The TRUTH about Personal Branding & Image Management!
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March 31, 2013
Finally!
If you have been wondering like many others: What REALLY is Personal Branding? I’ve read your mind.
Personal Branding is the art of discovering your YOUnique promise of value complemented with the science of delivering that promise. Still confused?
Brand check: If you can answer these four questions-such as no one else may, you are in control of your personal brand promise; if you can’t: personal branding is for you!
- Who are you
- What do you do
- Whom do you do it for
- Why you are the best person for it
So what is Personal Branding?
Personal Branding is the process of discovering our personal brand, communicating it to the world, and living it via fulfilling our brand promise 24*7. (made it simple for you, haven’t I?) If you are now wondering I am no entrepreneur to work on my own brand; you couldn’t be more wrong!!! Let me make it simpler for you… If you believe you have a reputation: you have a brand. Period. And whether we like it or not, even though we call it our personal brand; we are merely the custodians of this brand; the owners are out there. Your brand is owned by the people, whose hearts and minds it dwells in. So whether you are an entrepreneur, a CXO, a Senior Manager, a Junior Executive, a Freshman, a Doctor, a Lawyer, an Architect, an Artist, a Coach, an Author etc. etc. my friend, you do have a personal brand; and it is your primary responsibility to know it, show it and live it. Personal Branding empowers you to take control of your brand reputation and actively nurture it, so you are no longer at the mercy of other’s perception; because if you don’t brand yourself, others will: and it will not always be what your brand truly is.
Intimidating as it may sound-believe you me; the journey of personal branding is beyond beautiful. It is the singular most exciting, liberating and rewarding experience that an individual can have in his professional life. Are you game yet?
Now the TRUTH about Personal Branding
It was critical to understand what is personal branding to appreciate the truth behind it and acknowledge the difference behind ‘Image Management’ and ‘Personal Branding’. Your image is a projection of what you want to be evaluated as; it may or may not be authentic; Your brand is the authentic communication of your YOUnique promise. Image management is NOT personal branding and definitely not viceversa!
” Your Brand is your Promise; your Image a mere Projection. “
The Story behind Image Management
Image management advocates dressing right, speaking right and acting right-as deemed civil and social by your social environment! It advices you to offer an affable and admirable experience of yourself to others; hence, instead of labeling it as your Image; I encourage you to focus on it as the Experience of your personal brand. Absolutely yes! You must dress, speak and act in a way that enhances the experience of your brand; but doing it-is not your brand-it is a part of your brand expression and experience. This is the DISTINCTION between the two. Your so called image is nothing but the experience of your brand, and hence must be an extension of the authentic promise of your brand.
Once it becomes an extension of your authentic brand promise, it ceases being your image, and becomes your brand.
The Future
An Image is momentary; it is like a shadow that disappears when the light goes off! Your brand is the legacy that you have built with dedication and determination throughout your career; and is forever. It is the authentic reflection of your promise of value; the one that doesn’t dissipate when the lights are turned off! What you need to decide is what deserves your time, attention and focus: your image or your brand?
The future belongs to transparency, authenticity and credibility: the three pillars of personal branding. Focus on building a brand that transcends the shadows of time; rather than trying to be a shadow…
Experience the power of Personal Branding in a 2 day workshop (March 8th & 9th 2013 in Delhi) with Tanvi Bhatt, The Pioneer of Personal Branding in India, and learn how to build your Personal Brand and offer a Brandtastic Experience to the world!
