To succeed in business today, one needs PERSONAL BRANDING

We live in a time where businesses are flourishing. The economy is booming and there are various industries that are expanding left and right. This is good news but it also poses a challenge: as a business owner, decision-maker, executive or a leader, what will differentiate your organisation from others? What will give you an edge to the market you aim to capture, the clients you want to attract and the customers you’d want to retain? 

I believe that the greatest asset of organisations is its people --- that is, the right people. In fact, there is a saying, “underdeveloped people lead to underperforming organisations.”  If we raise the quality of our people, we increase the potential of our company. And leadership is key because they are the influencers, implementors and change-makers. They are the ones who truly reinforce the culture of the organisation through their actions, decisions and people skills.  

The challenge is many leaders today need a different set of skills to succeed inside and outside the organisation. They need to be effective in leading others, but they also need to know how to brand themselves well, how to deal with clients, attract new ones, how to satisfy stakeholders, VIPs and the like. These are skills that cannot be delegated. Skills that we never learned as individual contributors until we got promoted, yet they are essential if you want to achieve your goals, get ahead in your career and contribute even more to the direction of the company you serve.

This is also true for entrepreneurs or business owners. You’re not the only one in your industry. Whether it’s sales, real estate, the medical field, distribution, food or retail, you have to find a way to position yourself so that your target market will be aware of what you stand for and they can buy-in to the products or services you offer.

According to international management guru and best-selling author Tom Peters, “All of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own company, Me, Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer of a brand called “you.” If we do not work on our personal brand, if we do not do any personal re-invention and upgrade ourselves, we will miss out on many opportunities. 

This is why PERSONAL BRANDING is critical for professionals and business people alike. Since there is so much noise in the marketplace or the workplace, employees wanting to get promoted and businesses trying to outpace their competitors, branding gives you a platform not just to be noticed, but for people to be attracted to do business with you or promote you.

So what is personal branding? It is a a strategy, a blueprint for an individual to position, package and differentiate themselves in their career or their industry. It is one of the best-kept secrets of Fortune 500 CEOs who once started from the bottom, struggling entrepreneurs who became the next big thing in their industry and professionals who moved from obscurity to their dream job. Most people think that hard work and street smarts is enough to get ahead in their career, but individuals need to be strategic, possess the right mindsets and skills to become valuable to their employer or customers.

4 Important Reasons why PERSONAL BRANDING is key:

1. The need to be different - while 95% of employees today are doing the same thing, the 5% who choose to be different and function differently will give them a winning advantage. A personal brand sets you apart from the rest.

2. The importance of being valuable - there is a saying that no one is indispensable. To a certain extent I agree, but the more value you add to the company, the more indispensable you will be and the higher your pay check becomes. Value is derived from the way your personal brand makes you more valuable.

3. The power of making an impact - individuals who make an impact in the organisation are the ones who get promoted. Making an impact is the ability to do something others are unwilling to do and making a difference for the people you serve. This boosts your personal brand or your reputation. Your reputation becomes your future.

4. Without personal re-invention, nothing happens - if you are not willing to upgrade yourself, you will always be in your comfort zone and that equals your income zone. When a person is simply content where they are, it will not attract opportunities. Don't be surprised if you'll be overtaken by others. There are people in the same post for many years who remain unnoticed. Don't be like that!

If these 4 things make sense to you, take action. Read books, research more on personal branding, or better yet, attend a training that will equip you and recharge your career. If you are into personal development, we have one coming up very soon designed for professionals, executives and entrepreneurs entitled "PERSONAL BRANDING X." For details, check this out: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-Mjficudj-iOR9PnMkO8WsgfSNwRhKh5JbX-T7HwFvbW5Sg/viewform

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