Personal Branding

Many people have heard the term personal branding but really do not understand what it means. Personal branding refers to how people view someone from either a personal or professional level. In business, it is a matter of "Do you meet the expectations of your peers?" and "How much personal involvement do you demonstrate?" Personal branding also refers to your reputation and ethics in how you conduct yourself.

At some point in your business career, you may feel you need to determine the value of your personal brand. There are periods where each of us have had long periods of success and now seem to be having trouble achieving your goals. Now you need to step back see what has changed.  

My best suggestion is to talk with three or four of your peers from both your organization and those who are your competitor, client or business partner. Ask them how they perceive you and where you have room to improve. With each individual, you will have a different value based on how you impact them either professionally or from your in-person interaction. If you want your personal brand to be an asset, you need to understand what is expected of you from these colleagues and how you need to model your business practices to become the one each of them would prefer to have as their business partner.

There is a zenith of personal branding and it is known as “Loyalty Beyond Reason,” which is a situation when you may receive either business or consideration of a request beyond what might normally be expected. In this situation, you have created the loyalty of someone or an organization that feels you show concern for their needs above yours and that you are their champion in any situation. You have made them think about you as the solution, and not your organization.

You can use social media to boost your personal brand, but let me suggest you consult an expert in your own field who handles social media on a full-time basis. Each industry has its own design on how they use this medium, so consulting with an expert in your specific field is essential.

One part of personal branding you need to remember is that people buy or interact with people they know, like and trust. A computer cannot shake someone’s hand or have a conversation. Personal branding comes from personal interaction with your colleagues and peers, not strokes on a key board.

Ted Miller, CHME CHSP, CGTP, CGMP, HMCC