Personal Branding is Sales (and It’s Not Gross)
Before you get weird about the idea of creating a personal brand, I’ve been in that same boat. I want to provide you with an alternative framing of the concept. Personal branding is the art of communicating your values and how you best serve others.
When we do this type of communication well, it attracts others who believe similar things. The great thing is that we can attract people indirectly, without throwing a bunch of ads or gimmicks in people’s faces.
How to Begin Building Your Personal Brand
Give First - You have to be willing to give first. Give consistently without expecting anything in return. Give exuberantly to the people, places, or causes that you truly care about. And give your best stuff. Not only does your best stuff have the most value, but it also shows others that you really know what you’re doing.
Exercise: Identify Who to Help
If you can’t think of something or someone to give to, here’s a little exercise you can try. List the people in your life who help you. Think about how you can help them with your services or expertise. Make sure to ask them if they want that kind of help. If they don’t, they may have suggestions for you. Listen, make changes, and respectfully offer again.
Leverage Your Knowledge
I guarantee you, you know something that someone else doesn’t. You’re in business; you’ve invested your time, money, and intellectual energy becoming halfway decent at it. You can teach, mentor, or train an individual or a group. Or you can use your special talents and energy to support someone else.
The Impact of Consistent Giving
Not only will people see you for the passionate, giving person that you are, but they will also start trusting you through your consistent efforts. People will begin talking about you. This might actually be the most important part of building a brand because your brand is not determined by what you say it is, but by what others say it is.
I personally don’t see showing up in this way as a competition. But I know that not everyone thinks this way. Not everyone will show up giving consistently. And that will set both you and me apart. We’ll be seen as leaders—leaders who give a damn and are consistently putting a little bit of goodness into the world during normal business hours.
Summary
Building a personal brand is about more than just logos, colors, and websites. It’s about consistently giving value to others, proving yourself as a knowledgeable and passionate person, and allowing others to see you for who you truly are. By focusing on genuine, consistent giving and leveraging your unique knowledge and skills, you’ll build a brand that others trust and respect. This approach sets you apart as a leader who genuinely cares, creating lasting and meaningful connections in your professional journey.