Branding. Companies spend millions of dollars to be recognized as a World Class organization. World class can mean many things to many different people but all situations have one thing in common...they are the best at what they do.
Before we look at the importance of personal branding, let me share a few examples of organizations that have achieved World Class status.
For some, it's as simple as having their company name automatically become associated with a world wide brand.
Apple! Who thinks of a fruit when you say the name? Few if any. Apple is the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac! Computers and technology, readily identified by that one word. Is it any wonder that Apple has more cash reserves than any company and most, if not all misgovernment!
Walmart! Another entry into the world class arena. What comes to mind when you mention Walmart as a company. Many things, and a few not so flattering ones. But, Walmart is and continues to be the #1 retailer in the world. Why? Execution of their business model. Low, highly competitive pricing. Mass merchant. One could argue that they are losing ground to Target, and that is true. But they are far from being overtaken.
Nordstrom's - On the other end of the pricing scale is this very upscale retailer. Pricing is NOT their business model; exceptional customer service it. And it is legendary. You will never find service at this level, and with a high degree of consistency, anywhere else.
And one more!
Amazon - no, not the river! Amazon leads in merchandise selection and markets it very well. No one comes close to the volume and merchandise assortment. Amazon truly owns the online retail world. It was easy in the beginning when there was no competition, small or large. Now, nearly every retail organization of size has an online presence. And they continue to produce growth numbers annually.
Enough plugs for these World Class retailers. They are doing just fine!!
So what about your brand? What makes you different in the sea of job seekers? For many, the answer is one of not having a brand. You are highly skilled, well educated and have years of successful experience behind you. Unfortunately, so do many others. You are another apple (the fruit this time) hanging from the tree. You look the same as all the others.
Branding starts with your creating a mission statement just like organizations do. What do you want to accomplish and when successful, what will be the end result. You will be the BEST at who you do.
Step two is building upon that mission statement and defining the behaviors and competencies that will guide you towards your goal. Be specific. It's your road map.
Once you conceptually have the goal in mind and have developed the necessary competencies to achieve it, it's time to market your brand (you).
Your resume is one place to start. What are your major accomplishments? It needs to be more than just a list of positions, titles, and responsibilities. It needs to be well written and please, no spelling errors. And it needs to represent you and not just your experience. It is a tool. It is an advertisement. Does your resume reflect the same level of quality as the last Apple advertisement that you saw?
The same can be said for LinkedIn profiles. Let your top accomplishments lead the way as you again market yourself. Any place that you are represented, be it your business card, a personal website, postings that you make online, the spoken word; it makes no difference. You must present yourself as World Class!
I want to share a short story that exemplifies the brand and how little it takes to damage it. It relates to Disney, another World Class organization that protects it's brand every second of every day..
A young girl and her family are going to Disney World for the first time. She is so excited because she is going to visit the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella's Palace. Her hero is Cinderella herself and she is going to get the chance to meet her!
Upon entering the gates, she is off and running with her parents in tow. The little girl just can't wait any longer. Running around, over, and sometimes, through the crowd, she arrives at the Palace. Not seeing Cinderella, she walks around the outside of the Palace and in a back corner, out of sight of the public, she spots her hero. Cinderella is at the top of a short flight of stairs going into a secluded entrance to the Palace. She runs wildly towards the stairs, all the while yelling out "Cinderella, Cinderella". As she arrives at the base of the stairs, she gives out one more shout, "Cinderella". And this time she was heard. Slowly, Cinderella turns around to face the girl... with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth!
The little girl is devastated. All of her dreams of the perfect "princess" are washed away in a split second. And, at least for this child and her family, so it the brand. The brand that Disney worked so hard to develop and fine tune was gone in the twinkle of an eye.
You see, it doesn't take much. Walt Disney, himself a smoker, was never shown with a cigarette in hand (and he was a chain smoker). It was airbrushed out. His brand concept did not associate itself with smoking. Why? The most loyal fans were children!
Remember that when you develop your brand. The efforts that you put into becoming recognized as World Class can vanish . Create your personal brand, continue to develop it to higher levels, and never forget just how fragile the brand really is.
More next time...
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