The Power of Personal Branding
Can you articulate, in 20 words or less, what makes you uniquely valuable to
potential employers? If you're shaking your head, you're not alone: Most
executives struggle to express what makes them special.
November 1, 2004
By Louise Fletcher
Can you articulate, in 20 words or less, what makes you uniquely valuable to
potential employers? If you're shaking your head, you're not alone:
Most
executives struggle to express what makes them special. But, if
you
can't quickly and clearly explain your value to potential employers, how can you
expect them to see it?
As a business person and a consumer, you understand the importance of branding.
You've seen the sales impact of a clear and compelling brand, and you've also
seen what happens when a brand loses its way. Yet few executives realize that
personal branding is every bit as effective — and essential — as product
branding.
Who are you?
If you've ever gone through the process of brand development for a product or
service, you have a sense of the work involved in defining and articulating a
brand message. You also know that a brand message is not something you "create,"
but rather something you discover. The product (in this case you) already
exists. It already has strengths and weaknesses. Your goal when developing a
brand is to find and articulate a clear and compelling message that resonates
with the consumer (or in this case, with the employer).
That's why I put my
resume clients through a rigorous process of self-reflection. I ask
them to answer probing questions about their successes. I challenge them to
develop compelling stories — challenges faced, actions taken, results achieved,
lessons learned. I ask them to recollect what others have said about them.
Patterns emerge during this process of reflection; these patterns form the basis
of the client's personal brand.
One recent client (a sales executive) had consistently exceeded his sales
targets in every position, and he'd done so even in challenging economic times
and market downturns. It quickly became clear that this ability to increase
sales was the core of his personal brand. Another sales executive was less
fortunate in his choice of employers — he'd worked in some very tough situations
and had not always been able to beat his quotas, but in almost all his positions
he had forged unusual partnerships and alliances in order to enter new markets.
This talent turned out to be a key feature of his personal brand.
To identify your own personal brand, take yourself through this same process of
reflection and discovery. Look for the recurring themes in your career. Think
about the most frequent compliments you have received. Identify those times when
you were the happiest and most fulfilled in your job.
Then, work to hone all this information down to 15-20 words that summarize your
personal brand.
Remember that — just as with a product — your positioning must be:
1. Truthful:
Successful brands resonate with the consumer — trying to be something you're not
just because it matters to your audience won't work in the long-term. I often
wonder how many of the people who buy TV-advertised diet pills actually become
long-term customers — I'm guessing it's a tiny percentage. Why? Because the
message and its promise aren't truthful.
2. Supportable:
If you say that "visionary leadership" is the core of your brand, you need to
support the claim with specific examples of visionary leadership. For example:
"Visionary Leader who transformed a struggling $5 million business into a $250
million industry leader in only five years."
3. Focused:
You have many strengths and talents. Don't be tempted to focus on more than one
or two, or you'll dilute your message. When Apple launched the new iPod, there
were many great features to highlight, but I was struck by the simple, stripped
down approach they took to promotion — minimalist, stylized images throughout
all campaigns highlight a few overwhelmingly attractive features.
4. Relevant to your target market:
Select those abilities and qualities that are relevant to the needs of your
audience of potential employers. The
CEO of the ad agency you're targeting will be very interested in the
fact that you've recently managed multiple Fortune 500 accounts, but will likely
care little about your brief prior experience as a sales manager for a small
computer peripherals company — unless, of course, you can draw thick parallels.
5. Compelling and unique:
This is essential in order to make a connection with others. This is as true in
career marketing as it is in product marketing. Avoid cliches and don't copy a
resume format or wording from someone else. Your presentation — both in writing
and in person — should be your own.
So you know your brand — now what
Defining your brand is the first stage of the process — now you must communicate
your message effectively and clearly to your target audience.
In his seminal 1997 article, "The Brand Called You," Tom Peters wrote that
"everything you do — and everything you choose not to do — communicates the
value and character of the brand."
Think about that — everything!
Every resume, every e-mail, every suit, every conversation — they all contribute
to your personal brand. And this is doubly true when you are looking for a new
job because those reading your resume, or conducting interviews are focusing all
their attention on you. If your brand is coherent and compelling, it will sell.
Getting specific
Resume and cover letter
Now that you know your brand, you can create your messaging. Start your resume
and cover letter(s) with powerful positioning statements. Back up your claims
with hard evidence and reiterate your message all the way through the documents.
If your core value proposition is the fact that you always drive exceptional
sales growth by building partnerships and alliances, include specific examples
for each position and provide dollar amounts.
Your marketing campaign
Your brand may impact the approach you take to your search. For example, core
branding for one of my recent CFO clients was his ability to turn around
struggling small- to mid-sized companies and bring them to profitability. This
realization guided his subsequent job search — he was able to research local
companies that fit his criteria and then manage a direct mail and networking
campaign designed to get his resume in front of key executives.
Interviews
Since most interviewers are extremely busy, many will not have time to prepare
in advance. As a result, they often use the resume as a guide, asking you
questions based on the accomplishments you listed on your resume. If your resume
is truly in line with your brand, congratulations! It means you'll be given a
chance to talk about your brand-specific accomplishments. Develop your stories
in advance and practice, practice, practice until you are totally comfortable
articulating these examples of your ability to add value.
Online presence
Have you Googled yourself lately? Many recruiters and executives regularly use
the Internet to research candidates, which means you need a positive Web
presence. One of the quickest ways to build your online presence is to write
articles on your area of expertise for Web sites and newsletters. Also, be wary
of what you do online — if you have a personal Web site that's been indexed by
the search engines, turn it into a career portfolio. You don't want the CEO of
your dream company to come across that photo of you throwing back tequila shots
on vacation!
Ongoing brand management
It's tempting to lose focus on personal branding once you're settled into a new
position, but this is a mistake. Instead, you must develop and nurture your
brand by remembering that "everything you do — and everything you choose not to
do — communicates the value and character" of your brand.
Good luck!
Louise Fletcher is president and co-founder of
Blue Sky Resumes.
Her Perfect Positioning career marketing system helps senior executives
differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded market. Louise provides
career marketing advice on her
Blue Sky Resumes Blog.
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