As a sales professional, you know well the value of a brand name. A brand is an easy way for a customer to know that he or she can expect a certain level of quality and performance from a product or service. A strong brand can do the job of a trusted friend or an expert reviewer, which is what makes brand maintenance and reinforcement so valuable.
Sandy Smith is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his career in public relations and corporate communications. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, PGN, and a number of Web sites. Philly-area residents may also recognize him as "MarketStEl" of discussion-board fame. He has been a part of the great reserve army of freelance writers since January 2009 and is actively seeking opportunities wherever they may lie.
More recently, career coaches, job search counselors, and others involved in personal development have taken this insight beyond the realm of goods and services and into the realm of the individual by talking about the need for professionals, whether employed or looking for work, to develop and maintain their "personal brand."
To some, like this writer, the concept seems a little off-putting: In an era where everything from luxury cars to subway stations have brand names slapped on them, must we ourselves also become brand names? But viewed from the practical perspective of getting what one wants from life, it soon becomes clear that a "personal brand" is actually quite a useful concept.
What it is, in slightly different terms, is your own personality: The attributes you possess, the strengths and skills you bring to the table, the attitude you take towards work, life and your fellow human beings - these all add up to your personal brand. Sure, image is part of it, but it's image based on underlying substance: The Ford Mustang's strong brand identity comes largely from its history as an affordable high-performance sporty car, and your brand identity likewise comes from your track record of producing results for yourself and those who employ your skills.
How can you know what your personal brand should look like? It helps to have a clear-eyed assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as an individual. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a test commonly used to help people understand their personalities and the careers that would best suit them; there are a number of online sites that offer tests you can take to get a rough idea of your own personality type, such as this online test and this Facebook app. If yoegigu have been employed for some time, you should also have a "body of work" you can refer to to help determine the nature of your brand. That body of work is the product you have to offer to those who might be interested in "buying" you - that is, the people you hope will hire you as an employee or agree to become clients of yours. Understanding your personality and putting together a compelling package of results produced will serve as the foundation of a "brand identity" that can propel you ahead in your career.
Sandy Smith is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his career in public relations and corporate communications. His work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, PGN, and a number of Web sites. Philly-area residents may also recognize him as "MarketStEl" of discussion-board fame. He has been a part of the great reserve army of freelance writers since January 2009 and is actively seeking opportunities wherever they may lie.
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