Branding, 8-points to personal branding...

There are many discussions about Brands, Branding, and especially Personal Branding (PB). Therefore, writing an article about PB is a bit daunting, at the very least! After all, wouldn't appear as a "show off" and thereby backfire, instead?

The fact of the matter is that if your PB is done effectively & ethically, it will only add value to you, your organization, your products/services, and whatever you come in contact with! Here are my eight points to Effective Personal Branding; EPB:

1) Value-orientation; identify the values that your brand is claiming to portray

Branding with a little value or even no value at all is a scam! Identify what you stand for and don't stand for and constantly bring them up in your articles, posts, photos, and marketing collaterals! Make positive impacts in the life of others and others will willingly invite you to their lives. And iff (if & only if) those values/impacts are "positively unique" and at least "semi-interesting", there will be hope for you & your brand! Otherwise, May God Help you! (wink)

2) Integrity & genuineness

This in a nutshell means "don't have a dollar sign on your forehead, when you walk around! If your audience sees your integrity and genuineness in the way you conduct your business, that will keep them. I believe people come to you if you're "attractive" but stay with you if you have "integrity"! It is OK to have features and benefits of other business people but you should also have your "competitive advantage" that is positively unique & interesting or else you will be seen as a "me too"! And of course, being a "me too" is not attractive in any business setting! Always know that you are your brand. Guard it jealously!

3) Become "lunchable"!

By "Lunchable" I mean sociable, fun, and likable. I define "lunchability" as the ability to entice others to have lunch with you! Let me put your mind at ease; if you're positively unique and at least semi-interesting, you're "lunchable" in my book! People should want to spend time with you and enjoy your mindset, outlook, and interesting points of view before you can become a successful Personal Brand (PB). I know, you will probably come up with a few PBs who were/are a sourpuss and still are considered a great brand. Although that may be true, their reach as a PB would be much stronger had they been "lunchable" as well!

4) Become an authority in your field...

Whatever your field may be, be an authority by A) mastering the ins & outs and B) selecting a special and unique way to look at it and explain it to others. Be sure that your explanation of the subject matter is attractive and flawless. Authority is better demonstrated when you can define, explain, and present it to others. That will facilitate effective personal branding (EPB). In addition to your field, you have got to know Communication & Leadership and Selling. Go to www.Toastmasters.org to improve those core competencies...

5) Be able to demonstrate your Commitment!

By and large, how committed we have been in the past 10-years, we will be in the next ten plus or minus a small fluctuation! Be ready to show and substantiate that although you may not be an Albert Einstein in intelligence, you are a Gandhi in commitment!

6) Remain a Professional at all times...

It may be trendy these days to use profanity a few times per minute and be a successful PB too but believe me, you Do NOT need the reputation! Think, talk, and act as a professional at all times. At the end of the day, you will be remembered more favorably longer! Pick among many professionals that we have in business and see how they talk, walk, shake hands, and behave and then improve those a notch and make them your own!

7) Don't just "leave" a legacy, "live" a legacy first!

Although it is awfully important to me what others will say about me after I leave; I call it "tombstone principle", but it is even more important how people know me as today! Identify the legacy that you would like to leave after you are gone and then see what you have to do to live that now! Your PB will be immortal!

8) Kazien (continually improve) yourself incrementally, measurably, and regularly...

What made you successful, interesting, positively unique, etc. yesterday, won't make you those things tomorrow. As time changes, so should we, for the better. Make sure the number of candles on your birthday cake will never outnumber your achievements, as my late mentor Jim Rohn used to say. Be sure you keep up with technology, management trends, leadership philosophies, and most importantly, be sure your current lifestyle indicates your Kaizen-orientation!

Remember, you as a business owner must first become a PB by your unique attributes before your business can fully take off. Apple is still known by Steve Jobs but its competitors are only known by the company's name...

Best wishes and Happy 2021! :) :)

Hormoz Mogarei (I fix businesses!)