The Personal Branding Blog: William Arruda and the Reach-Certified Personal Branding Strategists

Start Being Visible and Valuable in One Minute

Time is a scarcity.  We’re moving, receiving, listening, answering and engaging at speeds faster than ever before.  Have you ever watched a video longer than one minute and become impatient?  Proof positive that we must accelerate to even participate!

The Value of One Minute
To realize
The value of one minute:
Ask a person
Who has missed  the train, bus or plane.

In less than one minute, we make a lasting first impression.  The AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) publishes that it happens in the first 7 to 15 seconds.  We make judgments on education, social economic status and intelligence.

Here are 9 ways to exude and engage your brand in a way that makes you viable when your visible and engages others to speak positively on your behalf.

9 interactions that happen in a minute (and getting good at them)

1.  Become good at introductions.  Know what you do and who you do it well with.  In less than a minute, you must be good at answering the question “what do you do” (without using  your title – the person that can explain it and connect the dots for others is seen as engaging and confident as opposed to the person who throws out the title with presumptions and assumptions). Yet, keep it short and then ask them “what is it you do”?  Focus on them, utilize a FORMULA for conversations and you’ll be remembered as a great conversationalist. 

2.  Become good at answering the question – what have you been up to lately?  What can you say that will really shine the most positive light on who you are?  Answer that question before you’re asked and when you quickly respond and turn it back to them – you’ll be memorable.

3.  As you engage others, keep in mind the question – “what can I do to make you feel as important as I think you are.”  This is about being genuine so make sure you are engaging, connecting with those whom you would really like to know.  And, keep in mind that they are tuned into the radio station WIIFM (What’s in it for me?) so engage them in a way that answers that question.

4.  Get good command of your body language. It’s true eye contact, a firm handshake, dress for inclusion (look like you belong where you are and at the position you hold or desire) –speak volumes for you. 

5.  Get good command of your voice.  Even with one-on-one conversations, “Ummms, you knows, stuff like that, what’s his name, whatever” along with the overuse of “awesome, amazing, cool, excellent, delighted” detract from any positive impact you may be making.  Like swimming, you must practice and ‘do it’ and not just read about how to get better at this. 

6.  Get good at remembering people’s names, information and interests.  People really talk positively about people who notice and value them.

7.  Be up to speed on techno-etiquette.  Much as we are time-deprived, refrain from texting in the middle of a conversation with someone (or reading a text or email).  In less than a minute, it’s speaking volumes that “there might be something more important than you here – let me check”. Silence your phone in meetings and keep it “on your person”.  In your hand you can silence a vibration or leave the room if necessary.  Do not answer a call in room when someone else is talking or presenting – talk about garnering an impression of being “rude” instantly.

Use an email signature with your contact information on there.  It reflects poorly on you if someone wants to call you and they cannot even find your phone number on the bottom of your email. Refrain from being the person of “a thousand links”.  Keep one or two active links on your email signature and your social network links and you’re good.  Keep an up to date signature and you’re great!

8.  Leave helpful messages.  The person that says “it’s me” or “call me” loses.  Start with your phone number then: helpful piece of information or call to action; how to avoid telephone tag or what to do next and best number to call you at and time. 

9.  Say thank you.  At the end of an email, transaction, contact, or conversation, always say thank you.  It can be as simple as “thank you for this meeting” or to “I appreciate you taking this moment to listen” or “I’m grateful that we’ve met”.  The person who takes it one step further and reduces it down to writing (nothing elaborate – a fast note dropped in the mail will be remembered) will stand out.  And, while electronic thank you’s are great – physical ones beat them all and personal ones create the most positive memories.

I know – not rocket science – at all.  Yet, there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing.  Knowledge is not power, applied knowledge is.  What will you apply today?

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:

Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach is co-founder of #brandchat, a weekly conversation on Twitter.  Join us weekly as we discuss company and personal brands!

Credibility and Profitability Start with Visibility

Classy. Conan O’Brien’s final evening with NBC he spoke directly to the audience sharing with them that on this last night he could speak in whatever manner he wanted to about the network with no ramifications.  After the last show, he was then in a legal agreement to not say any disparaging remarks about the network.  He literally had a “get out of jail free” card to say whatever nasty, anger felt, ugly remark he wanted to say about the network and this huge debacle they created.

Instead, he shared how he had spent most of his adult working life with the network.  From beginning as a writer with Saturday Night Live to this last moment on the Tonight Show, he shared with great sincerity and transparency that he felt great gratitude for NBC.  “It’s every comedian’s dream to host The Tonight Show and I’ve done it for 7 months – I’ve lived my dream for 7 months”, O’Brien shared.  He expressed heartfelt appreciation for the rallies, the kindness and the support from fans.  Almost brought to tears, he shared his disbelief that they stood in the “pouring rain” to support him and attend these final shows.  Then, speaking to the young people watching, he looked directly to the camera and said (paraphrasing)“do not be cynical – it’s the trait I like the least.  I have lived my dream.  If you work hard and be kind, amazing things will happen.”

Wow.  How many of us can depart with such class and professionalism?

I was never a fan of Conan’s on his “Late Night Show” but it was always on after Jay Leno so I listened in as I finished up my day and tasks.  The move to the Tonight Show and then now this has brought the “who” behind the comedian out and I am solidly impressed.  The man emerged last night – victorious in showing the world his wonderful, caring personal brand.

How many of us can leave or have left like that?

Leaving employment, a business, a client, a relationship always comes with some sort of emotion.  Some of us leave gracefully, some quietly and some with great fire “burning bridges” all the way.  One of my top five personal brand attributes is passion.  It’s my strength and as a professional speaker it’s the energy that draws in, feeds and sustains my audience.  Yet, any strength taken to the extreme becomes a weakness.  I’m fiery and passionate so when I leave I lean towards the “bridge burning” because it fits my style.  It’s something that I’ve worked on redirecting in a way that lets my great passion show in a way that is productive.

Do you leave well?

You hear that any publicity is good publicity.  We all have to deal with negative situations at some time – yet, we don’t have to create them.  Leaving any endeavor, thing or person, we become “more visible” at a time when we don’t want to be visible.  Our personal brand can shine or be tarnished and we are the ones that walk away with that label when it’s all said and done.  How can you ensure in this “moment of fame”, this very visible moment, that the sampling of your character and competence is on brand?

• Know your personal brand – when you know it you can manage it.  If you’re quiet (which might come across as snobbish or self-centered), know that and how you can manage that in engaging with people.  If you’re fiery (like me), manage it.  (i.e.  I write when I’m angry or want to say something to someone, then with great effort, I set that writing aside for 24 hours and read it again.  Sometimes “talking” to the paper is all I need to get my mind around what to do next.  And, yes, it takes great effort not to hit “send” because every bone in my body wants to send it at that exact, passionate moment.)
• Keep in mind you really never know when you’ll pass this way again.  Building a bridge that you’ve burned is one of the most humbling and difficult thing to do.
• You never know who someone is, who they will become or who they influence.  In Conan’s case, the screen world is ladened with deep connections.  Would you refer someone who publicly left  their last network in a public “huff” or would you take a chance knowing that if something happened, at least, it would be dignified?  While saying what’s on your mind, might feel good, does it really “inspire others to speak positively on your behalf”?

At this highly visible moment, what are they sampling in your character and competence?  I hope that they find a professionalism and brand that keeps them coming back for more.

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:

Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach is co-founder of #brandchat, a weekly conversation on Twitter.  Join us weekly as we discuss company and personal brands!

Are You A Trust Agent?

In a recent interview with Mohammed Al-Taee, I made the point that career management is already personal brand management, but that the next challenge is that “each of us needs to become, as Chris Brogan and Julien Smith have pointed out, a trust agent." But what exactly does it take to be a trust agent?

In their brilliant book, Brogan and Smith have established a framework for building trust that is comprised of the following six constellations of behaviors:

• Make Your Own Game. Trust agents are typically "gate jumpers" or "hackers" who are able to find ways be original and to stand out.

• One of Us. They are able to relate to a specific community that comes to see them as belonging, and therefore more credible. 


• The Archimedes Effect. They know how to leverage relationships and resources to expand opportunities and influence. 


• Agent Zero. They are typically at the center of wide and powerful networks, and often use their influence to help others connect. 


• Human Artist. Trust agents have polished interpersonal skills and understand people; they know how to work well with, and empower others. 


• Build Armies. They also know how to bring people together to accomplish more than they could possibly do alone.

In that interview, I also noted that increasingly success will not be based on one-way communications about one’s brand, but two-way conversations inside communities of shared interest, i.e., brand communities – both online and in person-to-person situations.

Fortunately, many of the behaviors that Brogan and Smith describe are consistent with what we typically recommend for extracting, expressing, and exuding one’s brand. Yet, it’s clear that building trust requires ongoing engagement. So much so that it seems to me that having a clear brand with solid messages is baseline. Taking steps to establish your reputation as a trust agent takes you to the next level.

What do you think?

Cross-posted at Threshold Consulting.

Auld Aquaintances Forgotten and Never Brought to Mind?

This week we celebrated the end of 2009 and welcomed in a new decade.  From private parties and entire city celebrations to safe home celebrations, we all have our own way of saying “goodbye to 2009”.  Somewhere in the activities you were bound to hear the song “Auld Lang Syne”.  It’s an old Scottish poem meaning “times gone by”.  So, should we forget acquaintances from times gone by?  Not if we hope to be successful in the new decade.

Extracting your brand is important.  Expressing it in a way that is authentic to your personal strengths is vital.  Yet, without cultivating and nurturing your acquaintances then who and how will anyone know of you or your brand attributes?

Starting 2010 right

First, if you don’t know your brand attributes and if you have not taken the time or effort to develop a communication for your brand – then do that first.  Having a great communication plan makes no difference if you don’t have a strong brand message or understand your unique promise of value.

Second, clean out your database. All of the people in your contact list or whatever program you use to house people’s contact information needs to be reviewed.  People change jobs, get married, get divorced, move or get iphones and change their numbers!  Clean your existing database and make it your focus to add all those additional business cards to your database and get rid of that clutter!  Business card scanners, a neat receipt scanner and even a virtual assistant can help get this done quickly.

Next, decide who and how you would like to stay connected with your contacts. Not sure who, maybe starting with the basic 18 connections you need to be successful would give a basic structure to who to put on your immediate list of contacts.

Why stay connected?

You never know who someone is, who they’ll become or who they influence.  Staying in relationship with people will make you memorable since common behavior is to lose contact and only rekindle that connection when you need something. Yet, the sincerity of the connection will determine how you nurture, develop and motivate that relationship.  Relationships with people are vital to any of our success plans – personally and professionally.  You are built by your associations – more than you know.

Keeping touch with acquaintances

Now, that we're just a few days into 2010, it’s time for you to make some decisions.  What worked for you in 2009?  Where do you want to be in 2010?

    * Could it be that you want to create a community?
    * Start a Twitter chat?
    * Create a Facebook Fan Page?
    * Become better at networking and follow-up skills?
    * Craft a system to stay in touch?
    * Better organize your contact list?
    * Begin a blog?
    * Start a eNewsletter?
    * Begin a vlog?

What will you do differently to make those things you want happen? Make a list of what you want to happen.  Write specifically “how” or what aspects would make you feel successful.  After writing that list, take each item and break it down into 7 actionable steps.  Start crafting a plan to take specific actions that will make your goals inevitable.

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:

Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach. Share your greatest personal branding challenge in the Brand NOT Brag Contest to win a strategic 5-point personalized plan to create positive word of mouth for you!

Said the Little Lamb to the Shepherd Boy - Do You Hear What I Hear?

I just read my favorite personal branding post of 2009, “Could Santa be the Strongest Brand?” Very much in keeping with the season and loaded with sound personal branding advice, the author, William Arruda, shares that to manage your strong personal brand you must:

1. Stand out
2. Be consistent
3. Create an emotional connection
4. Remain visible to your target audience
5. Surround yourself with brand evangelist who will carry the message for you

Focus on doing these five elements of Santa’s brand model and you, too, will manage your personal brand and compel others to speak positively on your behalf!  Word of mouth, above all else, builds credibility.  And, ‘buzz’ does not create brand evangelists, brand evangelists create buzz.

In keeping with that festive and thought provoking theme, let's focus on remaining visible to our target audience and surrounding ourselves with brand evangelists.

Creating evangelists means that we have visibility and credibility with someone;  established a solid know, like and trust factor with them; and moved, touched or inspired them to speak positively on your behalf.

'Tis the season, so my thoughts focus on my favorite Christmas melody - the song "Do you hear what I hear?"  To me, it's the perfect example of how word of mouth spreads with the message borrowing from each person's credibility and being portable enough to pass along from person to person.

• Is your brand portable? 
• Can others explain what you do, who you are, or what your super power is succinctly and clearly?
• More importantly...can you?

When you can do so and teach or model for others how and what to speak about when they are describing your brand you have a something that can be passed one person to the next. Much like the Telephone Game (a popular children's activity) they will add their own "credibility" to the message, their own "spin" and transport it far beyond who you could ever personally reach.

Add Web 2.0 to the mix and I see many gurus teach individuals that they are more searchable by placing keywords on the title of their Twitter page, in their Twitter handle or to title their Facebook page.  Sadly, I see many Realtors, solopreneurs, up and coming executives and small business owners struggle with this.  And, while SEO is powerful - I believe that word of mouth is even more powerful.

For this post, I'll focus on Facebook.  Here's what we know:

• Facebook business pages rank high in the search engines and typically show up on the front page of a Google search
• Facebook pages are visible to the public (available to non-facebook users, unlike personal profiles which are seen by members only)

Here's what you can do:

It makes more sense to name your Facebook business page with your name and laden the content on the page with all of the highly searched terms that are authentically a part of your brand.You want your name to show on the first three pages of Google – not some keyword or highly searchable term.  And, whatever business you are with - people will look for you by name.

Second, use your photo.  This advertising practice holds true, people are drawn to pictures.  If you want someone to look at your ad, put a picture in it.  Pictures are worth a thousand words so be sure it’s clear, focused and the background and what you’re wearing truly reflect your brand.

Here are some other thoughts that came up when we discussed this very topic on #brandchat, a weekly Twitter chat I moderate focused on all aspects of branding.

neilmckenzphoto: Photo for personal service, logo for product oriented company.
neilmckenzphoto: How many solopreneur logos can you remember?
andrewmueller: As a Solopreneur use a photo of You, You are the Brand and most important to create relationships, Logo is insignificant.

Even for executives, when people connect with you the relationship is with you.  And, while your company benefits from your personal brand powerfully contributing to the corporate brand promise, your brand and your connections are yours.  They go with you.  How often have we seen this evident in companies, board of directors and even non-profit organizations?

Third, identify six people that you would like to deepen your relationship with who you either have great credibility with; or they've given you great testimony; or they're a wonderful customer who could become an advocate. Connect with them online by interacting in the social networks where they are. 

Word of mouth is powerful to any brand.  Whether you believe or not, there was a great teacher, long ago, who spread his message through and with twelve people and from that twelve he changed the world! What could you do for your business or career with... six?

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:  Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach. Share your greatest personal marketing challenge in the buzz bash contest to win a strategic 5-point personalized plan to create buzz for you!

Personal Branding Predictions: Top 10 for 2010

Every year since I founded my company, Reach, in 2001, I've made predictions about how the world of personal branding will evolve in the coming year. Here are my top 10 for 2010.

1. Video, Video, Video

Thanks to greater bandwidth, cheaper storage, and a proliferation of products and services that make shooting, storing, viewing, and sharing video easy (Flip video, iPhone 3GS, YouTube, vimeo, blip.tv, vodpod, etc.), video will be king in 2010.

Video is ideal because it allows careerists to deliver a complete communication and convey their personality—a critical component of branding. More services like videoBIO (a Reach Personal Branding partner) will make it easier to cost-effectively build a powerful and positive brand image using video.

2. Hiring Process

Companies will be hiring brands rather than employees. They will use social networks and Google to source talent, filter candidates, and validate credentials.

"What's your brand?" will become as standard an interview question as "Tell me about yourself." Google is already a main reference check in the job-search process. Hiring managers and executive recruiters expect serious professionals to have a powerful online identity. Google and other social media will be an even greater part of the talent-search process.

As the number of candidates for each open position increases, Google and social media will be used more often to eliminate candidates. Lack of a virtual identity or poor-quality online content will prevent you from getting the job, regardless of your credentials, connections, and experience. In 2010, if you don't show up in Google, you don't exist!

3. Branded Partners

Often more traditional in their approach to marketing and delivering their services, professional-services firms (accounting, law, consulting, etc.) are going to jump on the "brandwagon" with reckless abandon in 2010.

Two years ago, I started working with the partners of one of the Big Four accounting firms, helping them build their brands. In the past year, two of the other three firms contacted me about doing something similar.

That trend is going to increase with big law firms, consulting organizations, and other professional-services firms joining the fold.

It's a no-brainer: For professional-services firms, people are the product. But those firms (often, private partnerships) can be slow to innovate. In 2010, personal branding will be integrated into all levels in a firm—from hiring through becoming partner.

4. For-Credit Courses

Personal branding is a critical part of preparing students for successful careers.

Over the past year, I have worked with the career-services and alumni groups at many universities. Interest in personal branding will grow tremendously in universities, and for-credit courses in personal branding will be available as part of business programs and as electives.

With the jobless recovery and fewer job openings for college students, schools will focus more on helping students succeed beyond academics to find the perfect job. You will see more collaboration between university career-services organizations and academic departments as schools start to understand their role in preparing students to obtain jobs, not just skills.

5. Unified Search

We are already seeing many new services, such as addictomatic.com, that combine search results from many different search engines.

Such tools will become more common while Google, Bing, Yahoo, and other search engines will combine traditional search results with real-time content (from tools such as Twitter) and video results—making searching easier and more accurate.

Those who are building their personal brands will need to use various tools to ensure their visibility is positive and pervasive.

6. Video Search

With the huge growth in video on the Web (see prediction No. 1), we will start to see more sophisticated search capabilities within videos.

Currently, most search tools use titles and meta-tags to evaluate the video content to include in search results. That will change—making video the most powerful tool for brand-building.

Already, powerful image-recognition and search capabilities are being added to Google and incorporated into Bing. Video is next. That trend will affect what we say in the videos we produce. We will manage that content just as we do written content to ensure search-engine optimization (SEO).

7. Increased Efficiency

One of the biggest complaints I hear about social media is "I just don't have time to update my status or post to my blog."

New services are available to make the process of maintaining your brand online quicker, more efficient, and more integrated. Tools such as KnowEm, HelloTxt, and png.fm help you build your personal brand on the Web in less time and with less effort.

Those tools, along with custom personal-branding services, will make it easier to build and maintain a strong Web presence. Expect new tools that are integrated into the communications tools you currently use (such as email) to become available.

8. Personal SEO

Companies have departments to manage their websites and optimize them for Google, Yahoo, and Bing. SEO is a huge business, and it's critical to companies. Some statistics indicate that most Web searchers never go beyond the initial search results page of a Google search.

SEO is just as important to people who are looking to build their brands. Of course, most of us cannot afford to have a full-time SEO expert on staff. That's why companies such as QAlias and PeoplePond have sprung up. Their services are great for career-minded professionals—especially those who have a common name or share their name with a celebrity. More such tools will become available and popular  in 2010.

9. Digital Dirt Elimination

As Google results affect more aspects of our lives (getting a job, a loan, a date, etc.), people will engage firms such as ReputationDefender, Defend My Name, and Online Reputation Manager to eliminate digital dirt.

Such services are becoming more popular and will become as commonplace for job seekers as resume-writing or career-coaching services.

10. Permanent Mindset Shift

The confluence of Web 2.0 technologies and today's economic climate due to the subprime mortgage meltdown has changed the way we think about our careers.

The "jobless recovery" has hastened the new mindset that is taking hold in career-minded professionals. Even Boomers and Gen Xers, who grew up with some job security and a sense of company loyalty, are starting to feel the independence and freedom that is part of the new free-agent employment contract.

I have talked about the importance of managing your own career for a long time. Current economic forces and technological advances will finally solidify the mindset shift that will make that the norm.

As we start to think of ourselves as companies of one, we will be more likely and more comfortable outsourcing activities related to our personal brands—building a management team to help us achieve our professional goals.

William Arruda is a personal-branding consultant and speaker, founder of Reach Personal Branding, and coauthor of Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand (www.careerdistinction.com). Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/williamarruda.

Article originally posted at MarketingProfs on December 15, 2009

Holidays Are a Great Time for Brand You

In the United States, Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching with Christmas already trying to "beat it out of the gate" as signs of trees, wreaths and lights already adorn retail shops and even several homes.

We are about to embark upon the season of the "grip, grin and graze".  Yes, it's that time of year for family gatherings around a Thanksgiving meal quickly followed by Christmas parties, holiday happenings, big end of the year networking events, and holiday office parties.

It's a time for great connection and relationship building and it's also a time for great mistakes.  Remember, whose throwing the party and do monitor your alcohol intake.

If you’re prepared, this time of the year is where you can shine. And, the keyword in that statement is preparation.

Being prepared for family

Chances are that family members really have no idea who you are and what you do.  You are either Aunt Edna's little girl or cousin Cheryl's sister.  And, often we're amazed when a family member or close friend knows someone who we wanted to meet, talk to, be connected with, interview, or associate with.  Family members are often "brand advocates" and we never see them that way. 

The same goes for co-workers.  There was a woman who was gathering research and information on a company that she was about to embark on a project with.  And, it wasn't until she began the project that she learned their own company receptionist knew the President of the company since high school.

Too often our discussions around the holiday table are of troubles and hardships we've experienced over the last year.  And, top of mind, is the current challenge that we are facing.  Why not use this time, not as a moment to wallow together in the pit of misery.  Rather, to assist with connections, resources, or a provider that can be helpful to them.  Spend the season honing your listening skills and you will be more than "so and so's daughter" in the minds of family.

What do you do about the office or business gatherings?

First, be the host.
No, I don't mean to host every gathering.  What I mean is "act as if" you were the host by knowing important pieces of information like - where's the bathroom?  Where are the drinks and the hors d'oeuvres?  If you can answer those questions, as well as welcome people as they arrive and share the location of the drinks and food- you will be remembered, even in a large group of people.

Second, have a quick answer for “what do you do?”
It’s one of the most asked questions at any gathering and the one least listened to. It’s more of a courtesy ask then it is a true question. So, your answer needs to focus on one of your unique strengths, not a title, and you’ll stand out. Titles tend to box us into whatever that other person’s experience is with that title and we want to remove any barriers to connection especially those from preconceived perceptions. For me I would say, “I connect people online and offline.” The second part of that answer is to ask a question, “so what do you do” or “what do you enjoy doing?” It is a good thing to be seen as a good conversationalist or communicator. People value people who value them. And, the best way to do that is to listen.

Ask questions and listen. If they do most of the talking and you do most of the listening, then you will be considered a good conversationalist and they’ll even tell other people you are!

Third, you need to develop a good answer to “what’s up” or “how have you been doing.” This is the second most asked question and “winging it” usually leaves us saying something like “been busy”, “nothing much”, “good” or “can’t complain.” Spending the time to prepare this answer can make the difference between you being like everyone else, or you shining in your 15 seconds of fame! Think of something that you recently did or are doing that really highlights one of your brand attributes. For example, I would say “I just wrote an article for The Personal Branding Blog teaching people how to make profitable connections at holiday gatherings. And, what’s been happening with you?”

Being ready with a good answer that shines on your personal brand and then engaging another in conversation with a question is a great start to be visible at any gathering. Visibility is the first step to inspiring others to speak positively about you and garnering positive word of mouth!

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:  Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach focused on helping you move, touch and inspire others to action and speak positively on your behalf at buzz2bucks | word of mouth firm

YOU Can't Handle The Truth About Personal Branding

 

For me the video below is a well thought out and put together dig at what I have been seeing an explosion of this year and what is concerning me most about personal branding. Lack of depth and authenticity. It is what is causing so many online commentators to rant about it's shallowness, lack of substance, affront to the word branding, an attack on the profession of marketing etc etc.

I am certainly not claiming to be the perfect example of a personal brand, far from it, in fact is there really anyone that could lay claim to such? We are all evolving our brands and as technology advances our approaches change with it.  But the point about the technology available to us is that it is a tool to help us communicate our personal brands in new ways, to more people - IT IS NOT PERSONAL BRANDING IN OF ITSELF.

 

In the last few months I have found myself commenting on more blog posts, more tweets on twitter and generally having more discussions about personal branding. Not because, like some others, I am just trying to associate my name with the term and get hailed as the next new media douche bag, but because I firmly believe this is a bona fide approach to career management - dare I say even life direction and focus - ultimately meaning greater personal satisfaction and positive impact with others.

It is what I did in a corporate career that spanned banking to biotech - two subjects in which I have very little formal qualifications, it is what I have done in helping numerous, similarly very capable, people achieve in industries and roles that otherwise they might not have been considered for and what I do not for employees inside some of North America's largest corporations.

Perhaps what I am doing right now is exactly what Kelly Stewart is 'having a go' at - I think not - but can YOU handle the truth about personal branding? Let me know what you think.

Cross posted on Reflections of a Square Peg blog.

Is it Fun to Be Your Brand Advocate?

Much of the time we talk about ways to be connected, referred, recommended and advocated for.  From logistics, strategy and tactics, there are many valuable tips and posts!  Yet, there’s a basic question that we often fail to address and that is….am I fun to advocate for?

When someone speaks positively on your behalf, engages their contact sphere, and lends their credibility to you to move and inspire their connections to action….do you make it fun for them?

I don’t mean gifts, contests or giveaways or even a ‘happy dance’ on their behalf.  What do I mean by fun?  I mean to you make it enjoyable to them. Does advocating for you shine a light of positive energy on them?  Do you make it easy?  How do you make them feel?  After all, they are the one risking everything on your behalf.

The following goes for career transitions, too.  It’s not just close friends and contacts – being fun to advocate for also applies to those who recommend you or approve of you in one step up to a promotion, position or project.

Are you fun?

Be timely. If someone opens a door for you, then you must be ready to go through that door swiftly.  Delays or, worse yet, just plain forgetting to follow through only stops someone from advocating for you again.

Be genuine. Someone advocates for you on Twitter with a great #FollowFriday shout out and so many of their followers begin to follow you and as they do they receive a spammy auto-response direct message saying “thanks for the follow – check out my ebook at http://somepromostuff”. Or, on LinkedIn, someone advocates and connects you with one of their connections – so you send an invite to that person with the wording “since you’re someone that I trust.  I would like to connect with you” and you have not even met this person.  Those all feel false and will leave the contacts of your advocate with a negative feeling that will only reflect poorly on the person who spoke positively for you.

Be on brand. Be who that person who advocated for you said you are.  Do not change for someone else yet be the best version of your personal brand.  Someone advocating for you is looking for their words to align with their contact’s experience with you.
Midland Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Speak positively about who advocated for you. This is not the time to tell stories of embarrassing moments or to express “finally he connected us together – I’ve only asked for this for months now”. When someone advocates for you, it is your job to make sure that the entire experience makes them look good to their connection – after all they are risking their reputation for you.

Provide feedback. Let them know how the connection is going or how everything turned out.  Not knowing how something is going or feeling excluded, can leave someone feeling devalued or even taken advantage of.  If you’ve made contact with their contact, let them know.  If their contact is traveling and unavailable, let them know that, too.  Keep them in the loop and they will feel right about advocating for you again.

No stalking. Do not stalk who they are connecting you with nor stalk the person who did the advocating for you.  If their contact is unavailable, for any reason, let the person who advocated for you know just in case they might have additional information or can intercede in your behalf.  Then, the ball is in their court, so to speak.  Do not stalk them by leaving them with the feeling of obligation or regret that they wish they would of never advocated for you.

Be grateful. Not enough people say thank you and there is so much to be thankful for when someone advocates for you.

The feeling you want to leave them with is that it was fun to advocate for you, it made them look and feel good and it’s definitely something they would do again.

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:  Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach focused on helping you move, touch and inspire others to action and speak positively on your behalf at buzz2bucks | word of mouth firm

When Does Appreciating Lead to Advocating?

Gratitude seems to be a rare or discounted commodity. In our time deprived, hyper-connected world, we may text a quick “thx” or smiley face and go on our way.  And, practices like that make us like everyone else – just average.

How do you stand out in someone’s mind? How do you engage and inspire them to speak positively on your behalf?  You must be more than average for anyone to step out, risk their reputation and advocate for you.

Today’s busy schedules often leave little time for enriching people’s lives – our own included. Connecting can occur because of a sense of obligation to recognize important events, or it can simply result from an act that we’re grateful for. Sometimes one person connecting with another will set off a boomerang effect of gratitude and reaching out!

As a brand, we want to be visible. It is necessary before being memorable, engaged or advocated for.  A recent study by the Greeting Card Association, found that only 3% of Americans send thank you notes or cards. Imagine if you incorporate gratitude into your personal brand communication plan. When does appreciating lead to advocating?

Appreciating, acknowledging and advocating

 1.     When it’s personal
Anytime that someone assists you, supports you, advocates for you – then send a thank you note.  Make this an important part of your daily brand communication plan. Your notes do not have to be long.  In fact, three sentences in a handwritten note and handwritten envelope will be most impactful!  Just make sure those three sentences are very personal to whatever you’re thanking them for.

2.    When it’s sincere
Be sincere and authentic in your thank you (anything else will smell like a hidden agenda that anyone will steer clear of.)

3.    When it’s timely
Saying ‘thank you’ at anytime is appreciated – especially since there are so few who actually engage in saying or documenting gratitude.  Yet, when it’s in a timely fashion it’s more effective and memorable.  It’s more about how genuine it feels to the other instead of feeling it was done out of obligation.

 4.    When it’s organic – not expected
This applies to so many more interactions than expressions of gratitude – don’t tell us what you’re going to do – just do it.  I’ve seen too many not know what to do with “moments of silence” that they fill it with listings of what they’re going to do next.  Be it departing an interview or disengaging from someone that you’ve met at a networking event, they will say things like, “I’ll send you a thank you note so you’ll remember who I am” or “expect a thank you note from me – that just how I roll.”  That really is TMI! Just do it. The unexpected, genuine, timely, sincere thank you means much more than promises of its pending arrival.

Cross-posted on TheBuzz101

Author:  Maria Elena Duron | chief buzz officer, speaker and coach focused on helping you move, touch and inspire others to action and speak positively on your behalf at buzz2bucks | word of mouth firm