When people hear corporate branding, they often think of business logos, corporate letterhead, and fancy business cards. They often forget that they themselves are brands. Yes, you are a brand! You are a walking, talking billboard. With that being said, what does your Personal Brand say about you?
One of the easiest ways to brand yourself is with your outward appearance. Hair, makeup, clothes, and jewelry all play an integral part in your personal brand. What subliminal messages are you sending with your Personal Brand? Are you telling people you are fun and carefree, polished and well put together, or are you sending mixed messages?
One day, you're put together and the next day a hot mess? A schizophrenic look may fly in your personal life. However, in the workplace, it's a no go! You should be intentional with how you look and how you present yourself in the workplace.
I know you are saying to yourself, "People judge me by my work product and not by how I look". Yeah right! We all get summed up by that one fatal glance. We take one look at someone and immediately form some type of opinion. Sometimes we're right, and sometimes we're wrong. Now that you know you're being judge lets do something about it.
For starters, take a long hard look around you. Do your brand fit in at work? Do you work in an ultra conservative corporate environment while your Personal Brand screams edgy, sexpot? Or rather, do you work in a creative and fun environment and your Personal Brand screams safe and mousy? If so, then fix it!
You could be getting passed over for promotions because you don't fit the company's image of a Manager, Director or Senior Executive. This may sound harsh but it happens all the time. You could be the smartest, sharpest and baddest chic in the entire building, however, your personal brand could be saying something entirely different about you.
Just take that long hard look. Were you passed over for a promotion this year? Did you do all of the work, but got no recognition? Do you put out an excellent work product, but no one ever approaches you about your work product? Instead, they talk to your manager or colleagues about your work content. If so, then your personal brand, may be talking behind your back. It could be telling people that you're unpolished, too young and lack experience, or maybe it's telling people you're too old, too conservative, set in your ways, and stodgy.
I suggest that you snatch your personal brand up by the collar and have a long pow wow. Your Personal Brand should only tell the story you want it to tell and without any add lib.
What story will your Personal Brand tell?
