then 55 minutes spent on strategies to bring weaknesses up to, at best, an average level of performance.

Some may view this as either a little simplistic or harsh. Truth is that only 42% of North Americans believe that working mostly on their strengths will mean they are more successful. That drops to an alarming 24% of Japanese and Chinese.

Very often it is difficult for you to articulate your top strengths and how they might be reflected in your career to date. If you can identify those strengths, you are ahead of the game. And you will love yourself more!

You can also take this information and create your examples, or stories, around how you have used that strength in business situations. People love stories. They will be more likely to want to work with you and for you based on these emotional connections.

There are many other assessments and tests that can be taken to understand more about yourself. It is probably best to find one or two that resonate and make sense to you.

Another good personal brand exercise is to conduct a SWOT analysis – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats. In each area ask yourself these questions:

Strengths – what are my strengths, what do I have that is positive, that can help me achieve my goals?

Weaknesses – what are my weaknesses, where am I challenged the most?

Opportunities – if I was able to overcome those weaknesses and utlilise my strengths what will result for me? What is the upside?

Threats – what is the down side if I do not address those challenges?

It’s not just enough to be aware of your strengths. Take the time to discover if you have other hidden talents either through your own analysis or from the feedback of others – ideally both. The foundation of ALL strong brands are built in part on maximising strengths.

Paul Copcutt first aligned with personal branding after reading Tom Peters ‘Brand You 50’ in 1997. Now a sought after speaker and media resource he has been featured by Forbes, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Elle. He works with executives, managers and teams for leading Fortune 500 corporations.

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Your Brand Continues to Have Me After “Goodbye”

February 14, 2012 By 2 Comments

This is the second part of a 2-post series on tips for how to use your personal brand to make an awesome first impression and leave a memorable one.

What’s Your Brand’s Lasting Impression?

Just as we need to be aware of the first impression our personal brand makes when we walk into a room, we also need to think about the lasting impression we leave behind after we say “goodbye.” People will always make decisions about you after you leave the ‘real’ and ‘virtual’ rooms. Their decision to connect with you will be based on their emotional reaction from that very first meeting, but they will always later rationalize their decision based on the lasting impression you leave behind after you have left the room.

This reminds me of the famous ‘Elaine Dance’ from Seinfeld.

I am sure Elaine had hoped to leave a better impression then she did! Here are three tips for your personal brand to leave an awesome lasting impression and prevent the fallout from the Elaine Dance!

3 Tips to Leave Your Mark in the ‘Real’ and ‘Virtual’ World

1. Respond and give thanks sooner than later

A good rule to follow here is what I call the “24-hour rule.” Send an email within a day after leaving a ’real-world’ event to all the people you engaged with. Thank them for their time and even mention something that they shared with you. This shows you were listening and valued their contribution.

In your ‘virtual-world’ always thank someone for following you, mentioning a post you wrote/shared, retweeting your tweets, liking your Facebook page, or commenting on your blog. When others feel you have something valuable to share with members of their own community, show your appreciation and say thank you right away. Don’t put off sending your thanks until tomorrow when you can do it today!

 2. Give credit where credit is due

To this day I remember the President of a university I worked for telling me “Go ahead and copy my idea. Just give me credit for it!”

Nowadays, blogs, eBooks, and online portals have enabled any one of us to be ‘published’. For 2012 William Arruda sees personal publishing as an important trend for demonstrating thought leadership and extending your personal brand. It is now more important than ever to share the resources where you have gained your insight, tools, and knowledge. For example, “I picked up some great tips from Reach’s ‘The Personal Branding Blog’ so check it out this link.” or “My personal branding approach uses Reach’s proven 1-2-3 Success methodology.” In your social media channels always refer to the source of the tweet, post, or video you are sharing.

3. Ask yourself if you are ‘on-brand’ or ‘off-brand’

Is what you are about to say or do going to support your brand or potentially damage it? Elaine’s memorable dance on that Seinfeld episode is a perfect example of why you need to be aware of your actions!  You might be a thought leader in your field, but a insulting comment or ‘Elaine dance’ at a networking event could leave a mark that you do not want to be remembered for.

In the virtual world you leave digital footprints behind you. Mind what you say in your blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates, and comments on sites. Personal publishing may be an effective way to leave a lasting impression, but it is also important to realize that once you do publish something online, it is available for the world to see.  You cannot take it back. Even if you remove it or sweep it under the digital carpet, it is likely that someone has already seen it and shared it.

You may have worked very hard on building a lasting impression online, but all it takes is one bad comment or photo tagged of you to show up on the first page of your search results to change everyone’s opinion of you. Use the “grandmother test” – if you wouldn’t want your grandmother to see or hear it, then don’t share it!.  Instead share the things that support your brand and would make your grandmother proud.

Do you have any other tips to leave a lasting impression?  Share your ideas below.

Peter Sterlacci, Founder of BeYB – Believe. Become. Be Your Brand, combines personal branding strategy with cycling imagery to empower on-the-move careerists in global companies in Japan to shift gears, get out of the saddle, and sprint to career success

 

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Filed Under: Everything is a Brand, Expressing Your Brand, Personal Branding Quick Tips, Strong Personal Brands Tagged With: , ,

Personal Branding is Like Taking the Stairs – There Are Always Easier Options

February 9, 2012 By Leave a Comment

When you walk in to the lobby of a tall office building, often you will see the sign for the stairs. But does that sign say enough to make you ignore the elevators and walk the stairs?

Chance are no. Unless you are still sticking to a new years resolution!

But if you saw the sign above, chances are by over 35%, that you would. Even 9 months after the sign was first posted. This is what researchers in New York found after placing a few of these around the city.

So if something that simple can cause that type of re-action and continued action, what can you be saying about yourself that might get the same result?

One immediately obvious place would be your business card.

Rather than say Accountant. What re-action might you get if it were to say – Honest assessment. Accurate results – Accountant?

Or better still, include one of your emotional attributes.

Honest assessment. Accurate results. Fun approach. – Accountant.

When communicating your personal brand it’s important to reflect the real you, after all it’s going to be the reason why people want to hire you, work with you and for you. The fact you can perform great tax returns is a given. If you have a little fun too – that’s the difference.

Paul Copcutt first aligned with personal branding after reading Tom Peters ‘Brand You 50’ in 1997. Now a sought after speaker and media resource he has been featured by Forbes, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Elle. He works with executives, managers and teams for leading Fortune 500 corporations.

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Your Brand Had Me at “Hello”

February 8, 2012 By 2 Comments

This is the first part of a 2-post series on tips for how to use your personal brand to make an awesome first impression and leave a memorable one.

What’s Your Brand’s First Impression?

Does your personal brand capture others at “Hello” when you enter a room? We all probably remember that infamous scene in the movie Jerry Maguire when Dorthy interrupts Jerry as he is professing his love to her and says, “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello. You had me at hello.”

I often recall this scene when I remind my clients that their personal brands help to capture people’s attention and send off a powerful first impression. Whether you are interviewing for a job, meeting potential clients and partners at a networking event, or even commenting on someone’s blog, how you use your brand to say “hello” and engage others will provide the differentiation you need to stand out.  The first impression you make goes a long way towards defining how others perceive you, and remember, we don’t get a second chance to make a first impression!

3 Tips to Make Your Mark Offline and Online

1. Maintain eye contact

In the real world we need to look people in the eye at first meeting and maintain good eye contact throughout the discussion. Especially at a networking event, once you are engaged in a chat don’t let your eyes wander towards the person at the other end of the room you really want to be talking with. Keep your focus on the person in front of you until you find a polite way to move on.

We maintain eye contact in the virtual world with our professional head shot – one that has a full view of your face, eyes, and smile!  Use Gravatar to link your head shot to the avatar that shows up when you comment on other’s blog. And don’t be an “egg head” on Twitter! Nobody wants to engage with an egg or a silhouette image.

2. Seek first to understand…

…rather than to be undersood! Too often we get caught up with proving our brand to others by boasting about our credentials, experience, ability, and skills. Our personal brands speak for themselves, so let your brand do the talking!  When meeting people, be the first to ask questions and find a common ground. Listen actively to what others have to say by acknowledging their input and responding sincerely.

Even in the virtual world we need to be listeners. Social media channels are a wealth of insight, ideas, and thought leadership.  Use an 80/20 rule – maximize 80% of your time as a listener and 20% as a talker. By following this rule, the contribution you eventually make will give off an impression of value to your target audience.

3.  Use people’s names and personalize your connections

What’s in a name? EVERYTHING!  People like to hear their own names so make an extra effort to use someone’s names in every interaction. After leaving a chat, thank the other person for their time -  “It’s been great talking with you Peter.”  When commenting on a blog use the person’s name and recognize their contribution before giving your comment – “Thank you Peter for this great post.  I really agree with what you said about…  I often feel that…,”.  A great way to personalize your request is to avoid the standard canned request when connecting with others on LinkedIn. By making your request personal it will demonstrate your sincere interest in connecting with that specific person rather than simply increasing the number of connections you have.

Stay tuned for my next post where I will share 3 tips to leave a lasting impression!

 

Peter Sterlacci, Founder of BeYB – Believe. Become. Be Your Brand, combines personal branding strategy with cycling imagery to empower on-the-move careerists in global companies in Japan to shift gears, get out of the saddle, and sprint to career success.

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Filed Under: Exuding Your Brand, Personal Branding Quick Tips, Strong Personal Brands Tagged With: , , , ,

Is Your Personal Brand Stepping Out of it’s Comfort Zone?

January 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While waiting for his owner to return from some local shopping, Bernard here knows where his boundaries are and he is not going to stray at all, he has become too comfortable in his surroundings. Of course perhaps he knows (or has experienced) that if he were to jump out of the back of the truck he might be placing himself in danger.

Unfortunately, at work, this is something we are all a little guilty of. Perhaps on occasion, it’s not going to be life threatening, we need to take a risk or two and leap out of our comfort zone – or maybe just a gentle step will do.

Three simple things to consider as a way to step out of your personal brand comfort zone at work;

1. Bring a little more of your personality to work. Choose something from home that you are passionate about or that means a lot to you and add it to your desk, cubicle or office space. Perhaps a favourite picture, photo or desk ornament.

2. Consider adding a piece of jewellery or favourite coloured accessory and making it a regular part of your wardrobe. It does not all have to be navy and black.

3. Identify a skill or strength that you are well known for, that you have a reputation for delivering on consistently and mention it in your outgoing voicemail message. If you pride yourself on returning calls promptly, say so in your voicemail. BUT if you are not good at getting back to people do not date your voicemail either!

What can you be doing with your personal brand to step out of your comfort zone?

Paul Copcutt first aligned with personal branding after reading Tom Peters ‘Brand You 50’ in 1997. Now a sought after speaker and media resource he has been featured by Forbes, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and Elle. He works with executives, managers and teams for leading Fortune 500 corporations.

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Filed Under: Employee Brand Activation, Expressing Your Brand, Personal Branding for Careers, Personal Branding Quick Tips Tagged With: , , ,
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