The Hindu Business Line : Business growth through personal branding

SALES are passé, and advertising is on life support. If that sounds like bad news coming in pairs, please know that "in the information-saturated age, only one weapon can turn your business or practice into a growing, wealth-building machine: Personal Branding," says Peter Montoya in The Brand Called You, from Corpus Collosum Learning Pvt Ltd (www.corpuscollosum.com) .

Isn't that the same as a good suit plus a nice business card? No, personal branding is much more, explains the author. "It's about creating an identity that influences how prospects, customers and decision-makers perceive you ... In a world filled with confusing messages, a personal brand makes you impossible to ignore."

Branding seeks to create a better perception, not a better product, reminds Al Ries in his foreword. "Most people are focussed on creating a better person. And then they spend the rest of their life going around asking themselves, why doesn't someone recognise my terrific abilities?"

First, a simple definition of personal brand: It is "the powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind whenever other people think of you." Montoya explains that it's what you stand for — the values, abilities and actions. "It's a professional alter ego" that tells your audience three things, viz "who you are, what you do, and what makes you different or how you create value for your target market." Personal brand is a promise, elaborates the author. "It creates expectations in the minds of others of what they'll get when they work with you."

A chapter is devoted to `power tools for your personal brand.' Make the business card an endangered species and create personal brochure instead as `a tool for building rapport.' Next, work on personal logo — name, slogan and icon, and dot-com your brand with Web sites. PR is an essential tool; "press coverage is the greatest, cheapest credibility builder on the planet," writes Montoya.

On the beauty of referrals or networking, the author reminds you that networking is not about events. "It's about seizing every opportunity to meet someone new, and laying the groundwork for a relationship with that person." Always be in a networking mindset, advises Montoya. "Put yourself in situations where you're more likely to meet people. Sit next to others on a plane or in a movie theatre. Dine in busy, energetic restaurants. Join steering committees, non-profit boards and other groups." Most important: "Don't try to extract any benefits from a person when you first meet. Remember, people want to be appreciated as people, not clients. And listen twice as much as you talk in conversation."

A personal brand is like an exotic foreign sports car, says the author. "You can't just let it run at top speed without regular maintenance, or it will burn itself up." Similarly, "you've got to constantly monitor your brand to keep it relevant, focussed, emotionally connected with your target market, and different from your competition".

Take your brand's temperature, exhorts Montoya. That is, be tied to the culture of your brand, and evolve as the culture evolves. "You should constantly be aware of the shifts within your target market and industry — through networking, conversations, the media, and stories you hear from others."

Fine-tuning is required when your brand isn't connecting emotionally with key influencers. Do a few checks that the author lists: relevance check to see if you resonate with your target market, authenticity check to verify if your personal brand reflects who you really are, goal check to ask yourself if your goals have changed, competition check to spot potential imitators fast and aggressively, and message check to find if the expression is okay.

"You can pick up new clients cheaply by networking and the like, but if you want to expand, open new offices, and build a business you can sell for millions, you've got to spend ... Don't be shy about it," because growth means spending money, points out Montoya. Therefore, "When your profits increase, reinvest 50 per cent into your personal brand marketing. Then give the rest to your staff."

A book too vital to ignore.

BookMark@thehindu.co.in

D. Murali

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