With clients increasingly looking for value and retrenchments announced daily in the press, it has become imperative to review your professional image and determine if you are sufficiently well branded to take advantage of the existing economic climate and thrive.
Personal Branding is the art of self packaging. How does your personal image brand you? What does your image say about your abilities and professionalism? When you consider yourself as a product that you must sell, market and promote, your career will take off and your income increase.
The following 7 tips will help you to brand yourself and jump the queue:
1. Specialisation:
The best positioning you can have among your prospects and customers is that of an expert, an authority in your area of expertise. What one area of specialisation will be the most helpful to my brand?
2. Leadership
Three in four people said that a person’s appearance on the job is likely to affect whether they are taken seriously. Your image is a reflection of what you’re capable of. Do you dress and look like the leader in your industry?
3. Personality:
What is the best positive personality characteristic which would support your brand? Statistics show that people who are bright, verbal and attractive make more money and are more successful. Do people say you are nice, friendly or professional?
4. Distinctiveness:
How do you express yourself in a unique way? This can be a gift, a signature or the manner in which you dress. It must be something that distinguishes you.
5. Visibility
You must be seen repeatedly and consistently. Attend networking functions, get involved, go on committees or sending thank you notes. Often people will give a reference or testimonial for no reason other than you are known to them.
6. Be Consistent
Your public behaviour should always be consistent with your private behaviour. Treat everyone the same and always be the same. People largely accept you, at least initially, at your own evaluation of yourself. So treat yourself well and others will treat you well.
7. Be Yourself
Be your own Brand. Don’t follow trends, fads. As Judy Garland once said, ‘Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of someone else. ‘
Most people do not know how to dress for success. Instead they sabotage their career and income potential. It pays to design your image to sell. The way you look is a reflection of you and how your product or service works. If you look good, your product or service will be good, and your prices justified.
Professional Image Consultants specialising in professional image can assist you to regularly review your professional image and personal branding to ensure a positive response, successful promotion and business positioning. Becoming your own unique brand is essential! Improving your image is an investment in building your personal profile, reputation and the results you will achieve.
******
Brand Yourself! And Jump the Q! Your personal brand should reflect your abilities and potential. Rachel Quilty, Personal Brand Strategist, known as ‘the Authority’ on personal branding and author of must- have book ‘Brand Yourself’. Go to http://www.JumptheQ.com.au for FREE strategic branding tips. Rachel encourages Jump the Q clients to think strategically when developing a personal brand to get that job offer, gain that promotion or win that client.
Jump the Q assists you to strategically and systematically leverage your professional profile and build your personal brand to become the authority in your industry. Get your free personal branding tactics and tips at http://www.brandyourselfblueprint.com
We assist you to develop your Personal Brand Strategy by:
- Discovering your purpose.
- Designing your best personal brand.
- Devising a personal marketing plan.
- Developing your Signature Brand.
Copyright permission: You have permission to use this article by respecting the copyright by publishing the entire article as it is with no changes and by agreeing to include the above reference at the end of the article, or where you quote the author in which case please include the authors name and company name. In the event you wish to use any or all of this content please advise Jump the Q.
 "The Art of Self- Packaging")
