Unless you are using a branding iron or needle for tattoos, there is no ing in brand.I make the mistake of using the participle branding and certainly allow others, but I see a problem. As personal brand concepts are becoming more widely discussed on and offline; and coaches are marketing personal brand services, I see a clear confusion between marketing and brand.Let’s start here in part one of a series on personal brand:You have a market (maybe not always easily defined). Then you have marketing.You have a brand (maybe not always easily defined). Then you have marketing.Brand exists in the moment. Yes, you have a brand right now. You can re-brand to change an image or perception, but the experience remains along the way. You need marketing to communicate the brand.Brand is soft. It is an experience defined by the market/customer. It can be you, your business, products and culture.Marketing is more tangible. Name, logo, slogan, design, influence, scheme, campaign, etc.Brand is a collection of the marketing collateral. Important: the brand can be perceived different than the message. That is where market research comes in. Or for the personal brand a brand check – similar to a confidential reference check the way I do it.In other words you don’t start personal branding, the action, but you may start awareness of your brand and a strategy to improve and communicate your value proposition.My days as an executive recruiter generalist provided insight into many businesses and disciplines. It was the Brand Manager role in many executives and some entrepreneurs I love to apply to the personal brand manager required in all of us.A classic brand manager job description coming from, say, Kellogg School of Management into a well know company like Sara Lee to run or create any one of the Sara Lee Brands consist of expertise in:Identifying key marketsMarket researchBuild product/service solutionsPricing strategyBuilding brand awarenessCareers are our own business – a business that we create, brand, own and manage. Our careers go through the same service model cycle a business does. So it is logical to think that any professional needs to plan, manage and brand a career. The Classic disciplines required such as those listed above are not required core competencies of the career and community minded professional. But the strategy as a tool is required to build and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.Brand management for your career:Identifying key markets to understand where your skills and passions are transferable.Market research to be tooled with the required skills to be competitive today and tomorrow and to identify market trends (or create them).Build product/service solutions that add value and separate you from your perceived competition.Pricing strategy to understand the value of your skills and results as well positioning for negotiations for your service offering.Building brand awareness on and offline to be a known commodity and provider of value – sought after as an expert in your field.Identifying Key MarketsIf you could live in your ideal community, where would it be? Describe your neighbors and their character. What is the hot industry that you can’t stop talking about? Why can’t this industry live without you? Are you a generalist or have multiple industry answers – lucky you because you can think about why multiple industries and communities can’t live without you! For you, there is a different value proposition based on market conditions and trends – what are they?
Before true success in market penetration with product You – you know yourself with lived values and trust in your competencies. That confidence is the difference and if you don’t have it in you, how can you expect others to be confident in you as you venture into the unknown together.Key markets can be where you have demonstrated obvious results and your skills are easily sold with existing brand loyalty. With the ability to demonstrate your confidence, you can show transferable skills into new key markets – whether the industry is new to you or new to everybody.Show a match in your integrity and competencies to the mission of a target company in your key market and you will have a winning strategy – if you are innovating new than you know what to do…surround yourself with complimentary brands that will drive your idea to market.Market ResearchTo the surprise of most, Tiger Woods chose the top of his game to fix his swing. Woods was widely recognized as the best golfer in the world in 1997 so why would he deliberately slump to fix his swing?Tiger Woods knew his swing would not remain a competitive advantage over the long term. His proactive training was the mark of a visionary at his best.Woods already identified his talents and passion and is constantly working on his skills. If he does not constantly look at the competition, conditions, tools he uses and skills to compete, he knows he will quickly become irrelevant – same with you and me!When looking at your skill-set, do you know what you have to offer? What is it going to take to compete next year…three years….five years? Do you ask yourself what trends are taking place that could change or eliminate your role?I am often asked to help identify the best ways to help research industries and trends. From a broad spectrum, subscribe to the appropriate trade magazines and join the targeted associations in your area. Seek out the experts and trend setters and find a way to add value to them. Learn learn learn and be the sought after one in the magazines and events on and offline. That is a great personal brand! Need help with specific examples for you? Ask at http://www.PersonalBoardofAdvisors.comBuild Product/Service SolutionsWe understand the concept of being the CEO of ME, Inc in this fast paced and ultra growth competitive age. It is a hot topic Oprah has covered in a series called Investing in Me, Inc and if you Google discussion forums about personal brand, you are sure to find many discussions and ideas.Great idea in theory, but what if you are a commodity with no known competitive advantage or your talents and passions don’t line with your skills? What if you have no perceived value? What if your brand is negative because of a poor experience others have with you?Your career is in the service business so it is worth repeating:Careers are our own business – a business that we create, brand, own and manage. Our careers go through the same service model cycle a business does. So it is logical to think that any professional needs to plan, manage and brand a career. The Classic disciplines required such as those listed above are not required core competencies of the career and community minded professional. But the strategy as a tool is required to build and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage.What do you sell?Without a solid answer to this question you can not have the confidence to pitch your offering to people. You must believe in yourself first before you can start communicating your brand. As you continuously learn and build market trend and identify needs, you too can tool yourself with a competitive advantage packaged with a promise of value.Pricing StrategyHow much to charge for services and how much to pay for services can be a time consuming due diligence task if you are not aware of your value and environment. It is also a tough sell if perceived value and trust is not where it should be – your brand. In other words, price can be an easy indicator of fit or deal killer early. The fear of paying too much or too little is found out over time. Too little results in lack of motivation and active searching for a better fit; too much holds poor expectations resulting in adjustments (firing) over time.That said, there are multiple ingredients to what makes a fair compensation agreement. It is a good idea through negotiations to learn all parties motivations. Unique benefits and risk/reward scenarios come into play – understand what a true win:win looks like.Traditional employer/employee situations have ranges that are easily understood so skills vs. needs tend to find each other rather easy. Salary.com and the 2008 Inc Magazine Executive Compensation Guide will give you an idea. Look for these studies each year for trends. If your personal brand shows an obvious premium or learning curve – negotiate appropriately.Consultants have other cost and cost savers for the client to consider. The otherwise salary being replaced is a starting point. Consider business development and other non-paid time in your equation and know how your higher rate saves the client company money under traditional hire situations – your value proposition.Finally there is your products and services and how they should be priced in the market. Not much changes here. The market will help determine your price and you help communicate value in terms of ROI. If you offer something new to the market, clearly more research and testing may be required.Happy negotiating!Building Brand AwarenessYour personal brand changes as you the individual learn more details about your natural talents and build on your core competencies. It also changes along with your environment. Today, those changes are happening faster than you can accomplish your current tasks on the job and in your community. The perception of what you have to offer could be great one day and irrelevant the next. That perception can also be different from how you see it vs. your market and even from person to person as they experience you. That is why there is no “ing” in brand.Your personal brand exists in it’s current state. Not everyone is going to get it. But does everyone respect you? Are you proud of who you are? Do you communicate a focused brand to an audience who can benefit? Do people trust you – do you have confidence in yourself?When you re-brand, meaning changing your promise of value and experience people have with you, you are in a cycle of change. It is here where you prove your vision of who you want to be is your greatest asset. Living and talking (BEING) that brand will make your transition seamless. Communication, marketing, networking your change is a process that will take time in the masses. But with existing trust and your confidence shining to those who don’t know you, your brand, continues to be present in the moment.You are not branding…you are. The question is, do people know who you are?Do they know how you can add value, RIGHT NOW? Do they know how to help you get to where you want to be?Building brand awareness is as easy as being authentic in adding value to yourself, family, community and business. You build brand awareness by adding value and doing a GREAT job consistently – by being a connector. The rest is marketing. here, there and everywhere on and offline where people will listen.Be you – be great and make it an “Absolutely Incredible Day” for someone!