A Vision Of Your Personal Brand

What do people say about you?

POSTED BY JACKY SHERMAN ON 10/01/2018 @ 8:00AM

Last week, I started a series of blog posts having a clear vision for your consultancy. Steven Covey defines your vision as, "What the world looks like when you've finished changing it". The doer in this statement is you ...

What are people saying about you? With the right personal brand, you can be sure it's all good!

So an essential part of your vision is knowing what you stand for and, more importantly, ensuring others know it and recognise what they know about you and your business.

In other words, in marketing terms, does your personal brand shine through? Nowhere is that more important than if you're offering consultancy services. People buy you and your network refer you, for what you stand for as much as any product you deliver.

"I've drawn an example from one of my clients. Test it out yourself!"

Roger Eddowes, of Essendon Accounts and Tax refers to himself as a Business Godparent. Type that into Google and see what happens.

Roger comes up as the top two entries and you can click on the links and read what he has to say. Does that make you think of him differently from the standard accountant? Is it relevant that he is someone who specialises in working with family businesses? Do you think it helps people in his network promote him? I just did.

Here are my top tips for incorporating your personal brand into your vision and actions for your business:

What really matters to you?
Do you understand and have you shared with others your Emotionally Charged Connection® with your business? What drives you to do what you do and gives you that emotional high when you succeed?
I've written about this in two recent blog posts. Do visit them to refresh your memory by clicking here and here.
Be aspirational
This is your vision of how you want to be perceived. What do you want the world to look like when you've finished changing it, even if it is only your little corner? How will you and others recognise your contribution to that change?
I'm part of a larger organisation that is committed to demonstrating that business success comes from collaboration and being part of a community. My aspiration is to be known as the architect of successful referral communities for businesses in my area. What's yours?
Be consistent and persistent
Once you're clear what your personal brand should look like, live it every day. Of course, it is about what you write on your website and in a blog post like this. It's also what you say from the platform of your speaking engagements and what you impart to your clients in workshops, coaching or written plans. Yet, it is also about how you interact with others and how they perceive you on a daily basis; when you're "off the record" so to speak. It's hard to keep up an act as sooner or later it will slip. Living your personal brand while being aspirational does have to reflect who you really are. A great tip is to express it in the present tense as if you had already achieved.
Test it out
The reality is that your brand is what others perceive about you. So how will you know if your message is what you want it to be? What do others need to feedback to you that tells you you're getting it right?
The spontaneous comments are usually the most valuable insights. For instance, it was a client of Roger Eddowes who first used the term "you're like a Godparent to us".

I was networking with a new group the other day and got a familiar response when I said my name. "Oh, I've heard of you. You help people with their networking". I've had many people say, "no matter where I go, people always seem to know you" or equally "you seem to know everyone!" No one mentions communities though, so there is some work to be done on that score.

The tip here is to listen to both your fans and doubters. It's about what they say and what they don't say. Where is the room for improvement? What can you do next to turn your aspiration into reality and move closer to achieving your vision?

"Would you like to know more?"

To find out more about your personal brand and how to define it, call me on 07970 638857 or click here to ping me an email and let's see how I can help you.

Until next time ...

JACKY SHERMAN