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Brand You: Market yourself in the uncertain economy
Career Coach
By Barbara Poole
Loyalty is dead. We have been hearing this lament about Corporate America for the past 15 years.
Is it true? There are probably a few unscathed pockets of stability out there in the landscape of business, but they are few and far between.
One thing is true, the complaint is heard on both sides of the desk. Organizations bemoan the fact that people are not committed to the company like they used to be. Employees respond that their jobs are not secure and that even a stellar track record does not guarantee that their positions won’t be cut tomorrow.
Faced with the uncertainty of a volatile marketplace, smart professionals are turning to cutting-edge marketing wisdom to help them change-proof their careers.
The result? A concept known as “branding yourself” in which the individual positions him or herself as a product to be taken to market, just as other goods or services are.
Before you dismiss this as a bad case of out-of-control ego, understand how the concept of branding applies to this self-marketing strategy.
Consider your own buying habits. As a consumer, you probably buy a certain type of dish detergent or pain reliever or margarine because you believe it is better than the other brands. “Not so,” you say, “I buy the store brand or whatever is on sale.”
Well, take a look at your teenagers’ buying habits. Where do they shop for clothes? What kind of athletic shoes do they have to have? What is their favorite place to eat? That is what branding is all about: creating a label that sells because people believe it is distinctive.
What has this got to do with making yourself more marketable in the professional world? If you want to ensure that you will be in demand in these unpredictable times, create a brand that is uniquely you.
The first step is to recognize that you are not your job title. Just because you have been employed for the past eight years as a procurement specialist or a customer service manager or a manufacturing supervisor at XYZ Company, that does not define who you are, nor does it limit the extent of your capabilities.
The challenge is to define your “distinctive competence,” that is, what sets you apart in a crowd and makes a real difference. We are talking talents, skills, personality attributes and combinations of experience that distinguish you from your competition.
Maybe you have a real knack for seeing the big picture when it comes to solving business problems. Or perhaps you are a technical type who happens to also have outstanding relationship and team development skills. If you have lived or worked in several countries, you may have an exceptional understanding of cultural nuances that are important to operating a global business.
Develop your brand as one that allows you to stand out in comparison to your competitors.
Once you have created your brand, the next step is to be prepared to take it to market.
Ask yourself these questions: How have I created value in the places where I have worked? What results have I produced? How have I made a difference? What comes to mind for my co-workers when they think of me? Note that the answers to these questions are much stronger than a dry recitation of your job responsibilities.
Now turn this information into a 25-words-or-less advertisement for yourself—a concise, features-benefits statement of why your brand is special. Time and attention spans are at a premium these days, and you want to be able to capture the interest of those who might be in the market for some fresh talent.
Does using this branding approach mean that “window dressing” is all that matters? Hardly. Think of any product you buy on a regular basis. Packaging is nice, but there had better be some substance inside of it, and it had better be reliable.
The dichotomy of branding: in order to know what will sell on the outside, you have to first have a good handle on what is on the inside.
Management guru Peter Drucker said, “success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves—their strengths, their values, and how they best perform.”
This means knowing whether you are a great team member or whether you work best as an individual contributor, understanding your preferences for structured vs. freewheeling environments, clarifying what drives and motivates you in organizational settings.
Armed with this knowledge, you can mount your marketing campaign for Brand You in a way that is targeted, focused and effective.
One final note on branding: Aside from distinctive value, what ultimately sells when it comes to people is the notion of presence.
What is that about? Is it lively, charismatic energy? Sometimes, but not always. It may show up as the quiet confidence that comes from knowing both your own magnificence as well as your own vulnerabilities—that self-assured sense that says, “I’m comfortable in my own skin, being exactly who I am.”
Brand You: The message is “Know Thyself.”
Barbara Poole is a leadership and career development coach with Charleston-based Success Builders Inc. E-mail her at CoachBarbara@SuccessBuildersInc.com.
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