As a marketer and business development professional, I have always been somehow obsessed with the importance of branding when it comes to business. A well-recognized and valued brand will undoubtedly have a significant competitive advantage in the market.
I was presenting our latest marketing plan to a client: explaining 360-degree actions and ways of attracting more clients and increase sales. I was passionate about the latest launch and the new marketing strategy. This frenetic meeting was stopped with: ¨but… Patricia… exactly…what are you doing? What are your tasks?¨ I am a very expressive lady and, of course, my gesture answered before my words repeating myself for the 1000+1 time… till…
HOLD ON..
A well-recognized and valued brand will have a significant competitive advantage in the market
Am I presenting brands while continuously needing to describe myself? Something was not working as it should. I was marketing a brand, in some cases even different lines and companies successfully and with high results but I was repeating and repeating my ME. That day was my eye-opener!
Driving back home, I thought to myself,”I need to make things to promote myself, I need to work until I no longer need to introduce myself!” It can sound like a lazy phrase but it is not. Consider this: the aim of a well-recognized brand is to have no introduction.
Zara doesn’t need to tell you that they offer affordable fashion; you just know it!
Going back to the subject, I started building my personal brand. I would say that it took me a while to find my WHY, my own strategy, as personal branding is much more than self-promotion, it is a full exercise in establishing confidence, credibility and courage as well as define your focus and priorities.
It was a journey discovering who I am and the person that I want to be. This experience helped me to establish my leadership style and how I want to be known. It was a tremendous value to my life for different reasons:
- I asked myself certain questions for the first time
- Created my focus
- I was conscious of my priorities & goals in life
- Established credibility and trust
- Used influence principles
- Stood out with my added value to this world
- Increased my confidence
- Created a legacy
How do I create my personal brand? Or let´s ask… How can YOU create your personal brand?
KNOWING YOURSELF
This includes a bunch of questions (in my case, it was the first time I ever answered them!) to help you understanding yourself deeply. This step will take several days as you must be authentic and honest.
Do not try to be someone that you are not as it will be a lie that it will be impossible to maintain over the years. You are who you are, don’t forget this!
Topic of the questions: values, motivations, passions, goals, interests…
CREATE YOUR PERSONAL VISION STATEMENT
This needs to be a true statement that you are comfortable with. I remember being in my dining room with my laptop in front of me, open to a blank word page writing one sentence, deleting the sentence, rewriting another sentence, deleting. This is the process and it is normal that you will feel lost. My advice if you don’t have a clear answer, ask to your close friends and family!
Topic of the questions: abilities, experiences, likes and dislikes…
SET UP YOUR GOALS
If the personal vision statement was difficult, setting up your goals can take you a couple of days. Don´t try to force the goals, they need to be realistic but ambitious at the same time. Be honest with yourself and establish goals linked with your happiness instead of being exclusively motivated by money.
Topic of the questions: achievements, goals, happiness, future…
YOUR ROAD MAP, BRAND STRATEGY
It is the moment to find out how you can achieve your goals. For this you will need to understand your skills and expectations so you can prioritize and create a proper personal brand strategy.
Topic of the questions: strengths, weaknesses, professional experience, education, differentiation…
The process of defining any brand can take anywhere from months to years and it evolves everyday so don´t worry if this self-discovery is taking more time than expected.
The biggest step is not creating your brand, it is recognizing that you want to create! Keep going and if you don’t want to go through this journey alone, get in touch!
