In the last three years, the term “personal branding" has gone from buzzword to must-have career requirement. We're now expected to be able to convey our uniqueness in a powerful way that validates how we save and/or make companies money. Personal branding is about being memorable for the value we can bring to an organization. Easier said than done, right?
The Recipe For A Great Personal Brand Has WOMP
If you want your personal brand to leave a strong, good impression, you need to think of it like a great meal. It starts with quality ingredients that are put together in an unexpected way. Yes, maybe you've had chicken a thousand times before, but the first time someone serves it in a delicious new fashion, you remember it. And more importantly, you tell a lot of people about that exceptional chicken dish. Suddenly, that recipe has Word Of Mouth Potential (a.k.a. WOMP). That's what we want for our personal brands - some serious WOMP. How much WOMP does your personal brand have?Test & Improve Your Personal Brand With These Questions
I have five questions I use to create an incredible personal branding statement. Simply answer each one, then use the answers to create a short statement that ties it all together. They are:- What problem do you love to solve at work? How are you the aspirin to an employer's pain?
- What's your process or methodology for doing it? How do you systematically tackle the problem to get it solved?
- What analogy can you use from everyday life to help someone understand better what you do? How can you help someone who doesn't understand what you do get a grasp on it?
- What proof do you have that what you say is true? How have you done this successfully before and what are the facts and statistics to back it up?
- What do you want to do next with this valuable skill? Where do you see potential for this skill to be of great value (i.e. save or make significant money) for an employer?
Here's How I Use It...
When people ask me, “What do you do?" I use my personal branding statement. It's far more effective than simply saying, “I'm a career coach." Why? When you give a job title, you throw away your ability to control the impact of your first impression. The person who hears “career coach" is left to determine what they think of me, my profession, and my value. I want them to remember me for my own unique brand of career coaching. So, I say some version of this: “I love helping people get rid of chronic career pain. As a career coach, I use a methodology I built to help people take control of their careers and feel more satisfied by walking them through a self discovery process that lets them figure out what skills they want to leverage for employers. Then, I show them how to market those skills. "It's very similar to being a personal trainer. I work with my clients and customize their approach for their own needs so they can get better results. I'm also there to motivate them and push them through the tough parts so they can get stronger and develop the skills they need to be better at managing their career long-term. "Now, I'm using my methodology and 10 years of expertise to expand my online career coaching program called CareerHMO which already has over 2,000 members. It's the first virtual career coaching program that offers elite level coaching at an affordable price so that the everyday professional can get help. I believe nobody can job search alone. Just like a pro athlete, we all need coaches to help us realize our true potential." NOTE: I don't say it verbatim - that would sound rehearsed. Instead, I've studied it enough that I can now adjust it as needed. Depending on the situation, I might make it shorter, or change the wording a bit, but the overall theme is the same. Most importantly, I want them to know that: A) I cure career pain. B) I've got a proven way to do it.Your Next Step
Answer the questions above and then craft your own personal branding statement. Then, post it in the comments here. I'd love to see what you come up with. And, if you need more help, then why not check out CareerHMO and the disruptive job search we teach? Enjoy this article? You've got time for another! Check out these related articles:- 3 Examples Of Great Personal Branding
- 3 Steps To An Outstanding Personal Branding Statement
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