You Inc.: Personal Branding and Professional Success

Nike Nike is the Greek goddess of victory Nike is for winners and serious athletes; look at their spokespeople Nike is cool, trendy, hip People want to be seen wearing it Nike is expensive Makes a statement about your “economics” (sort of) © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Brand Deﬁnition “A name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” -- American Marketing Association © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Why does branding matter? Branding is unavoidable You are creating a brand whether you want to or not; doesn’t it make sense to control it? You are competing against many different people in the workplace Branding helps emphasize the differences between you and others Branding is a good self-assessment exercise © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding 101 Key Characteristics of a Brand Clarity - your brand should be clear and unambiguous Credible - your brand needs to boost your credibility Connective - does your brand connect with customers emotionally? Value - what value does your brand communicate? Loyalty - does your brand build loyalty among your customers? © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding 101 Clarity What three things do you want to be known for? Credibility Why would customers/clients trust you? Connective How does what you do connect emotionally with others? © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding 101 Value What is the value of the product/service that you’re offering? Differentiation from other similar products/services Loyalty Do customers come back for more? Is your product/service offering sustainable over time? © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

It’s Personal...and it Isn’t Now that you’re paying attention to your brand, you need to realize that it is personal, and that it isn’t It’s personal because it involves you It isn’t personal because it is a package of goods and services If someone doesn’t need your combination of goods and services, it’s not about you, it’s about what they need © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding Language Who would you rather hire to house hunt? The woman who says: “I am a real estate agent”; OR “I help people ﬁnd their dream homes” How do you describe what you do? © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Think: Packaging Appearance Clothing (color, ﬁt, season, price point) Grooming (neatness, style) Personal style (conservative, trendy, bohemian) Behavior General demeanor (do you seem friendly, aloof, angry?) Speaking style (voice tone, accent, gestures, laughter) © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Think: Value Competencies What is your primary area of expertise? (pick one) What is your core skill set? Differentiation What sets you apart from your competition? Why would a company/client choose you over someone else? What do you have that no one else does? © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding Yourself You are not just an EMPLOYEE You are not just a TITLE You are not just an OWNER You are not just a SPOUSE or MOTHER You are “You Inc.” © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

How to Build You Inc. Think of yourself as a bundle of goods and services Determine your features and beneﬁts, together Make sure your packaging is attractive Ask yourself - what do I want to be known for? Build relationships/trust Market yourself/gain visibility © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Reinventing Your Brand If your brand has taken a hit, here are some ways to re- invent yourself Setup a focus group about You Inc. Become an expert Build new relationships Make a change (industry, geographic, departmental) © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

Branding is Power Taking charge of your brand allows you to Evaluate yourself realistically Set goals and develop plans to reach them Position yourself against the competition Be more strategic in connecting with others © 2009 Jessica Faye Carter. All Rights Reserved.

You Inc.: Personal Branding and Professional Success

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