It’s almost as if the business gets away from the owner/CEO- among all the product and service lines, price points, prospecting, hiring/firing, etc., the brand message fails because the “two Cs”- clarity and consistency go out the window.  Part of the reason this happens is that: 1) there has been no “intentional brand” development of the CEO/Owner 2) the employees’ personal brands have not been developed and 3) there has been no meeting of the minds on how the employees’ personal brands will integrate to represent the business brand well.  As a result, employees are all over the place “marketing” the business brand based on their own methods/ideas.  Various employees represent/misrepresent their personal brand and the business brand differently- lacking congruity, causing dilution.

All of this would have been cured had their been a deep inhale at the top followed by some awareness and recognition of the brand and how it should be positioned and disseminated to the market.  All this would likely have been facilitated by hiring an outside expert, ideally.

So stop and think:

- Do you have an “intentional personal brand”?

- Do your employees have an intentional personal brand?

- Is everyone aware of the business brand and how their personal brand integrates into the business brand?

- Got a strategy to position all brands effectively and with maximum reach/minimum dilution?

The best way to approach this challenge is to go into any meeting/situation with an awareness of how you want to come across and make an effort at trying to feel how others perceive you in your efforts.  When I say “feel”, I mean use your intuition.  Most of us have lost the ability (or never really cultivated it) to use our intuition as our guide- you know, that “gut” feeling you get.  To help you discern your brand, also gauge others’ perceptions by studying their facial and body gestures as well as their vocal tone in response to you.

In addition, remember that it is often more effective to ask a well-placed and thought-provoking question in a meeting rather than making random and frequent comments, just to be seen and heard.  We often find people don’t know what to do with themselves in meetings, so they keep talking.   Perhaps take a symbol of these concepts with you into the meeting and put it in front of you so you are constantly reminded of your goal.  Maybe it is a new mug or a paperclip or a pen or take off your watch and put it in front of you.

Always ask yourself:

- How do I want to come across and be perceived in this upcoming meeting/interaction?

- Am I coming across calm and measured?

- Am I talking more than listening?

The truth is that this problem plagues most of us in one way or another.  It most often manifests full force when we are forced to face the issue, such as like my client above, while we are looking for a new job or career.  This is the main time when we have to explain to other employers and contacts the truth: who we are, what we are about and why we should get that next great job or promotion.

I see the struggle all my clients face when we work on developing their unique selling proposition and story.  Most folks stare at me like I am asking them to move a boulder up a hill through mud. But what they realize later is that at the top of that hill rests a treasure chest for them.  To get to the treasure, first they have to figure out who they are, get their story down on paper and really “own” being unique.

So stop and ask yourself:  How would you answer the question: “[Your First Name and Last Name IS...]“

- First look at what makes you unique

- Then figure out your own story.  Before you can express who you are to others, you gotta know who you are and own it well.

Many of my clients have such an interest as well. Others just want to have their work with us re-affirmed somehow.   That’s where I turn to my friend and UCLA professor, Dario Nardo.  Dario company is Radiance House.  He travels internationally speaking on the subject of the brain and all things brain.  Here’s what Dario has taught me (the layman’s version):

Did you know there’s an actual region of your brain that processes first impressions, perceptions and how we project realty out and what we process as a result?  This is where we visualize the abstract (ie, a personal brand and joy) and use visual themes and impressions to see others projections.  While everyone has this particular region, we all make use of this region very differently.

Here I bring in the concept that we all “filter” people’s personal brands.  This is the reason why our impressions of people and brands are so different.  By “filters” I mean that our experiences and life events lead us to “see” things differently. So for example, I filter my perceptions and impressions through the following filters exclusive to me and my background/experience:  lawyer, immigrant, daughter, CEO, wife, yoga junkie, dark chocolate freak and personal branding expert.

So next time your perception of someone is very different than someone else’s, think again.  No one is right or wrong, we are just using our brains differently and filtering people differently based on our past.

In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in how successful business is conducted.  Because of the recession and the jaded nature of society, people are looking to work with businesses that are about making a difference instead of focused exclusively on making money.

Every business exists to make a profit, or at least enough money to pay the overhead costs they incur.  That’s just smart business.  However, the truly successful businesses have figured out that success is way more than turning a profit.

In order to be outstanding and have a business brand that exudes leadership in your industry, you have to shift your company focus.  The focus must become one of how to make it about others.  In other words, what is your fundamental business mission and how does it make a difference for others? 

This shift in focus must be felt by every single employee- make it a culture.  That means each employee’s personal brands must be cultivated to exude the mentality of making it about others.   If employees do not understand their unique contribution to the landscape, then they have a weak personal brand that infects the entire company.

So stop and think about:

- Does your company/business really make a difference in the community (local, regional, national, international)?

- If so, give a detailed explanation of WHY.

- If so, give a detailed explanation of HOW.

- Do each of the employees understand this purpose- are the employees receiving: a) regular training and development of their personal brands and development as contributors to the organization b) an incentive to motivate them to strive to make the difference every day?

Katy Goshtasbi, JD on impact on company brand from Pamela Stambaugh on Vimeo.

In personal brand management, we are always looking at the two “C”s, clarity and consistency.  When two companies merge, we find the clarity and consistency of the brands (both corporate and personal brands of the people) take a big hit.

I was having lunch recently with an employee who had witnessed his company be acquired by another.  He was anything but happy by the new corporate brand.  He felt completely lost and left out of his “new” company.  He was telling me he felt like his voice no longer mattered- that the new company had forced their beliefs and procedures and entire brand philosophy on his acquired company.  As a result, he was disillusioned and wondering how long he could take it anymore.

Personal brand management is about feeling unique, owning your uniqueness and communicating your best qualities with confidence to your target market.  It is extremely hard to work somewhere when you think your company (and you) no longer matters.   We find employees’ self-confidence and ability to express their unique qualities is eroded often to a point of no return.  When the trust factor fails, productivity decreases and a quality personal brand fades fast.

The key is for management to have a solid brand consolidation plan post-mergers.  This plan MUST include a personal brand management portion so that each employee understands: 1) the new corporate brand messaging and positioning and 2) their own personal brand so they can fit well within the new entity and produce results and be in harmony with other employees.

In my personal branding opinion, they are not the same. In fact, I encourage you all to be an expert IN ADDITION to being a technician.

I often find clients come to us because they are suffering from being a really good technician.  All they know is their substantive work.  They are really good lawyers, CEOs, senior management, CPAs, doctors, dentists, engineers, etc.  By the time they get to me, they realize that something is missing. While they are really good at WHAT they do for a living, they are usually not happy, not promotable, not memorable, not liked, not prosperous if they are running a business, etc.  The list goes on and on.  Want to know why?

It is because they are lopsided in their personal brand.  They are masters at their craft, but not well-rounded.  What good is it if you are a master, but no one sees you as the “expert”?  If you keep your door shut all day long mastering your craft and being a great technician, it only gets you so far in life and in business. No one remembers you for being a great lawyer or CPA necessarily.

The key is to be well-balanced as a personal brand.  No one should expect perfection from us in business. However, everyone does and should expect quality work product we can all stand behind and own.  This means having your substantive work down firm, but also knowing how to effectively communicate your OWN uniqueness that would have us remember you for your substantive work one day.  That’s what I call an “expert”- substantively knowing what you are doing AND having us see you as such.

So consider:

- Are you JUST a master of your substantive work? If so, why so lopsided?

- How is your personal brand messaging coming across to your target audience?  Do you even have one?

- What are you going to do to be a balanced personal brand that we all remember? 

So what exactly equals a good first impression?   Is it something we can quantify somehow so we can recreate the success formula over and over again- or at least know when we don’t see it?

A litigator was recently lamenting to me about a jury trial she was involved with. She was really upset because she had lost the case as the prosecution, but not on the merits, in her opinion.  The jury had said that they did not find the defendant to be the harasser (ie, guilty) because he had been “nice” to his wife in the courtroom when he had opened the court gate door for her.  So in essence it appears, at least on first blush, that the jury was more swayed by the defendant’s demeanor towards women, ie being a gentleman, rather than the evidence.

Lesson:  first impressions go a long way, even in jury trials. It’s all about that first impression we form that we just cannot shake, despite the facts to the contrary even sometimes.

In my opinion, first impressions are a moving target because you cannot predict the mindset of the audience who first perceives you.  However, you are firmly in control of how YOU want to show up at first and the energy and personal brand you want to lead with when you meet new people and leave first impressions.    If you believe you are doing and resonating your best self and best personal brand, then we will all get a fabulous first impression from you.  As humans, it is not always conscious processing we go through to get there, but nevertheless we consciously know and feel the end result- whether we like you and want to get to know you better or not.

SO GO OUT THERE AND MAKE A FABULOUS FIRST IMPRESSION AND COME TELL US ABOUT IT.

However, I also like to harp on the concept of sameness.   This concept’s foundation is in A Course In Miracles.  In particular, I love the phrase “Make today different by seeing everyone the same”.  The belief is that if we all saw one another as the same (no less and no more), then we could relate better to others and create harmony rather than tension and animosity and hate.

Does this fly in the face of uniqueness and am I crazy for preaching out of both sides of my personal branding mouth?  Well, not at all.

In my opinion and expertise doing this work for years now, here is how it works:  the more you recognize that at the end of the day, we are all the same regardless of our external shapes and sizes and personal brands, the more you will be able to express your uniqueness as a contributing factor to make the “whole” of society better and more prosperous and joyful.  In other words, our personal brand uniqueness can be used as a vehicle to bring harmony and light up our sameness rather than highlight one person’s strength while putting down another’s weakness.

Try this methodology on for size and see your world and personal brand strength change for the better.  Email me if you have questions.

Do you really think that you will captivate us, inspire us and have us remember you this way?  In a world where it seems every other person is a coach, lawyer, doctor, accountant or engineer, who really cares that you are one, too?

So a few days ago I posted a video from a few years back by Simon Sinek where he explains the reason your “why” is so much more important than your “what”.   I love this video because it helps me explain why your personal brand is so important. Even better, Simon’s video articulates my entire personal branding mission and work so well.

The point is that your “why” is the sweet spot.  It is where I get to have that emotional connection with you.  If I “get” your why immediately, then your personal brand is optimal: I remember you, I feel a connection to you, I am inspired by you, you seem credible and I’m much more motivated to get to know you….and hire you or refer you or promote you.

The reason most people do not lead with their “why” is because they do not know their why.  Often they are so involved in the substantive work, they cannot be bothered with superfluous stuff like the why.  Or it is too painful to really look inside to figure out the why. I’m not going to kid you- we spend TONS of time in so many different ways with clients so that they can find, own and build a brand around their “why”.

So, what is your “why” around what you do?  Email me your answer and I’ll help you develop it offline.