John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing-The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide.
He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system and Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coach Network.
His Duct Tape Marketing Blog was chosen as a Forbes favorite for small business and marketing and is a Harvard Business School featured marketing site. For any professional, a strong personal brand is worth its weight in gold.
Yet, so few people see themselves as a brand. So, as is no surprise even fewer market themselves accordingly.
Here’s a little tip. Everyone has a brand. The only real question is whether your created it intentionally or
accidentally.
Here’s a test. Think of 10 people you know in some manner, could be personal or could be professional.
For any professional, a strong personal brand is worth its weight in gold.
Yet, so few people see themselves as a brand. So, as is no surprise even fewer market themselves accordingly.
Here’s a little tip. Everyone has a brand. The only real question is whether your created it intentionally or accidentally.
Here’s a test. Think of 10 people you know in some manner, could be personal or could be professional.
I’ll bet for most of those people you could think of one single word that pretty much describes them in your mind - sloppy, shifty, happy, professional, stiff, boring, awesome, kind, etc. Am I right?
So, what’s your word? What one word have you intentionally captured in the minds of your target audience? Get this; it doesn’t matter if your audience is the board room, the PTA or the Society of Financial Service Professionals. . . intentionally focusing on one word and then doing everything you can to be that word is the essence of building a strong personal brand.
Innovative, giving, mentor, smart, expert, guru. . .now those are some profitable words.
So what’s this take? You must set some goals for your word. You must be able to articulate and clarify how you represent your word.
You must develop tools that communicate you own your word. You must become a better writer, you must become a better public speaker. You must begin to think of yourself as a brand.
Because your word is worth a bunch to you.