Personal Branding

â€Å"I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. † Oprah Winfrey Most of us know how important our brand is but we don’t always consider all the components that constitute our brand. When birthing your brand, you must consider the total user experience. Your personal brand should be extended into all aspects of your business. As image professionals, we are walking advertisements of our services so our business brand begins with us. A personal assessment should be the first step in building your brand. There are numerous ways to conduct a personal assessment. Consider and honestly answer the questions: What am I good at? How do I want others to describe me? What do I have to offer others? In other words, what is your value proposition that adds measurable, remarkable, distinctive value? You have to understand what makes you unique and what you have to offer then exemplify that in your business in every way. Once you take inventory and understand what it is you bring to the table as an individual you can work on bringing out the positives and improving the negatives. Continuously perfect your craft by participating in educational seminars, meetings, webinars, and other networking events. It has been said that it takes at least 10 years to be considered an expert at anything. Start as early as possible honing your skills and continue to sharpen them by regularly reading and trying new things. Just being the best is not good enough if you can’t communicate why this makes a difference to others. If you cannot articulate your brand effectively to the world, it will overlook you so careful communication of your brand is paramount. This is done in many ways, including verbally telling people and by writing about your brand or unique selling proposition in the form of articles or online postings. Online and social media are vital forms of communicating your message and should certainly be a part of your personal branding strategy. But be careful that the information you put out is aligned with your goals, audience needs, and your genuine style. All elements of your personal image have to be consistent in all aspects of your life to have the strongest effect. The final part of the process will be a matter of applying your brand in all areas of your life. Not only with your appearance, communication, and etiquette but also in the other extensions of your own personal brand, which include the house you live in, the car you drive, the company you keep, the events you attend, the work space you maintain, to the documents you disseminate. All of these represent you and make an impression, good or bad. Remember that personal branding refers to the images and ideas evoked when you think of a particular person. It is the purposeful method of shaping those images and ideas people have of you. The term personal branding has become more popular in the last decade but as Tom Peters, management guru, famously wrote â€Å"Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the age of the individual, you have to be your own brand. †