Marketing

Guess What? You Have A Personal Brand!   
By Terri L. Maurer, FASID

“Your personal brand is the powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind when other people think of you. It’s what you stand for–the values, abilities and actions that others associate with you. It’s a professional alter ego designed for the purpose of influencing how others perceive you, and turning that perception into reality.”

–Peter Montoya, The Brand Called Yout

Believe it or not (and like it or not) everyone has a personal brand of sorts. It doesn’t matter if you are the solo-preneur of a fledgling or established firm, owner of a firm with a handful of employees, or founder of a firm that’s been on a growth path for some time. It doesn’t even matter whether you own the firm or if you work for one of these enterprises. You have a brand. There is something that people remember about you, your actions and professional bent–something they immediately think about when they see you or hire you for a project. Hopefully, what they remember is something very strong and positive. Otherwise, you might need to leave town and start over in a new location to achieve a more ideal perception in your marketplace.

While the comment about leaving town was offered in jest, we probably all know at least one person in our professions who has burned a few too many bridges and could benefit from a do-over. The Peter Montoya quote speaks of a strong, clear, positive idea that customers and colleagues remember when your name comes up in conversation, or they are looking for solid members for a project team. Anything negative or even so-so that comes to mind will not put you on any “A” lists, that’s for certain.

You have been presenting yourself for some time in a professional, business mode. People in all areas of your life, both business and personal, have already begun to formulate their own ideas about what they can expect from you, what they can count on from you. In reality, the best we can hope for is to formulate and present the brand we feel best represents who we are, what we do and why we are the best choice–what value we bring to a customer. It’s all about putting out the very best we have.

Your Personal Brand: The Authentic You
When you think about it, a personal brand is the brand you should be based on who you are, not some dreamed up, contrived perception of who you would like to be able to pass yourself off as. It’s the uniqueness of you that is put forth to potential employers, clients and customers. It’s the “what you see is what you get.”

Creating some idealized persona that requires you to get up every day and be someone who you are not for the purpose of impressing people seems like a completely exhausting way to go through life. Presenting a brand that is based on the unique “you” seems so much easier. A brand based on you is the way you can differentiate yourself, convincing clients that you are better than anyone else for their needs. Why? Because you are different enough to meet the special needs of some customers better than anyone else in the business. All because you can bring all of your best personal characteristics and traits, business attributes, education and skills, and your personal work style to customers, wrapped up in a neat little package that perfectly meets their unique needs.

Pieces: Parts Of Personal Branding
Who you are, what you do and why people should do business with you instead of someone else are the critical components of a personal brand. The who you are part is not simply your given name; it is the very essence of your life experiences that have made you the adult professional personality that you are today. The what you do part is not your job title, the degree you received or license you hold, but rather the unique manner in which you work with clients to meet their specific needs. Blended with why a customer should do business with you, not some competitor–the specific differentiator(s) that bring value to those customers–mesh to make up your very personal brand.

When working with clients on a brand “intervention,” they often want to sit down for half an hour and walk away with a solid personal brand. It’s not that simple. It takes time and input on a number of levels to collect the information needed to assure your personal brand is truly strong and authentic. Admit it–we all have tunnel vision when it comes to analyzing ourselves, our personal and business skills and style. Without reviewing feedback from a variety of related resources, the resulting personal brand may not be nearly as useful as you would hope.

To achieve that strong, clear, positive ideal of your persona, it takes time and serious study of those key factors that apply to no one but you. This combination will constitute your personal brand. That very unique group of qualities that make you, you!

Terri L. Maurer, FASID, is an interior designer, author, speaker and owner of Maurer Consulting Group, a management consultancy helping members of the design and furnishings community recognize challenges and formulate strategies for success. For more information, visit www.maurerconsulting group.com or contact tlmaurer@maurerconsultinggroup.com.