20. Build Your Own Brand
What do Coca-Cola™, GEICO™, and Nike™ have in common? They
each have a well-developed and recognizable identity or, as they say in
the marketing world, a brand. Marketing experts maintain that a
company’s brand should deliver a clear message, confirm credibility,
motivate a buyer to connect, and stimulate loyalty to repurchase.
Just as companies carry a brand, people also carry a brand. Branding is
how the world sees you: the impressions you make, the values you stand
for, and the qualities that mold your personality. All the LITTLE THINGS
you do and say combine to form the foundation upon which relationships
are built and maintained.
Chelsea Greenwood—owner of a 1.4 billion-dollar marketing firm—said,
“You are your own brand whether you like it or not. And every
experience has a lasting impression.”
58. LITTLE THINGS MATTER
Qualities and Actions That Create Brands
How important is the brand we communicate?
Do you notice people who show evidence of a negative attitude?
Do you notice people who dress inappropriately?
Do you notice people who don’t seem to be listening? Who
interrupt when you are talking? Who talk too much? Who talk
too loud? Who use offensive language?
Do you notice people in restaurants or in line at the grocery store
who talk loudly on their cell phones?
Do you notice people in meetings who keep scanning their phone
for messages?
Whether you realize it or not, you form an opinion about people every
day. The things they do, the way they look, and the words they speak are
branding themselves in your mind. Which co-worker stands out as
someone you would rather not work beside? If you were to describe his
or her brand, what would it be? Think of your neighbors. Which person
is your least favorite and why?
Branding Yourself
Now let’s move closer to home. How do you think you have branded
yourself? What kind of impressions are you making?
If your co-workers were to sit in a conference room and describe
you, what words would they use?
If your friends were to chat about your characteristics, what traits
or habits would they list?
If your business acquaintances were to portray you, what picture
would they paint?
If your children were to tell their friends about you, what would
they say?
If your spouse were to ―tell all,‖ what characteristics would he or
she share?
At your funeral, as people reflect on who you have been and the
experiences they’ve had with you, what will be their dominant
thought? When they listen to your eulogy, what would you like
for them to hear?
Tony Jeary, popular author, communication coach, and seminar speaker,
warns us about our brands.
Every day, in dozens of different ways, you're sending a
message out to the world. The wrong message will cost
you respect, career promotions, and perhaps
relationships. And the right messages will enable you to
achieve your personal and professional best.
Brands Have Power
Who you are—reflected through your brand—will affect many people
and many things, such as:
Your influence with others as a leader
The level of pay increase you receive
Whether you are selected for the next promotion
Whether you are selected to be laid off or retained
How receptive people are to your ideas
The type of friends you attract
How well you are accepted, liked or disliked
Whether you are asked out on a second date
What people think about you or say about you
Whether you are included or excluded in events
The relationship you have with your spouse or friends
Your image in the eyes of your children or neighbors
Whether people want to do business with you
The level of respect people have for you
Build a brand that consistently makes positive impressions and
commands respect. As you adopt the little-things-matter way of thinking
and improve your brand, the benefits will be noticeable. Your value
increases, your relationships improve, and your sphere of influence is
broadened. You feel better about the person you are becoming and as
your self-confidence grows, you feel like you can conquer anything.
LTM Challenge
Take some time and think about how you want to be viewed by others.
Consider making a list of what your brand’s defining characteristics will
be. When you are clear on the brand you want to build for yourself, start
paying close attention to the LITTLE THINGS you do and say. Whether you
are greeting a clerk at a convenience store or attending an important
business meeting, start presenting yourself to the world in a way that’s
consistent with the brand you want to create for yourself.
The brand you create for yourself is how
you will be viewed, treated, and remembered.
