5 Ways to Build Your Brand & Develop Trust
?? Carla Howard ??
Professional Speaker | Change Strategist | Prosci Executive Instructor | Get Paid From The STAGE!!! Founder | Champion for Kind & Ambitious Women
How do you decide who you can trust?
Most of the time we get a feeling that someone is genuine… test the waters a bit… and slowly build a relationship.
?The foundation of that “feeling” is based on what we’ve observed in the everyday behaviors of our colleagues. I’ll bet the people in your life who you trust the most are:
?One of the hallmarks of people we trust the most is their unique ability to be authentic and lead at the same time. It’s rare, disarming, and creates loyalty.
Soooo… how can you create this same sense of trust with your team members?
By focusing on building your personal brand!
Every. Single. Day.
Your Brand is what you are known for. It’s how people expect you to show up. And your brand is created by the actions you take every day, from the smallest interaction to your biggest decisions.
If you’ve never given much thought to building a personal brand, here are 5 actions to get you started!
?1.????Define Your Values
?Entrepreneurs, Associations, and Corporations do it… and you should too! I’m a big fan of choosing two values to filter your actions through.
Why only two? Because too many if you have 3, 5, or 15 it’s virtually impossible to use your values as a “North Star”. Plus, reducing your list down to two values will be easy to remember and to apply to your daily decisions.?
If you are feeling stuck, here are a few questions to ask yourself to get the ideas flowing:
One word of caution.
Don’t pick a value because if feels like “this should be on my list”. For example, family is not one of my top two values. It felt weird not including something about my family when I went through this exercise, and I almost added it because it felt wrong not to. The truth is, my two values absolutely benefit our family and help to create the life we enjoy together.
2.????Tell Stories
?Share the “why” behind how you chose your career path, hobbies outside of work, where you volunteer your time, and how you make decisions.
?Keep your stories short and memorable. We connect with and trust the people we know in a more intimate way, and stories are a great way to quickly share who you are.
?Not sure what stories to share? Keep a story log!
?Set aside 20 minutes every Friday to jot down the stories from your week. If nothing notable comes up, reflect on past experiences and write down the key details.
Before you know it, you’ll have stories to share at your fingertips the second you need one!?
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3.????Be Consistent
Consistency is critical when building a brand and cultivating trust.
Perhaps the first thing that came to mind when you started reading this section is the importance of doing what you say you are going to do. That is absolutely part of being consistent and building a trustworthy brand.
So is being consistent in the way you dress, respond to stressful situations, and keep confidences.
We don’t trust people who are approachable and easy to talk to one day, and impatient or rude the next.
How can you incorporate more consistency in the way you show up every day?
4.????Refresh Your Wardrobe
What we wear matters.
?A lot.
Sloppiness in attire sends the message that we won’t be crisp in other areas of our lives. This includes visible signs of wear; hanging threads, loose buttons, damaged hems, and wrinkled clothes. Breakout your needle and thread along with the iron gathering dust in the closet and get your old standby outfits in tip top shape or pay someone to do these tasks for you.
And take a tip from Goldilocks - “Just right” is the key to a great fit!
Don’t kid yourself, if you’ve gained or lost 15 pounds that outfit doesn’t really fit the same way it did when you bought it.
Even if the material is stretchy.
5.????Be Known for Something
What do you want to be known for? Getting clear on this will make it ohhh soooo easy when it’s decision time.
For example, I am committed to be the “easiest to work with” keynote speaker that associations and corporations have ever worked with. To make this the way event organizers feel when working with me, I always:
?Decide what you want to be known for and then create a list of actions that will get you there.?
Even people who think, “I’m not interested in building a personal brand” are doing just that!
Everything you do, say, and wear will define your brand and how you are perceived.
Think of your personal brand in this way:
You are walking down the hall pass several colleagues, leaders, clients, or customers on your way to a meeting… What do you want them to think as you walk by?
The way you show up everyday matters.
Build your brand intentionally and watch
trust, influence, and promotability soar!