Personal branding: Showing value vs. showing off

Stay true to yourself

We’ve all come across that guy who decided to bleach his teeth a bright shade of neon and start wearing the same coloured shirt in the name of ‘brand consistency’.  He’s the guy who’s great at making himself the centre of attention, but often not much else.  Unfortunately, this does little for developing his ability to influence.

It’s a mistake to think of your brand in terms of some showy veneer.  Instead, consider your brand in terms of your reputation – your personal brand should represent you and what you’re known for.

I want you to imagine that a handful of key people in your industry get together for a dinner party and your name comes up in conversation. Wouldn’t it be nice (and great for business) if you could pre-determine what they say about you?  Of course it would – and that’s the power a personal brand can give you. Remember, it’s not about creating a show for the masses, it’s about engineering a powerful reputation amongst the other key people of influence in your industry.

Don’t think of your brand in terms of some showy veneer, instead consider your brand in terms of your reputation

- GLEN CARLSON, KPI

Creating the right conversations

Let’s say you’re a new player in the construction industry. In this example, you might like the heavy hitters in this field talking to each other about how they've heard you’ve “exploded onto the scene”. Even better if the word going around is that you have a strong track record for consistently bringing in projects ‘on time and under budget’. It’s these kinds of conversations that can really help your business and personal brand.

It takes more than just time

It can take decades to build a reputation in your industry organically.  I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone say “I’ll just let my good work speak for itself” and two or three years later, despite consistent good (and hard) work, they’re still struggling.

The stark reality is that in today’s hyper competitive market, being good at what you do isn’t enough. To give you a head start, I’ve shared five principles used by leading industry influencers.

The 5 key principles used by people of influence

1. They perfect their pitch so they become known for being able to clearly articulate their value.
2. They publish their thoughts in blogs or articles (like this one) so they become known (and, fingers crossed, respected) for their ideas.
3. They create products so they become known for solving specific problems for a specific niche.
4. They have a strong profile online and in the media so they attract more inbound opportunity.
5. They partner with key people and brands so they become known by the people they associate with.

Instead of thinking about your brand in terms of image or show, focus on developing yourself in each of these areas. Used correctly, they will become the bedrock of a powerful and successful personal brand.