10 tips to make your Personal Brand a Success

‘I’ve tried it but it doesn’t work.’

Statements like that are so common when it comes to Personal Branding but fact is, building your profile is an art and a science and doesn't happen just by accident.

However, if you want to get ahead and get seen by the right people, you need to master the way you position and sell yourself.

Personal Branding and pitching your skills are crucial for tomorrow as we are heading into an entrepreneurial world. It’s not so much just what you can do but how you do things.

Why?

Because we can’t prepare for roles that don’t exist yet but we can focus on our soft skills and what makes us us so we can use those transferable skill in any industry and in any roles and 'future-proof' ourselves.

Sell yourself first if you want to sell anything else

Often people roll their eyes when I say you need to sell yourself. They think of it coming across as slimy and salesy but people buy of people they know, like and trust so having the confidence in yourself that you can bring incredible value to others is key.

Selling ourselves is something we have to do all the time, no matter if it’s online or offline, within our family if we want to get everyone on a trip or in a company where we want everyone to go into the same direction.

You are constantly selling an idea, a concept, a vision because to get to where you want to get, you need to have others on board. As individuals can only go so far.

Funny enough, for most it is easier to sell someone else's product or service but when it comes to our own worth, people usually sell them short because of the lack of confidence that what we have to offer is worth a premium.

However, if you think you have a cure for life- threatening diseases, I doubt that you would hesitate a second to promote it.

And it shouldn't be any difference to your skills and yourself as there is only ONE - and ONE only - who is exactly what you have.

It's not a 'nice-to-have' but a must have

In fact, if you are convinced that what you have to offer solves someone’s problems and can benefit them, it is your responsibility to put your skill set and experience out there and get seen.

The biggest mistake I see people make when they actually do decide that building their Personal Brand needs to take a priority in their life because of a significant incident that is (about to) happen is their lack of acknowledging that the process and approach is not one dimensional.

Building a Personal Brand is a serious of events, actions and efforts that need to be taken into consideration and this is also why most people fail with it.

This is why I put together the 10 key aspects that make or break the success of your Personal Brand

1.)  COURAGE - definitely needed to get out there.

It takes courage to show up and present yourself to the world. But if you want to be seen as leader and stand out for the right reasons, you need to have the courage to stand up first.

2.)  CONFIDENCE - if you don't have it in yourself, nobody will have it.

People follow people who are confident in themselves as this portrays competence and comfort for others. If you are clear about your strengths and how you can use them in a way that benefits others, it’s easy to be confident about it as you know you will get results with it.

3.)  CLARITY - if you don't know where to go, any way will get you there

In order to get to where you want to get, you need to be clear on what it is that you want to leave behind.

What’s the legacy you want to leave behind? The impact you want to make on others?

It’s definitely not the higher paid role, the more expensive car or the luxury overseas trip. These come as by-product but will never make you happy as each and everyone has a purpose and reason to be on this earth that is much bigger than material statuses.

So it is your responsibility to find and share it so you can add value to others.

4.)  COMPETENCE - be aware of your genius zone

In order to add value, you need to obviously be good in what you do and you can only do this by being aware of your genius zone.

This is when everything you do feels easy, you get better results than anyone else and people are happy to pay (a premium) for it.

5.)  CONNECTION - who is it that you need to connect with

In order to achieve your goals, you need to connect with people who help you to get there. It may be your team members you need to get on board to achieve your vision, it may be your clients to help you help them, it may be investors who will benefit from partnering up with you. How can you make the connections so they want to engage with you?

Building a relationship way beyond your technical skills is key!

6.)  COMPASSIONATE - genuine interest in others you can bring value to

Once you know who it is you need to get on board and/or in front of to achieve your goal and fulfill your purpose, you need to know them inside out. The only way you can do it is by being compassionate and showing genuine interest in their needs.

How else can you know what it is that you can do for them so they will pay you?

7.)  COMMUNICATION - guessed that?

Relationships are based on communication and the easier it is to understand and follow you, the better.

If you cannot explain a 6 year old what it is that you do so you can benefit others, it’s too complicated.

Forget the jargon and tech language – make it easy for others to realise that it is YOU they need.

8.)  CONTENT - everything you put out there needs to showcase your Brand

Instead of adding noise to an already noisy world, think about high value content in everything you put out there and how it can benefit others whilst showcasing your area of expertise.

If you curate and share other people’s content, make it relevant to what you have to offer or what your standpoint is on it so it adds the personal touch and gives people the chance to get to know you.

9.)  CHANNEL - where do you need to be to get seen

Don’t be everywhere and with that, nowhere.

Social Media can be time consuming, so just being on channels for the sake of it is counterproductive.

Instead, choose 1-3 and know and use them well. Where is your audience and where do you feel comfortable to ‘mix and mingle’? (Because social media is nothing more than an online network opportunity).

10.)  CONSISTENCY - that's what trusting relationships and results are built on

Going hardcore one week and not showing up the next is not what builds trust and a relationship.

Commit to whatever you do and stick to it.

Make it a habit to participate and contribute in line with what your vision and purpose is and enjoy the journey!

Reason number one why people don’t succeed with their Branding efforts is not being clear about what it is that benefits others and why that is the case. Once you know that, you have the confidence in the world and with that, consistency to master all communications and channels to build the connections you need.

If you lack your clarity, get in touch for a free 45-min Strategy call and let's chat about how you should show up in this world!