11 Power Branding Truths by Roz Usheroff
The following is an excerpt from a recent interview I gave on Personal Branding and The Future of You!
What are the specific steps to take, to create one’s “personal brand?”
Before I offer my opinion on ‘personal branding’, it’s important to know that branding is a vehicle for showcasing that which makes you distinctive, memorable, trusted and valued. This becomes the blueprint for your reputation. Of course, we’re all individuals but unless we’re able to differentiate our brand, our individuality will become invisible.
When I first began my business 23 years ago, I assumed people felt comfortable with me and saw my value. Then I overheard someone describing me as Count Dracula’s Bride. Yikes, that really hurt so I did research and discovered that I was too harsh looking, too business focused and just too direct.
So, the first and most important step is to identify what your brand stands for. Does it showcase your values and the principles by which you live? The next step is to conduct a reality check. Determine how it aligns with the perceptions of others and then be willing to remake or reshape yourself so that who you truly are, aligns with how others see you and the value that you can and will bring to their lives. This may mean that you’ll need the courage and determination to seek out feedback to identify the gaps between reality and perception. The last step is to identify and promote your core strengths and unique abilities to reinforce your true value “brand” proposition.
How does one elevate their professionalism?
The best way to present oneself as a true professional can be summed up in a single word . . . consistency. When I talk about consistency, I’m referring to it in the context of how you treat or respond to others regardless of their position or social status. Who you are and how you act should not be determined by status. Honor your commitments, over-deliver and focus on consistent self-improvement. Dress to showcase your brand’s best book cover and finally, learn how to conduct yourself with ease at business events.
How does one identify their personal value and differentiators?
Years ago, a former boss told me that the only way I would be successful as an entrepreneur was to be so different that I would no longer have competition. He believed that if I differentiated myself, I would always stand out. His wisdom has resonated with me for over 23 years and now I challenge my clients to carve out their own unique differentiation. To truly stand out from the pack, you have to realize that it’s not about you, but those you seek to serve. It is also important to note that differentiators will be most effective if they reflect your brand’s core values and the difference you make to others.
In order to identify how others perceive your greatest strengths, expertise and value, I recommend to new coaching clients to conduct their own marketing research. By that I mean to ask business colleagues (all levels, of course) the following question. “If you were going to open your own company, what position would you hire me for and why?” Once you know what other people consider to be your unique abilities, you’ve laid the foundation for what makes you different and valued. Now, it’s all about using these strengths where you are most appreciated.
What are the common pitfalls to success? How can they be overcome?
Where do I begin? I’m sure we both can write a book on this topic. So…I’ve selected those that I believe can be avoided and repaired. And I speak from actual experience. In my second job, I thought I was doing an amazing job. Sales were up and customers were happy. Unfortunately, my boss was not as impressed because he felt I was too much of a fighter. After he fired me, he complimented me for standing up for what I believed. He added, however, that I didn’t fit into the culture and had to learn to play the game.
Success can sometimes create a disconnect in one’s career, when you start to believe your own press. To avoid this pitfall, adopt a “Servant Leadership” mindset that puts the focus on how you can help others to succeed. It’s by ensuring the success of others that you yourself will become and remain successful.
Sometimes success becomes a curse when you believe your positive view of your performance speaks for itself. You must continually seek out feedback to see if those in power use the same benchmark for measuring success.
Another common pitfall is being so caught up in “winning” that you lose your ability to “see around corners”. You’ve got to anticipate unexpected circumstances and have a contingency plan.
In the end success, like perfection or the pursuit of excellence, is an ongoing journey. To remain vibrant and relevant, you must vie success as a destination at which you never arrive.
How does one become memorable?
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Earlier I talked about the fact that your brand is the sum of every experience others have had with you.
Becoming memorable is ultimately based on the impression you made on someone’s life beyond simply doing a job or showing up for a meeting. It’s every experience others have with you.
Are you a positive person, do people enjoy being around you? Do people walk away from an encounter with you feeling better about themselves?
To truly become memorable for the “right reasons”, people have to see you as a positive force in their lives from both a results and emotional standpoint.
How do you build a “fan base?”
As I wrote in my book, you not only have to build your fan base, you have to mobilize it as well.
In answering the previous questions, I have provided you with the framework for building a fan base, by directing your focus to how you can make a difference in someone else’s life. A fan base is not simply a list of names or contacts. A fan base is earned through the experiences that others have had with you and, how you have enabled them to realize their goals. If you help someone to succeed, they will become a fan.
The next step is to mobilize your fan base.
As you already know, people talk to one another. What are they saying about you? The more people that you help, the more people there will be to share how you made a difference in their lives. This creates opportunities for introductions.
In the end, your fan base is the cumulative result of your efforts to make a difference in the lives of others.
You can access the entire interview through the following link.
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Bell Curve Branding by Roz Usheroff
“Inherently the problem in ranking is that, unless it’s based purely on objective data—which you rarely see outside of a call center, it brings in a human element. There’s no way to data-fy that,” says Stevenson. In other words, managers’ prejudices and stray opinions get transformed and codified in what appears to be raw data. This seems to be one of the specific complaints being made by Yahoo employees: The rankings are both high-stakes and completely arbitrary.
The above excerpt from the recent Bloomberg Businessweek Technology article “Yahoo’s Latest HR Disaster: Ranking Workers on a Curve” speaks volumes in terms of how perceptions undermine the accuracy of rating employee effectiveness utilizing a bell curve model.
Popularized in the 80s by GE’s Jack Welch, the method of ranking employees according to this curve model is with increasing frequency being dismissed as ineffective and worse yet, a company morale killer.
Even though the use of this “forced ranking system” has it has been called is on the decline, the underlining message relating to arbitrary perceptions should not be ignored.
In fact this latter point is one of the key factors that led to my writing The Future of You! Creating Your Enduring Brand. Specifically the undeniable truth that if you fail to manage your personal brand, someone else will manage it for you. Against the backdrop of the aforementioned prejudices and stray opinions, this is indeed an unnerving proposition. Especially when you consider the fact that most people are great at delivering value, but are not as effective at promoting their value to their organization and beyond.”
The question this raises is even more significant . . . how does my boss and those with whom I come in contact on a daily basis assess my value in terms of helping them and the organization achieve their goals?
As I wrote in my book, your value and therefore your brand is the sum of every experience others have had with you. So the first thing you should do is quantify their experience. In other words what would be the response if someone was asked “what has been your experience with _____________, and what has it meant to you in terms of your success?
If you can answer this question, you are very likely headed in the right direction. If not, what are you waiting for?
In my new book The Future of You! Creating Your Enduring Brand, I show you how to seek out feedback from different stakeholders in order to understand what people think about you, how consistently you are being perceived, and whether or not you need to modify behavior.
Order your copy today through my website, Amazon.com or Smashwords.
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Is your brand your most powerful negotiating tool? (Part 2) by Roz Usheroff
“Without question, brand and brand image make a big difference. For the ‘trusted’ brand, the pressure to negotiate will be less – they are known for honoring their commitment and indeed their future image depends on meeting their commitment.”
Tim Cummins, CEO IACCM
In his response to my previous post, International Association Contract and Commercial Management CEO Tim Cummins perhaps best summed up the link between one’s personal brand and the negotiation process. Specifically, your brand is your reputation, and your reputation is a significant asset (or liability) at the bargaining table.
While not necessarily surprising, in the context of Mr. Cummins’ earlier assertion regarding “the ‘conspiracy’ that leads executives on both sides of the table to ‘lie’ to their trading partners,” one cannot help but wonder why someone would risk their reputation by being less than honest in their dealings with people.
An even more interesting question is how you can overcome the likely assumption on the part of the person or persons with whom you are negotiating that you are being less than honorable with them.
This I firmly believe is where your track record comes into play.
Referencing the Sun Tzu precept that most battles are won or lost before the fighting begins, the manner of negotiating for example a raise or a promotion or for that matter to win a position, is determined long before you come to the negotiating table.
In the following excerpt from my book The Future of You! Creating Your Enduring Brand, I talk about this very point;
What does this mean to you, and in particular how you “sell yourself” as the individual most capable of helping your employer or customers achieve their project-driven goals? It means that employers no longer have the time to carefully sift through a resume or personnel file to try to extract your value proposition as it relates to their needs. In fact, and in the spirit of the Sun Tzu admonishment that most battles are won or lost before the fighting begins, if your organization’s upper management doesn’t know you or is not familiar with the value of your contributions, you are in BIG trouble!
The key takeaway from the above is that the strength of your position is not based upon learning the latest negotiating techniques to outsmart the other party but, rests in your ability to demonstrate your value to them in terms of helping them to achieve their goals. Or to put it another way, if what you have to offer represents something the other party needs to succeed, you are negotiating from a position of integrity and strength.
Of course this doesn’t mean that you should not do your homework relative to your general value in the market. After all, pricing yourself out of the market is no better than undervaluing your worth.
What it does mean is that everything you do today, and from this point on, that builds and enhances your personal brand will come into play when it is time to advance your career and/or business interests.
So here is the question that I will leave you to ponder; at this point in time will your personal brand/reputation be an asset or a liability at the negotiation table?
Need help in building or enhancing your personal brand? Take my on-line video course on Udemy.
* Over 9 lectures and 2 hours of content!
* Make the move from relevant to essential.
* Showcase your unique abilities to “win friends and influence people”.
* Put your name at the top of your boss’s or clients list.
* Manage your brand before someone else does.
Now is the time to take that first important step towards creating Your Bigger Future by simply clicking on the following link: https://www.udemy.com/the-future-of-you-creating-your-enduring-brand/
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What is your office role, and the dangers of letting other people define your personal brand by Roz Usheroff
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man (and woman) in their time plays many parts . . .
William Shakespeare
As I read Molly Cain’s September 18th article in Forbes “The 7 Types of People Who Never Succeed at Work,” I was immediately reminded of the Shakespearean reference to the many people we encounter throughout our business career and life in general.
What is most interesting to me is that Cain’s perspective while entertaining and even insightful to a certain extent speaks to a much deeper issue. Specifically our tendency to apply labels that invariably pigeon-hole people into seemingly well-defined categories. From the “Groupthinker” and “Apologizer,” to the “Apathetic Guy” and the “Sore Loser,” Cain certainly covers the bases. But is she correct in the absoluteness of her assessment? Given that we rarely get the opportunity to really know most of the people who come and go from our life stage, I would have to say no.
In fact, experience has repeatedly taught me that in most instances, people’s impression of others is largely a reflection of their own characteristics, including their fears and prejudices. Why do you think potential members of a jury are so meticulously grilled by opposing attorneys? No matter how objective we may try to be our “personal truths” inevitably and to varying degrees influence our views of the world and others.
Perhaps you might think otherwise. Fair enough, but do you remember the classroom game in which one student whispers something in the ear of the person next to them. Then that person whispers supposedly what they heard into the ear of the next person and so on and so on? By the time the whispered words have reached the final person in the chain, what is revealed at the end is vastly different from what was originally said. This reminds us that people hear and yes even see the same things differently.
For me this last example as well as the Cain article, is a ringing reminder that we should never allow people to define who we are or lock us into a narrowly defined role that more likely than not fails to showcase who we really are and what we can really do. In other words, when we fail to manage our personal brand we are opening the door for others to manage it for us.
In this context I have to ask this one simple question . . . who is managing your brand?
* Over 9 lectures and 2 hours of content!
* Make the move from relevant to essential.
* Showcase your unique abilities to “win friends and influence people”.
* Put your name at the top of your boss’s or clients list.
* Manage your brand before someone else does.
Now is the time to take that first important step towards creating Your Bigger Future by simply clicking on the following link: https://www.udemy.com/the-future-of-you-creating-your-enduring-brand/
Wishing you continued success!
Roz
Dubai Travel Journal (Part 1): We Are All Different yet the Same
Besides the fact that it never ceases to amaze me how jet travel can place you on the opposite side of the world in a matter of hours, my speaking schedule has also afforded me the opportunity to meet different people from different cultures. This has been a great gift in many ways because it has provided me with a lens through which to view both the similarities and differences in terms of how people look at personal career development.
Even though worlds apart, this shot of Dubai reminded me of the Chicago River winding through the downtown area back home
For example, when I had the privilege of addressing an audience in Asia, they were quietly earnest and appeared cautious in their replies. It would have been easy to judge their restrained participation as disinterest or boredom. The opposite however was true, in that the apparent lack of enthusiasm was not reflective of an absence of commitment to advancement. It was instead indicative of how they valued the added insight which was later demonstrated by the questions they asked at the conclusion of our time together.
This of course got me to thinking of not only the differences but, the similarities we share in being part of a global community. After all, our respective marketplace is no longer geographically limited or confined to a particular region of the world. We are all ̶ for all intents and purposes ̶ globetrotters whether we physically board a plane or commute virtually through the Internet. As a result, understanding our differences in communicating and the similarities in our intent is the key to success. While I have found that we all share a similar desire to make a positive contribution, our approaches vary greatly. The real question is how do we respond to differences in a way that opens the door to building a meaningful rapport and trusting relationship?
For me, the first step is to embrace the differences and be open to change or trying something new.
Much to the appreciation of my Middle Eastern clients, embracing something new was actually getting (and staying) on the camel . . .
In part 2, I will talk about what it means to be open to trying something new, and why it is important to your success in developing a sustainable personal brand.
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Is standing out by presenting a unique brand bad for your career?
Grasp the true nature of business competition and you’ll see that the performing arts provide a better analogy than war or sports. There can be many good singers or actors — each outstanding and successful in a distinctive way. Each finds and creates an audience. The more good performers there are, the more audiences grow and the arts flourish. This approach produces positive sum competition.
Michael Porter’s opinion on what constitutes real competition from the HBR article “Stop Competing to Be the Best” by Joan Magretta
Porter’s observations regarding competition are interesting in that it allows for everyone on the business stage to shine as a unique light. While this makes sense on so many levels, is it really practical in the trenches of everyday business, especially during a difficult economic period when job security usually tops the list of what is most important to fellow workers?
In an article from earlier in the week (8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees), the fear of stepping forward and standing out through the presentation of a unique personal brand was emphasized when one reader wrote; “It is precisely these “remarkable” qualities that get me in trouble on the job.”
This raises an important question . . . is an organization’s management ultimately responsible for creating an environment that encourages proactive, out-of-the-box thinking, and if they are indeed responsible, how do they engage one employee without alienating another taking into account the unique capabilities of a diverse workforce?
Here are my tips for managers who want to create a positive environment where individuals are encouraged to shine both individually as well as collectively keeping in mind that while money is obviously important, studies clearly show that employees value above all else the belief that they are making a tangible and meaningful contribution:
- GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES A FEELING OF BEING APPRECIATED.
- Praise from immediate managers, leadership attention (for example, one-on-one conversations) count. When great work is shared publicly, the impact is multiplied for the employee.
- Look for these opportunities for greater exposure and be quick to hand out the well-deserved praises on a one on one.
- GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO LEAD PROJECTS OR GET INVOLVED WHERE THEY CAN USE THEIR TALENTS (UNIQUE ABILITIES).
- Don’t micromanage when they are the experts. Show trust. Make sure you are not just giving people work that needs to get done but work that energizes them.
- SEEK OUT THEIR ADVICE SO THEY FEEL VALUED AND HAVE A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THEIR PERSPECTIVES.
- Brainstorming works: new perspectives can improve and build on an initial idea or approach. Make the individual feel safe that they can be honest with you. Don’t make people wrong for their advice or perspectives. Create safety in the work community.
- COMMIT TO DEVELOPING YOUR PEOPLE
- Create a culture of education. Arrange for your employees to attend development programs, not just focused on their technical skills but to help them to feel that they are growing. Provide funding for courses not being offered at your company.
- BECOME A MASTER AT COACHING AND MENTORING
- To help your employees to be the best they can, invest time and scheduling to offer direct feedback on how they can maximize their presence, talents and relationships. Creating actionable plans will enable your employees to measure their own achievements and be able to keep you informed on how they are doing. This builds their confidence and makes them want to have the courage to make a bigger difference.
One final thought . . . the cultures within which we work are so serious, perhaps too serious. Laughter should be encouraged . . . so people are not paranoid about messing up.
Does your personal brand stand out?
Remember to check out Roz’s books and CDs . . .
Click here to visit the store . . .
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The Employee’s Guide for Surviving a Merger & Acquisition
“I wondered if I would lose my job despite what we were told. We all know when mergers happen there are overlaps, or for other reasons you can get pushed out,” he said.
From MSNBC Careers article “How to survive and thrive after an acquisition” by Eve Tahmincioglu
The recent announcement that Kellogg was buying Pringles immediately made me think of what such an acquisition means to employees on both sides of the transaction fence.
As highlighted in the above referenced article excerpt, the initial reaction is usually one of fear and trepidation centered on whether one will lose their job by becoming an expendable redundancy as a result of the newer, merged company.
While there are no shortages of well-intentioned articles highlighting the top 3, 5, 7 or for that matter a pick of any number of steps to securing your future in a changing corporate reality, the fact remains that job security is something that you build long before an M&A occurs by demonstrating your value to your company in a tangible and meaningful way.
Long before terms such as personal brand entered the mainstream lexicon of business speak, who we were and what we provided was reflected in comments such as “you know that Joe is a hard worker, and you can depend on him to be there when you need him!” In essence, and even though we didn’t call it personal branding way back when, that is what we were doing . . . building our brand based upon how those around us perceived our contributions in the workplace.
Sadly, like a runner who shows up at the starting line of a race without having trained in the months and years leading up to the competition will have a limited chance of winning. Far too many employees do not think about how their “brand” is perceived by co-workers as well as management until after an M&A is announced. It seems that the only time we ask ourselves these hard questions is when we feel that our job is at risk.
So the short answer to the question “how do I survive an M&A” is to be both conscientious and proactive from day one when you start a new job. Be outgoing in meeting and engaging with your co-workers and senior management. It’s all about your ability to build and sustain rapport. Undertake assigned tasks with both energy, passion and enthusiasm. Remember that similar to relationships, there are going to be good days and challenging ones as well, so think in terms of running a marathon as opposed to a sprint. Over time, you will create an enviable brand that if and when an M&A occurs, you will be well positioned to make the leap to a new, collaborative environment. We call this “fireproofing” your bigger future.
Of course this doesn’t mean that you sit in the background quietly waiting to be noticed.
As the protagonist in the Tahminicioglu article confirms, you have to be “proactive after the merger, researching the new owners, networking with managers and putting in extra hours.” In short “you have to reach out and pursue opportunities.”
This is also good advice for those who may not have made the necessary and prudent investment relative to building their brand pre-M&A days. While you can’t go back in time and un-ring the bell so to speak, you can view an M&A as a new beginning, a mulligan to those of you who might be golf enthusiasts, to get it right the second time around.
All in all, there is no doubt that the pending changes associated with a Merger and Acquisition can be daunting. However, you do not have to get swept away by a wave of fear. Instead look at it as an opportunity as opposed to an unwelcome change, and chances are you will come out on the other side with both feet firmly and securely planted within the new enterprise. This mindset will showcase your ability to demonstrate courage, a critical leadership trait essential in today’s uncertain marketplace.
Remember to check out Roz’s books and CDs . . .
Click here to visit the store . . .
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Aligning Your Brand with Your Personal Values Equals True Success
I can remember when I first saw the movie Wall Street, there is a poignant moment when Charlie Sheen’s character after earning all of his money, winning the beautiful girl and buying his new condo was shown staring out the window in the middle of the night asking himself . . . “who am I.”
It was a powerful point in the film because after getting all that he had apparently wanted he didn’t know who he was, or for that matter for what he stood.
To an outsider looking in, Sheen’s character had arrived! This young upstart was in the early stages of the apex of his success with nothing but greatness awaiting him. Of course the character’s fatal flaw was that he had knowingly and willing compromised his personal values to achieve the success that now appeared to imprison him. In the end it was the disconnect between his outward brand and his personal values that was his ultimate undoing, which showed itself in the form of a very public and embarrassing downfall.
Saddened by the news of Whitney Houston’s recent passing, I was again reminded of the above scene because of the difficulty in understanding how someone with such a special talent, who was adored the world over, could come to such a tragic end. It would appear that what we saw and who she really was conflicted with each other.
I can only imagine how difficult it must be to live up to an outward facing image that doesn’t align with who you really are. In the end, it just doesn’t work.
While perhaps not on the same scale of both celebrity as well as the tragedy of a life that was ended far too soon, how we align our values with our brand is nonetheless of equal importance as it determines our living legacy in the here and now. What do I mean by living legacy?
First, creating a legacy requires a fundamental shift in the way we think about ourselves in relation to success. This is not about being the fastest rat in the race or the one who knows how to play “the game” better than anyone else. This is about acknowledging and honoring who you really are and aligning your goals with the opportunity to feel satisfied with your daily contributions. When you operate from this platform of strength, not only will you improve your chances of success, but you also will greatly enhance the happiness you experience along the way.
Second, all the success you achieve will mean very little if your brand (your authentic self) and values are not aligning with the other. Eventually and sometimes tragically, this disconnect between the two will come to the surface and when it does, you will be faced with a legacy that no matter how great your prior accomplishments, they will pale beside the revealing light that will show you were not true to yourself.
In the case of Sheen’s Wall Street character, his moment of truth (or departure from truth) was when he was faced with Gekko’s ultimatum to do that which he knew was wrong or walk away, and he chose to turn his back on who he really was with the word’s “okay Mr. Gekko, you got me.”
Unlike the movies, life rarely provides us with such a moment of transitional clarity. Never having the privilege of meeting Whitney Houston, it’s hard to say when she turned away from whom she was and whom she was meant to be, given her amazing gift. However she did turn away. Sadly, and tragically, after she had died, Houston’s career and music experienced a renaissance that unfortunately she is not around to enjoy. In this regard, the money and the posthumous fame are of little value to her family and those around the world who were so moved by her incredible voice and presence.
So what is the moral of the story?
If your brand truly reflects your personal values and aligns with your goals (not someone else’s vision of who and what you should be), you will have created a magical harmony from within and will present a unified and sustaining image that will neither disappoint nor surprise but instead endure. This is the ultimate legacy.
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The Meaning of Life or Have You Identified Your Indelible Mark?
While it is normal for people to be concerned with the here and now, how much time do we really spend reflecting on the enduring mark we want to leave in the sands of time?
For example, in the Middle Ages artisans left their mark to uniquely identify them as the creator of their work, a practice that interestingly enough, is from where the word “character” comes.
Even though our character and mark or brand are one in the same and therefore worthy of consideration because it goes to the heart of our life’s purpose or mission, an even more interesting consideration centers on if we even have the courage to ask the question in the first place?
Of course in reality it is not perhaps the questions themselves that are scary, but the answers including what they tell us about ourselves and our present beliefs and paths. Or in the spirit about being true to yourself, a personal brand above all else requires that you present your authentic self to the world. This is often reflected in the manner in which your service or product is perceived and received by the world.
What is your imprint in the sand?
Being true to your brand may also mean positioning yourself under the radar screen or even going against the grain of popular sentiments, at least for a time, as reflected in the fable of the old man and the star fish . . . although some versions refer to a little girl rather than an old man, the sentiments are still the same.
For those unfamiliar with the fable, one day an old man was walking along the beach and noticed that hundreds of star fish being washed up on shore. Once out of the water the star fish would soon die under the hot sun, so the old man began picking one up and throwing it back into the sea – a seemingly endless exercise that was repeated over and over and over again.
A little boy passing by stopped to ask the old man why he was throwing the star fish back into the sea because it could not possibly make a difference as the waves were washing up as many as he threw back, to which the old man replied: “It may not make a difference overall but, to this one star fish in my hand, it will make all the difference in the world.”
Tying it back into our brand, the old man was being true to his mission at that moment by throwing the star fish back into the sea. While the boy did not immediately recognize the value in the here and now, the old man’s character or brand symbolized both integrity of purpose and a strong sense of service to others. These are two attributes that when recognized will throw open the doors to even greater opportunities as they are much sought after character traits that are always and forever in demand.
So have you identified your indelible mark? How does it link with what you are doing in the here and now to where you want to be in the future?
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Brand adaptability or how the west was won (and lost) by the Marlboro Man
I believe that your brand needs to be self-monitored on an ongoing basis. Values don’t change but the manner in which they are interpreted does change based on the environment, cultural norms and country. In North America, for example, the Marlboro advertising campaign, created by Leo Burnett Worldwide in 1954 was thought to be one of the most brilliant advertisement campaigns of all time. The Marlboro Man horseback riding into the horizon lasted until 1999. Now of course, this ad would be totally unacceptable.
Once upon a time, it was customary for executives to book leisurely two-hour lunches in pricey restaurants accompanied by their favorite scotch or martinis. Now of course lunching and heavy drinking in decadent restaurants are totally faux pas’. So is driving to your client’s office in a six-figure car unless you want them to question if they’re overpaying you. Discretion is the name of the game and that applies to your own personal brand in the business world.
That is not to suggest that you can’t indulge in expensive lunches nor drive expensive cars. But in an economy where unemployment is high and jobs can be scarce, you need to have a pulse on what’s valued in today’s culture. Sure you can get attention by defying what others are doing but be cognizant of the type of publicity you are attracting. Everything you do and say and write (blogs, email, etc.) defines your personal brand. Pushing the envelope too far through your behavior, image, networking tactics or relationship management can put you at risk of tarnishing your credibility, and of course your brand. In a recent blog on dress, there were conflicting views as to whether you should care what others thought about your dress. It goes beyond the exterior to what’s appropriate in today’s challenging economy. There’s a price to everything and the best question you can ask yourself is…”Is it worth it?” I’m confident that you have the answer.
Happy branding.
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The Future Of You! Creating Your Enduring Brand!
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