PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION ES 2007S Personal Branding

Isn’t personal branding for the stars?? The likes of celebrities like George Clooney, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Scarlett Johannsen?? Each and every one of us is a brand. Personal branding is the process by which we  market ourselves to others,  leverage ourselves as a brand,  use the same strategies that make these celebrities or corporate brands appeal to others to work for us and  build brand equity just like them.

So how do you want to be perceived? Your self-expression=How people perceive you I’m a dynamic individual I’m a team player I’m passionate about my work I always aim to give my best I’m dependable I’m good at time management I have an eye for detail I’m good at people management I have many interests

But those qualities just make you 1 of a million others!! Have you ever been called intelligent, good listener, a people person, humorous, good at details, big-picture person, problem solver, by your peers?  That description is part of your brand The biggest mistake people make is to  brand themselves just for the sake of doing it or  fail to invest time in pinning down their special skills and strengths  fail to identify their passion  fail to match their special skills and strengths with their passion

What are your Unique Selling Points? What are your skills that differentiate you from others?  List them down. What will other people get when they work with you?  do your USPs include honesty, integrity, compassion for others and a strong sense of community?  or are you only motivated by the “what’s in it for me?” factor??? Remember - Your self-expression=How people perceive you

Brand Discovery Brand discovery is about matching your USPs to your passion To identify your passion ask yourself  what do you want to do on a daily basis?  think long and hard & do some research online to figure out what’s out there.  select a niche, whereby you can be the master of your domain. Decide whether you can do it well with your USPs? Set goals Write down a mission, vision and personal brand statement what you aim to do who you aim to serve & how you plan to achieve your aim The key to career success, is to be compensated based on your USPs & your passion.

Matching your USPs & Passion to the Job How would you communicate your USPs to your prospective employer? Ask yourself  what have I actively done that I could cite as concrete evidence to support this USP that’s part of my brand? Visibility plays a big part in personal branding, so  create opportunities to demonstrate your strengths (there’s nothing dishonest about this).  make a note of every single instance that you demonstrated your USPs by event/ incident and outcome/ result.

Consistency+Focus=Trust Be consistent in all arenas including  social and professional networks like Facebook, Linked In  personal blogs, etc. Demonstrate the same positive behaviours to build trust in the people you work with. Focus on a few key strengths to build your personal brand.  The best brands focus on a few key elements.  Don’t try to be a ‘jack of all trades’!

Global economy- qualities employers demand Enterprising qualities & “interactional efficacy” (Kramsch, 2007, p. 61) Enterprising qualities include  self-reliance  responsibility  boldness  willingness to take risks (du Gay 1996, p. 56)

Interactional efficacy includes… thinking & representing knowledge to oneself & to others. taking turns talking, participating in group activities, initiating questions, taking part in debate, contributing ideas These qualities will help individuals to “self monitor their efficiency and productivity, develop a competitive spirit and work in teams, but not rely on anyone but themselves and be ready to change jobs when the market conditions require it” (Kramsch, 2007, p. 71). view/ /1/.html These qualities could be part of your brand promise.

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