Seven Steps to Personal Branding
Author: Leslie Hamp

As we move into 2004, there is no better time than now to stop and reflect on how you or your business is perceived in the market place. The concept of positioning, also called branding, is nothing new in the business world. But when I mention the concept to budding entrepreneurs or individuals seeking a new or enhanced career path, many look at me with a big question mark in their eyes.

Branding is simply a way to create a distinct identity that guides your audience to think of you in a certain way. Most of us give next to no thought to our positioning, yet it is crucial in achieving long-term goals.

I stumbled upon this discovery after completing a contract to rejuvenate a summer festival along the shores of Lake Superior. While I was proud of the success and revitalization of the festival, I was distressed when people continually introduced me as the “event lady.” Since this was just one aspect of my public relations and marketing business, I quickly saw the need to guide my audience to my larger
identity.

I followed the branding process outlined in this article, found success in creating a new association with my name, and began sharing the process with college-level marketing students.

They loved it. They learned branding by applying the concepts to something that mattered deep to their cores: themselves. For the first time in a long while, these over-scheduled adults took time from their busy lives to think about where they were
in their life journey and where they wanted to be. They discovered the benefit of sharing their thoughts and writing action plans. They attained clarity while defining a new map to reach their destination.

You can do the same. To begin, think of yourself as the CEO of your company. Whether you are self-employed or working for someone else, you must have this perspective to move forward to new levels. As CEO, it is up to you to define your
vision and mission and how you want people to think of you when they hear your name or see you walk into a room.

To create a branding strategy, write down your response to each action step. When done, review, fine tune and compile your responses into your branding strategy.

Step One: Define your strengths and weaknesses.
What energizes you and makes you want to jump out of bed each morning? What activity causes you to lose track of time? What drains your energy or makes you
procrastinate? What do like to read? Ask your friends what they think your natural talents are. Often others can see our talents better than we can!

Step Two: Define your goals and objectives.
Where do you want to be in one year, three years, five years? How do you want to spend your days? What income level are you striving for? Once you have a clear vision of your long-range objectives, create a mission statement that allows you to use
your natural talents to reach your goals and objectives.

Step Three: Define your target audience.
Get inside your customer’s head and understand their wants, fears and aspirations. Where are they located, how are you going to reach them, and what do they want from you? What distinctive image or association do you want people to have when they hear your name? Craft your message and reputation before it is crafted for you.

Step Four: Define your competition.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, you will have competition. Figure out who that competition is. Study competitor products, positioning, pricing, and brand messages. What do you offer better than your competition?

Step Five: Define your presentation.
How do you want to be positioned in the mind of your target audience? People make instant impressions based on your presentation in writing or in person by noticing your business cards, letterhead, web site, speaking style, attire, mannerisms and authenticity to name a few. Decide what you want your audience to think of you, and create a presentation that sings brand distinction.

Step Six: Develop strategies and timelines to reach your goals.
Start by writing one strategy, costs associated with accomplishing that strategy, and three action steps to be accomplished within a certain timeframe. Write it down; make it happen!

Step Seven: Define evaluation techniques.
Track what's working and what's not. Embrace activities that produce results and eliminate those that are wasting your time. Once you have a brand strategy in place, keep it front and center in your business and career. Talk it up and tweak it as your business or career evolves.

Looking at your brand strategy at the beginning of each year is a great way to move forward. Replace your new year’s resolutions (which tend to be unrealistic and frustrating) with branding exercises. Enjoy the new year!






--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leslie Hamp founded her company, Momentum, in 1992 with one simple goal: move people and projects forward. She works with budding entrepreneurs and those wanting to move their lives, careers or projects to the next level. To find out more, log on to http://www.forwardmomentum.biz or call 715.682.5824.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------