SUCCEED WITH STYLE: Brand You

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Margaret Batting, Image Consultant and Personal Brand Strategist

Brands are not just for big companies like American Express and BMW or big names like Donald Trump and Oprah Winfrey. Brands are vital to the individual, the small business owner, the professional who not only wants to keep the job they have, but accelerate the success of their career. A personal brand is one of the most effective ways to communicate what makes you unique and special. It has become an asset to those willing and ready to take the plunge.

As you start off this New Year, you may want to reassess how you may be perceived by those most important to you and your career success.

Do you know what people really think of you at work? Have you ever taken time to think about what your boss, peers and senior management may think or say about you when discussing your projects or potential opportunities? If you haven’t, you may be missing a big opportunity to secure your role in the organization, be tapped for that next big project or even get promoted. With the shaky economy, high unemployment rate and general uncertainty, it makes sense to evaluate where you stand in your company’s eyes. You may be surprised.

Keep in mind a brand is not just a logo and tag line. It is the combination of an organization’s or person’s actions, communications, offerings and interactions with the end goal of building strong and lasting relationships with customers. A personal brand is your story communicated in a clear and concise manner so that others always know what you can be counted on to deliver, consistently. It includes your appearance, what you say and how you say it, how you behave, your attitude, your values and the results you deliver. Simply put, it’s your promise of value to a customer or organization. And it is the most effective way to set you apart from your peers and competition. Nick Graham, chief underpants office at Joe Boxer said, “The brand is the amusement part. The product is the souvenir.”

With that said, what’s your approach to ensuring you’ll be a brand in 2011?

Margaret Batting is the Corporate Style expert for GoLocalProv.com. Margaret is the owner and president of Elevé Image Consulting and the only certified image consultant and personal brand strategist in Rhode Island. She travels the country as the national corporate image consultant for CareerBuilder and serves as the style advisor liaison for Dress for Success Rhode Island, which will be participating in StyleWeek Providence later this month. For more information, visit http://www.eleve-style.com.