The Person to See

Wealth. Freedom. Influence

PERSONAL BRANDING 101 – Three key Do’s and Three Key Do Not’s

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What is a Personal Brand?

 

Before we can select the right personal brand and start promoting it to our target audience, we need to know what exactly a personal brand is. There are two definitions: one short and one long.

Long Version

A personal brand is a personal identity that stimulates a meaningful emotional response in a target audience about the values or qualities for which you stand. Our brand is our promise to our target audience which means, “If you buy me, this is what you will get.

Short Version

Our personal brand is the word or phrase we want people to think of when they think of us.

 

Three Do’s When Selecting Your Personal Brand

 

Be Authentic

Selecting the right personal brand begins with authenticity.

A personal brand must be a part of who we are as human beings. A true reflection of us as a person. A personal brand is NOT what we do for a living. What we do for a living is the forum in which we get to show case our brands.

The last thing we want to do is build our brand on something we are not, but wish we were.

When many clients come to me for help on their brands, I am quick to tell them, “Look, your brand has to be a part of your personality or character that you can live effortlessly. Don’t try to be something you are not.”

It is not uncommon for me to suggest their brand is something as simple as “nice” or “reliable.”

Since most of my clients are successful, high powered professionals, this usually doesn’t go well at first. They come in wanting a brand that exudes “power” or “confidence” or “leader.” I understand this, but your brand is not about what you want. It is about what resonates with your target audience. What they want.

Case in point. A few years back a client who was a very successful title insurance broker came to me for personal brand coaching. After taking his through my process for selecting the right personal brand, I suggested to him that his brand was “reliable.” He was not happy. He is a former football quarterback, tall and good looking. You know, the kind of guy the rest of us envy.

This client wanted a brand that was sexier.

After some back and forth, I said to him, “What do you do for a living?”

“Title insurance,” he responded.

To which I sarcastically quipped, “What do you think your clients want, sexy or reliable?”

Point made. He went with reliable and has never looked back.

Guys, not everybody can be Beyoncé or Brad Pitt or Michael Jordan. Some of us have to be Urkel. And make no mistake about it, Urkel had a heck of a run as a nerd.

So, my suggestion to you is build your brand on a quality that is authentically you and which you can live effortlessly.

 

Build Your Brand Out

 

Picking the brand is easy. Building the brand out is the hard part.

I was talking to my dad a few years ago on a day when he was a bit cranky. I said to him, “Dad you have to work on your brand your brand.”

He laughed because he said he’s 78 years old. So I asked him, “Do you want your grandchildren (All 32 of them!) to say, “Hey, I am excited to see Grandpa today’ or do you want them to say, ‘Oh man, do I really have to see Grandpa today?’”

I explained to Grandpa that the only difference between the grandchildren being excited to see him and seeing him out of a sense of duty was his personal brand.

If you are breathing, you are branding. Everything we do or don’t do or say or don’t say either adds to or takes away from our personal brand credibility. How we carry ourselves, speak, dress, interact to others. Everything.

Your job is to be intentional about building your personal brand credibility. You do this by building personal brand equity. You build personal brand equity the same way you build the equity in your home. There a few major changes you can make out of the gate that can have a real WOW! Impact. The rest are small cumulative changes and improvements which, by themselves don’t add huge value, but over time they add up.

Here is my suggestion. Make a list of 100 things you can do to improve your brand and execute them. When you are finished. Do it again, and again and again.

I think you get my point.

Guard Your Personal Brand Reputation

 

Guard your reputation as if your life depends upon it.

I remember and experience I had in law school more than 30 years ago. It was so powerful it has stuck with me ever since. I was having a political discussion with a fellow classmate and we were disagreeing on an issue. Instead of responding substantively, my classmate took a cheap shot, and launched into an ad hominem attack.

I ignored his comment and walked away. Another classmate who was also present scolded me for not defending myself. The comment was really nasty and my classmate warned me, “You can never let anyone say something like that to you and get away with it. You can’t let anyone brand you negatively.”

He was right. You must vigilantly guard your reputation because once you lose it, it’s nearly impossible to get it back.

Three Do Not’s

 

Don’t Change Your Brand

Never change your brand based upon who you are with or the environment you are in.

Your brand must always remain consistent across all the landscapes. Whether you are with family. Family, business colleagues or in a social setting, your brand never changes. Consistency is the cornerstone for building a great personal brand.

It never changes. You hear me?

The conduct you engage in may need to change, but your brand does not.

Don’t Build Your Brand At The Expense Of Others

It’s not necessary. It’s cheap. It’s like a comedian that makes a crowd laugh by mocking other people or someone in the audience.

That’s why I like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. They never mock others in order to get a laugh. They rely upon their own cleverness (or now that they are famous, the cleverness of their writers)

Build your brand based on your own credentials and accomplishments, not by putting others down.

 

Don’t Build Your Brand Based On Your Own Opinion Of Yourself

 

Branding has nothing to do with what we think about ourselves. It’s about what our target audience feels about us. Never forget that No one is a success unless awful lot of people want that person to be. Not many people will want us to be a success unless they have a strong, positive feelings about us.

You know the old saying, “No cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

 

Maximizing the Impact of Your Referrals

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What Is Not A Good Referral

 

When somebody says to you, “Hey, you should call so and so,” do you think that’s a high-quality referral?

Of course, it’s not. It can be annoying when people say this to you, right? So, DON’T do this to others. Giving good referrals is about making an emotional investment in the success of another person. You are genuinely interested in trying to help someone else grow their business or achieve some other type of success through your introduction.

If you do not have the commitment to do what it takes to make a meaningful referral or you lack the personal brand credibility to open the door, you are much better off not doing anything at all.

 

What Is A Good Referral?

 

Giving a good referral does not mean it is automatically a done deal for the person being referred Yes, sometimes your personal brand credibility is so influential that if you make a referral, it is a done deal. But don’t put that kind of pressure on yourself.

When making a referral your goal should be to open a door in a way that legitimately connects the two people you are introducing. The person you are referring in is comfortable reaching out and the person he/she is trying to connect with is genuinely receptive to hearing his/her message.

A good barometer of whether you or not your referral is legitimate is if you can say to the person you are referring is:

“He/She is waiting for your call.”

 

The Best Personal Brands Give the Best Referrals

 

Personal branding impacts the caliber of the referrals you give in two important ways:

–      You must have ample personal brand credibility with the person to whom you are referring. In other words, the person you are calling on respects you and will be to receive your referral (e.g. “Sure, I would be happy to hear from Jane. Tell her to call me tomorrow between 9:00 -11:30am.”)

–      You must be willing to leverage that that personal brand credibility on behalf of other people. There are many people who have a lot of personal brand credibility who are not willing to use it on behalf of others. Either they are selfish or afraid to ask on behalf of others.

Here’s a case in point. I have a client of mine with a ton of personal brand credibility. I remember sharing this concept with him a few years ago. He said to me, “I could never do that.” He wasn’t selfish. He was just uncomfortable putting his personal brand on the line in case things went awry.

The bottom-line is, you may have all the personal brand credibility in the world, but if you’re not willing to pick up that phone or send that email to actively engage in trying to open the door, your referrals are worthless.

Tim Noonan of Lockton Insurance offers a great example of how giving referrals should be done. I met Tim at a one of Lockton’s national meetings. Lockton had invited me to come speak to their best and brightest producers. Tim liked what I had to say and graciously offered to help me grow my business.

One day not too long after the event I had spoken at, I received a phone call from Tim. He said he wanted to make some introductions for me right now. Was I ready? I wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but you never look a gift horse in the mouth. “I am ready, I said.”

Unbeknownst to me, Tim’s assistant, Diane was on the line. He than proceeded to instruct Diane to dial the number of one of his colleagues. This colleague’s assistant picked up and Tim said, “Hi Mary, it’s Tim Noonan is Bill there?”

“Sure, hold on a minute,” she said.

Moments later Bill got on the phone. With me on the line, Tim explained to Bill what I did and suggested we connect. Bill agreed. Bill and I meet a week or so later. Tim did this same thing with four other colleagues.

This is exactly how it is supposed to be done. Tim had great personal brand credibility with the people he was introducing me to and was willing to leverage it in behalf of somebody else who he wanted to help get to the next level.

 

A Simple Formula

 

Here is a simple referral checklist to help ensure you give good referrals:

–      Make actual contact to the person you want to make the introduction to
–      Be clear who you are referring to them
–      Be clear why you are referring them
–      Get confirmation that he/she will take the call of the person you are referring

 

Three Strategies to Maximize the Referrals You Receive

 

1.      In Person is Best

”Just get me in front of the person” is what I always say to colleagues when they ask me, “What’s the best way to refer you in?” It’s not because I think I am awesome, but rather I have worked very hard to perfect my messages. I know I can tell the story of me, my products and my services, better than anybody else can. When someone opens the door with the question, “What’s the best way to introduce you?”, be ready to ask them “Can you get me in front of them?”.

2.     Over the Phone is the Next Best Way

When the person is not in a geographically desirable place (e.g. Out of state or in a city that is very far away), ask your colleague who is referring you in if he/she can get you on the phone with the person they are trying to connect you with. The reasoning is the same as above.

YOU want to tell YOUR story. No matter how well-intentioned someone may be, he/she is just not going to be able to:

–      Tell your story the way you want them to tell it
–      Introduce you the way you want to be introduced

3.     How to Use Email to Maximize Your Introduction

Sometimes, people want to make introductions, but just don’t have the time. You must make it super easy for them. One way is by crafting an email they can cut and paste under their signature. Here’s a four-step process to make sure you do this the right way:

–      Ask for permission to put something together for them to review
–      Give them permission to make changes so it reflects their voice,
–      Ask them to send your email to their contacts.
–      Ask them to CC you on it so you are in the loop

 

Always Let Your Referral Source Know How It Went

 

Remember, your referral source put his/her personal brand on the line so make sure you let them know how it went. There are two reasons for this:

–      To say “Thank You” regardless of how the referral turns out
–      If the person who said, “Sure, have him call me” doesn’t take the call your referral source will want to know.

If you follow these simple rules of referral etiquette you will 10X’s the quality of the referrals you give and the referrals you give.

If you want to put your business development on steroids check our our business development program, The Box System.  

 

Using LinkedIn as a Powerful Networking Tool

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Time-tested Formula

 

Below is a time-tested, nine-step formula one of my clients, who is a million-dollar plus producer year after year, uses to get just about any meeting he wants using LinkedIn.

1. Build out your profile as much as possible

– Get ranked as an all-star
– Post articles, testimonials any information that credentials you as THE expert
– Write your bio in the first person
– Make you headline catchy and, if possible, fascinating
– Manage your endorsements so they reflect your personal brand

2. ONLY link with people you have met in person. You may have to go back in and unlink from some people. This makes your database much more credible.

3. Every new prospect/client you meet send a LinkedIn request

4. Join whatever groups you are interested in (e.g. venture capitalists, CFO forum)

– After you join a group makes a post once or twice per week. When you do it sends out notification to everyone. Gets more views for your profile.

5. Under your Homepage start a discussion. Again, will get your profile viewed. Shows you are active

6. Start your own group. My guy and his partner started their own group and invited all their contacts to join. Do a post to your group a few times per month

7. Every other month rework something in your profile. When you do it notifies everyone in your network. More profile views

8. Make your LinkedIn profile part of your signature line in your emails

9. Getting meetings:

– Go to LinkedIn and log in as yourself. Go to the text box and type in who you want to meet. See who you have in common.
– Pick my strongest two connections and ask for introductions
– Offer to write the introductory email for them
– You need to follow up with people who say they will make introductions. People are busy. It is the old Jerry Maguire philosophy, “Help people help you.”
– Once the introduction is made to you, you need to take it from there. If you do not get the response you had hoped for do NOT become a stalker AND to not complain to the person who introduced you, “Your buddy did not call me back.” Be prepared to move on.

 

 

 

Your Greatest Risk Produces Your Greatest Gain

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THE Movie That Changed My Worldview

For those of you who have never seen the movie Rudy, it is a out a young man’s journey from the steel mills just outside Pennsylvania to the gridiron of Notre Dame football.

Rudy was an average, undersized high school football player who had average grades to match. His whole life he grew up watching Notre Dame football with his father and brothers on the family’s black and white family room T.V.

From a young age Rudy always dreamed of going to Notre Dame and playing football. No one gave him a chance.

After high school Rudy did as was expected. He joined his father and older brothers working in the local steel mill. His best friend from high school also started working in the mill. For Rudy, the mill was always a stepping stone.

His fate changed when his best friend was killed in an explosion. At that moment, Rudy resolved to follow his dream. He left his family and his girlfriend whom he was expected to marry and decided he would go to Indiana and pursue his dream of playing football at Notre Dame. As you can imagine, everybody thought Rudy was crazy. He was mocked by those closest to him. Everybody tried to talk Rudy out of his crazy idea of following his dream.

 

Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

The pivotal moment in the movie for me was the scene at the bus station. Rudy was sitting on the bench waiting for the bus with one duffel bag full of clothes. His father, played by Ed Beatty, enters the frame and sits down next to Rudy.

He calmly shared a story of his childhood when he and his brothers encouraged his father to take out a loan and increase the size of the cattle on their farm, so they could sell more meat and make more money. The weather did not cooperate that season on the farm and most of the cattle ended up dying. The family ended up losing the farm.

Rudy’s father’s message was loud and clear. “Son, it’s best to do what you know and stay within your comfort zone.” He had hoped that Rudy would heed his message and come home. But, Rudy was undeterred.

Exasperated, Rudy’s father delivered what was, for me, the line of the movie. He threw up his arms and exclaimed, “Rudy, Notre Dame is not for Ruettiger's (Rudy’s last name), it is for other people. Ruettiger's work in the steel mills.”

Wow! Talk about a buzz kill. Even your dad thinks you are crazy.

 

Rudy’s Greatest Risk Produced His Greatest Gain

Thank God Rudy did not head his father’s advice. How his life would have been different.

Rudy did go to Notre Dame and he did play on the football team and he did run out of the tunnel onto the field.

In fact, so admired by his teammates, he was triumphantly carried off the field at the conclusion of his last game. No player has been carried off the field since.

Every time I make the decision to do something different that is not directly within my wheelhouse or comfort zone, I hearken back to Rudy’s conversation with his dad. If Rudy believed in himself when his chances for success were so low, why shouldn’t I go for it!

To find out more about how Rudy’s greatest risk produced his greatest gain, treat yourself and watch the movie with your whole family.

Bring tissues!

 

Personal Branding Is A Journey, Not A Sprint

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Let me take you back to October 30, 1974, Heavyweight Champion, George Foreman was squaring off against Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle.

 

Personal Branding Mastery

 

Muhammad Ali was the master of personal branding. He arrived in the Republic of the Congo a month before the fight on a private plane to much fanfare. The red carpet was rolled out, the band played the Congo’s national anthem and dignitaries met Ali at the airport.

Ali took advantage of his time. Rather than train in solitude he woke up every morning and ran through the dust covered streets from village to village. To rally the adoring fans that lined the streets as he ran by, Ali asked, how do you say “Kill him in their native language Lingala. The answer is “Bomaye.”

Day after day, Ali ran through villages raising his fist and chanting to the Congolese people who lined the roadside, “Ali!” to which they responded on cue, “Bomaye!” By the time Foreman had arrived the entire country was in Ali’s pocket.

Fast forward two weeks. Foreman arrives in the Congo to the same pageantry as Ali. Foreman’s brand at the time was “mean” and he embraced it with every ounce of his being. When the doors to his plane opened, Foreman boldly stepped out with a handful of leashed attached to his German Shepard dogs. Problem was during World War II the Germans tormented the Congolese people with their German Shepard’s. Immediately, the entire country was against Foreman.

The rest is history. Ali went on to knock out Foreman in one of the greatest upsets in boxing history.

 

From “Mean” to “Nice”

 

Foreman went on to have two more uneventful fight, both of which he lost. He returned to the mean streets of Houston. After licking his wounds, Foreman decided it was time for the next chapter in his life. He dedicated himself to helping the children of Houston’s inner city. He also became an ordained minister.

Eventually, Foreman decided that the children needed a youth center they could call their own. The problem was they had no money to buy, let alone, build one. Foreman decided that he would raise the money by doing what he did best…get back into boxing. The problem was, Foreman had ballooned to over 300 pounds. He was undeterred.

He also changed his brand to “nice.”

Choose Your Own Personal Brand

 

Despite all the ridicule for being too old and too fat, Foreman persisted. He eventually regained the heavyweight championship at the age of 46, knocking out Michael Moorer. The oldest man to ever do so.

It didn’t end there. Foreman went on to become, perhaps the most lovable sports figure in the world. He signed a slew of endorsement deals, including attaching his name to the George Foreman Grill. He eventually sold his interest in the George Foreman Grill for more than $200MM. Not bad for a guy who changed his brand from mean to nice.

Never Allow Bitterness To Consume You

 

The morale of this story for me is, where we start out is not always where we end up. The key to George Foreman’s renaissance was he never allowed bitterness to consume him.

 

It is a fact. If you try to make the most out of your life, you will fail and run into roadblocks. Some may seem insurmountable. At the end of the day, our personal branding journey is nothing more than a series of choices we make, including how we respond to our setbacks.