7 steps to having a personal brand that is intentionally unforgettable

For most of my life and career, I felt as if I was entirely forgettable. If I met someone once and saw them again, my immediate assumption was they wouldn’t remember me. Having spent well over a decade representing high profile charismatic individuals, I put the “unforgettable factor” down to something you either had or you didn’t. I was so wrong.

Below are 7 steps that have dramatically shifted the way I show up and what I believe. Some have come about from personal experience, others lived through my clients and several via dedicated research on the topic. I hope after reading the steps, you walk away feeling empowered and ready to be seen, heard, and remembered. Here we go-

Step 1. Believe you are worth remembering-?easier said than done I know, but this step cannot be skipped. Believing you a worth remembering doesn’t require you have a massive ego and expect to be the centre of everyone’s universe; it is all about embracing the idea that you are entirely unique and one of a kind.

Step 2. Own your story and share it –?Research suggest that facts are 20 times more likely to be remembered if they’re part of a story. As humans we love stories. They help us learn, connect, and remember. Giving others insight into your story will help them remember not only who you are, but why you do what you do.

Step 3. Dress to be remembered-?I have a client who is a CEO in her 60’s with pink hair and the most incredibly stylish and distinct Prada glasses. She is a perfect example of this. Importantly, however, you don’t have to be outgoing to make this step work for you. Think Steve Jobs and the uniform he created, it was not at all ‘fashion forward’ but no less unforgettable. Intentional and consistent are the key words here.?

Step 4. Give compliments freely and frequently-?this is not pretending you like something when you don’t. The aim is to genuinely find something you like about the other person. When you make someone feel good about themselves, they will link those positive feelings to the interaction and remember you for all the right reasons.?

Step 5. Be interesting by becoming interested?– Dale Carnegie famously once said “you can make more friends in two months by becoming truly interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.” On a practical level this means listening attentively and asking thoughtful questions when you speak to other people.?

Step 6. Smile –?We become the most attractive and youthful version of ourselves when we smile, and it is contagious! Smiling makes others feel great about themselves and again, associate positive feelings when they think of you. Not to mention, research suggests we are more likely to commit a smiling face to our long-term memory.??

Step 7. Follow up with sincerity-?when you come across a person you genuinely want to remain connected to, proactively take the steps to follow up and stay in touch. This might mean wishing them a happy birthday, sending an impromptu book recommendation if you know they love reading and/or inviting them to catch up every now and then. Letting others know you are thinking of them and care enough to stay in touch is naturally unforgettable.

I hope the steps above act as a reminder that the ability to be intentionally unforgettable is a decision not an innate ability. That is worth remembering.?