Often I talk about public relations as being relationships with your public. I believe building personal relationships is critical to business success. Most people want to do business with people that they like. One way of building relationships is through your personal branding, differentiating yourself from your competitors by being you, and allowing that uniqueness to shine.
In the final blog in my Points to Progress Your Personal Brand series we look at packaging your product.
YOU are the package. Your image is a bit like the weather. People notice when it's extremely good or extremely bad. In person how you shake hands, make eye contact, how you conduct yourself in social situations and the clothes you choose to wear help to build your personal brand. You need to take care of the details.
Your clothes, appearance and grooming really are the external image of your brand. What image are you projecting?
Let’s examine a couple of airline brands and the “look” they project to the world through the attire of their staff. For example, Virgin Australia has a strong corporate image of being friendly, fresh and cheeky. On the other hand, Qantas has an image that is far more conservative and corporate-looking. Both companies spend millions of dollars on getting their packaging and brand images right and reinforcing a strong brand message. Not just the external branding of logos and signage, but also the uniforms and image of the people within the organisation.
At a business seminar I attended, one of the speakers – a well-known successful businessman – wore a well-tailored suit, crisp white shirt with French cuffs, expensive cufflinks and smart tie. He looked the part of a very successful businessman. The other speaker, who was equally successful, worked in the organic food industry. He also looked sharp, yet he wore fashionable, casual linen pants and blazer. Both men were well dressed and very reflective of their respective roles and professional brand image.
By understanding the brand qualities you want to project with the work you do and in alignment with the clients you work with, you can create a “look” that is suitable, creative and stylish to help make your mark.
Regardless of whether you work in a corporate environment or as an independent entrepreneur, YOU are the package. What does your “package” look like? What is your design, colour and signature look? What message does your personal image send?
It’s not only your logo that needs to look good as being representative of your brand – so do you!
If you or your business spokesperson needs to ‘’liven up their look’’ to represent the product or service and brand in a more compelling way, we can help with executive image consulting.
If you would like to know about discovering your “look”, Download my free video series your NOOK, LOOK, HOOK 3 Steps to Create a Stand Out Personal Brand.
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Sue Currie is a speaker and the author of IMPRESSario, Present and Promote the Star Within You. She is recognised as a leading authority on personal branding to boost image, profile, brand and business. Through her professional development and profile building programs, workshops, consulting and keynotepresentations, Sue helps businesses and entrepreneurs position and present an influential professional brand.
