What is a Personal Brand?

Business Definition: Personal Brand

• the public expression and projection of an individual’s identity, personality, values, skills, and abilities. The idea of personal branding has evolved by applying the concept of a product brand or a corporate brand to an individual person.
• <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/personal+brand.html>.

Last week, I wrote a series on Personal Marketing.  In this series I covered the Marketing Mix and how we personalize it, to help market YOU.  We covered  the process of defining four aspect of the Marketing Mix (Product, Place, Price & Promotion).

Your Personal Brand is what we’re after.  This is what we are going to Promote.

Before we start Promoting your Personal Brand, we have a few questions to consider:

• What is my reputation?
  • What do people say about me?
    • Good news travels fast, Bad news travels faster
  • Everybody has a reputation either good or bad.
    • Am I reliable or flakey? (Am I on-time or late to meetings)
    • Do I follow through on my promises in a timely fashion?
    • Do I procrastinate?
    • Do others have to pick up my slack?
    • Am I a Team Player?
    • Is there anything I need to do to improve my reputation?
• What is my image now?
  • What message am I sending out to people?
  • Is it professional?
• What image do I want to portray to my customers?
  • What message do I want my customers to see or hear?
  • HINT: Your Core Values, Vision & Mission statements will give you some clues
  • Do I have a resume?
  • Do I have my Personal Elevator pitch? (30 second me)

My next blog will cover your Personal Branding Strategy.