Personal Brand Power

Personal Brand PowerPrepared for Schindler 2015AgendaPersonal brand ID What is it?Define you as a brandPositioning yourselfVisualize your personal IDUtilize your network

1. Personal Brand IDPersonal ID elementsPersonal Brand ID versus Personal Brand ImageSome examples

ProfessionEducationOutlookFashionFriendsPublic relationPersonal gearCommunication styleEntertainmentMusicSocial networkConnectionAgeHome townSkinMarital StatusFinger printBlood typeBody structurePersonal Identity

NameAnything define who I amPersonal ID

Who you truly areWhat do you think about yourselfHow do you present yourself

ThisorPersonal Image

Is how YOU are seen and perceived by Others

This orPersonal ImageImage is Opinion or perception of others about youImage perception

Can you control other people perception?

My identity

Male, 42 y.oHeight: 1m70, Weight: 68kgMarried with 2 kidsProfession: Business DirectorCompany: TCM (co-founder)Qualification: MBA Mattstrich HollandHobby:Tennis, Swimming, Yoga, ReadingDigital: FB, Linkedin

My Perceived IMAGE from colleague at VBL

2. Define you as a brand Define your target audienceDefine your goal toward that target audienceDefine your USP (Unique Selling Point)

Self-awarenessYour StrengthsYour Career GoalsHow do you want your colleagues to see you as? Companys values, reputation directionYour Personal BrandS.M.A.R.T. goalsS - Specific (or Significant).M - Measurable (or Meaningful).A - Attainable (or Action-Oriented).R - Relevant (or Rewarding).T - Time-bound (or Trackable).I want to be a marketing guru in the next 15 yearsI want to be a brand manager in the next 5 yearsI want to be a researcher in next 2 years to understand the practicality of brand marketingI want to find a part-time job in market research agencyto learn from great mentorsLife time goalsPeriodical goalsS.M.A.R.T. goalsS - Specific (or Significant).M - Measurable (or Meaningful).A - Attainable (or Action-Oriented).R - Relevant (or Rewarding).T - Time-bound (or Trackable).Staying the course

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_93.htmWheel of lifeCareer - "To be managing editor of the magazine that I work for."

Artistic - "To keep working on my illustration skills. Ultimately I want to have my own show in our downtown gallery."

Physical - "To run a marathon.Life time goalsPeriodical goalsFive-year goal: "Become deputy editor.One-year goal: "Volunteer for projects that the current Managing Editor is heading up.Six-month goal: "Go back to school and finish my journalism degree.One-month goal: "Talk to the current managing editor to determine what skills are needed to do the job.One-week goal: "Book the meeting with the Managing Editor."USPWhat value you provide (what problem do you solve)How you do it uniquelyWhom you do it for (your target audience)The competition in the job market is increasing every single day. Hundreds of thousands of job seekers enter the market every year in Ghana and the regular job opportunities are simply inadequate. As a result, in a typical job selection process, the review panel often has to make a difficult choice between several equally-matched candidates with similar qualifications and experiences. So, why would an employer choose youover the competition?You are likely to gain an added advantage if you think of yourself as a product and your search as a marketing campaign designed to move that product. Every product has a unique selling proposition (USP). For a product to break through the clutter and succeed, it's crucial that the company correctly identify a compelling USP, match it to the market, and communicate that message effectively. Identifying the USP pretty much boils down to this: what kind of problem does the product solve? What makes it unique? Why is it better than the next product on the shelf?As a job seeker, you're no different. You have a unique value proposition, too. Have you identified it? If you don't know what distinguishes you from the scores of other candidates who might be vying for the same job, the hiring manager isn't going to know, either. Your interest will best be served if you invest some time in thinking about and developing your Unique Selling Proposition, or USP.What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?Known as a personal branding or a value-added statement, the USP is a succinct, one-sentence description of who you are: your biggest strength and the major benefit that a company will derive from this strength. The term USP, which first became popular in theworld of marketing, has traditionally been used by companies to market their products in the face of stiff competition. It refers to that one thing that makes their product different from others. To put it simply,it is thereason why consumers will buy their product instead of thecompetitor's.Just like products have to be marketed to consumers,candidates have to market themselves to employers.The USP should answer a commonly-asked question at job interviews, "Why should we hire you?"What employers are usually looking for is a unique skill that can add values to their businesses.What Is Unique About You?The process of identifying your USP involves taking stock of yourspecial skills. Ask yourself: What is thatone thing thatmakes me unique? What makes mebetter than other candidates applying for a similar position with this company? What can I offer that no other candidate can?This could be aspecialisation or experience in some specific area, which the hiring company views as significant. If you can recognise even one exceptional characteristic or skill-setthat could slot youinto a particular job, it will make a big difference in getting you the position. Any skills that directly or indirectly affect your job performance should be taken into consideration. You may also ask your friends or colleagues to provide input on your strengths, accomplishments, and things you've done that have helped distinguish you professionally. Using a combination of these elements will help you find your USP quickly.Your USP will be unique to you, and will provide an added dimension to everything you state in your cover letter, resume and interviews. Think of it as your own personal tagline. Many companies these days communicate their USP in their taglines and advertising. Telecom giant MTN stresses that you will find them Everywhere you go. Disney World describes itself as "the happiest place on earth." What is your own personal tagline?Crafting Your USPOnce you are aware of both yourself andwhat the company is looking for, you need to compile the information in your resume. Craft your USP into a statement ofaround 10 to 20 words. Keep the following rules in mind:It is usually only one or two sentences long. It is stated in clear terms, and is easily understandable. It is believable. It emphasises some unique benefit that you provide better than others. Your USP comprises a unique amalgamation of skills, interests and talents, and is the golden wand that you should wave in front of your prospective employers, financiers or stakeholders. The USP statement is also referred to as your 'elevator pitch' that brief statement of value you can communicate within 30 seconds.It should be concise enough to be communicated in the time it takes to ride the elevator with that top business guru you may never meet again.Sample USPsYour USP should be short but descriptive. It may capture your educational background, training, years of experience, business contacts, or your ability to motivate and inspire.You may need to adjust it based upon the job profile. Here are some examples:"I have five years of information technology experience. My expertise is in technical support and troubleshooting computer problems. My technical knowledge will be beneficial in reducing call waiting times and will substantially improve the efficiency of your technical support centre."This is my personal USP: I am an inspirational speaker and a published author with a strong commitment to the development of Africas human capital. I seek to bequeath a legacy of knowledge-based products for current and future generations.Whatever field you might find yourself in, here is a simple fill-in-the-blank statement for you to complete, which will guide you in crafting your USP, or at least get you started in the right direction:"Because of my _______, I can do _______ for you better than typical applicants."How to use your USP Once you have identified and crafted your USP, you should integrate it in all of your job hunting communications. Include your USP in the body of your cover letter. Typically, you'll reserve the first paragraph for explaining which position you would like, and how you've found it. You may add in a little about yourself and include your USP then, or you may save it for the next paragraph and add in one or two examples from your career history to encourage your reader to review your resume. In your CV or resume, add your USP to your career summary section or your objective. This must be clearly spelt out at the top of the page. Again, during your interview, your USP is especially helpful when you integrate it into your answers to classic questions like, Why You? Tell me about yourself, or even to the question, Where do you see yourself in five years? Imagine you leaning forward and telling an interviewer:"I'm a seasoned Retail Manager strong in developing training programs and loss prevention techniques that have resulted in revenue savings of over $1.2Million for XYZ Limited over the past 3 years."What a difference you would make with this statement. Your interviewers will probably give you their undivided attention. At this point, you might just add the following comment: "I'd like to discuss how I might be able to do something like that for you." That throws the ball firmly back in their court and you have the beginnings of a real discussion and not an interrogation process. With the benefit of years of experience in consultancy and interviews, we can ascertain that a strong and well communicated USP can make you a winner in an interview.Bear in mind that the statement of your unique benefit may subtly change depending on the prospective employer. If you are multi-talented and have notched significant achievements in different areas, say marketing, writing and organizing, you should highlight the one among them that speaks best to the particular job being applied for at any time.

22USPStay authenticMake it punchy and memorableKeep it reasonably shortIt aint cast in ironTarget your audienceWhom are you aiming your services at? A particular industry, geography, age demographic? Try to stay somewhat focused on a sector of the market and dont spread yourself too thin. The reason personal branding has become critical for business and career success is that nobody wants to buy from the person that does everything for everyone. Look at what target audience would benefit the most from your services and zero in on this.Stay authenticWhen writing a personal brand statement its easy to get carried away and putting down what youd like to be one day. The old fake it until you make it approach does carry some merit but dont overdo it. Never call yourself a guru, ninja, samurai, expert or even thought leader unless you truly are one. Only your audience can determine whether you are an expert and you will know if that is the case. The aim of your statement is to inform and inspire the reader, not to scare them off with fancy titles.Make it punchy and memorableUsing technical or big words could alienate your target audience. You want a seven year-old to understand and be able to repeat what you do. Whenever you introduce yourself at a networking event, stay punchy and memorable. Ideally you will want that person you were talking with to tell other prospective customers what you do this will cover a lot of ground, trust me.Keep it reasonably shortLess is more as they say. Your ability to describe exactly what you do in one sentence says a lot about your introspection and professional focus. In some cases you have to take up two sentence but always aim for one. I will give you a special dispensation to write more if you have done more things in your life than Tim Ferriss.It aint cast in ironYou will soon find that you are going to tinker with your statement after its written up. Its easy to change it but just dont get carried away and change it every week. On the flipside, some people will never look at it again. Even though its time consuming, your personal brand statement should be revised at least once a year to reflect changes and advancements in your professional career. In order to be effective, it needs to stay current.

23Inspire people to transform stuck career management plans to vibrant opportunity creating strategies. Career CoachWith a passion for wine and a natural, open approach I inspire others to appreciate the pleasure of good wines in a fun way. Wine Tasting HostHelps thought leaders write great books in just 90 days. 300 satisfied clients so far Mindy Gibbins-Klein3. Positioning yourselfShowtime Card exercisePositioning Frame workSome examples

Framework

What would you do for me and my company?How I would describe you as my best employee?How would you make me feel when introduce you to my boss/colleagues?How would you make me look when accompanying with you in a meeting?Brand PropositionA unique promise to target consumer that only Vespa can provide

Vespa inspires you & make yourself Unique & stylish to be confident and admired on the street

Fact & SymbolProductFeaturesFormSpecification

Brand LogoSymbolSloganPackaging

Brand Personality

Stylish - Fashionable - ClassyWhat the product does for meFunctional benefit perception

Premium scooter Durable engine Good performance - Trust-worthy over generationsHow I would describe the productBrand Image perception

Beautifully designed with Italian styleEuropean standard engineHow the brand makes me lookBrand User Imagery

Young - elegant - trendy - stylishHow the brand makes me feelBrand Emotional Benefit PerceptionModern - fashionable - Classy Admirable

4. Visualize your Personal Brand IDPhysical IDDigital IDMake it shined

ProfessionEducationOutlookFashionFriendsPublic relationPersonal gearCommunication styleEntertainmentMusicSocial networkConnectionAgeHome townSkinMarital StatusFinger printBlood typeBody structurePersonal Identity

NameAnything define who I amThink about yourself as a it needs a brandguideline

5. Utilize your networkThink about 360 degree communication plan for your brandCreate WOM

Socialnetwork

Content is the King, outlook is the Queen Blog& Web

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