Personal Branding: Do you know your core value proposition?

The other day a work colleague asked me for some feedback on their personal value proposition or personal brand. It struck me as a really good idea. Just like a corporate brand it is what others say and how they perceive you that amounts to your personal brand, not what you think necessarily. However, knowing yourself is very important when establishing your personal brand. Your authentic self should shine through and this allows you to be the best you can be.

What is a brand from Wikipedia: Some people distinguish the psychological aspect of a brand from the experiential aspect. The experiential aspect consists of the sum of all points of contact with the brand and is known as the brand experience. The psychological aspect, sometimes referred to as the brand image, is a symbolic construct created within the minds of people and consists of all the information and expectations associated with a product or service or personality.

Why do we need to do this?

• Establish yourself as an expert in your chosen field. It establishes your expertise, authority and value.
• Build a solid reputation within your industry.
• Increase your notoriety and improve your perceived value in the marketplace.
• It sets you apart from your competitors.
• It reflects your core values, personality, talent and skill set.
• It increases your credibility, especially if you can harness the power of the media.
• It creates a success spiral that can boost your health, wealth and career.
• How do we do this?
• We need to know who we are and what our strengths and weaknesses are.
• Your values
• Skills
• Talents
• Leadership style

There are lots of tools and resources out there to help you accomplish this. Myer Briggs tool

Feedback candid feedback from your friends, staff and peers You can do a 360 profile that provides feedback depending on your role or just ask for it continually.
The http://www.greenlightcommunity.com/ is a group that can help develop your sense of self. Having a mentor or as Keith Ferrazzi states: " isn't about changing who you are. It's about enlisting others to help you become the best you can be".Keith's philosophy is all about creating an inner circle of "lifeline relationships" deep, close relationships with a few key trusted individuals who will offer the encouragement, feedback, and generous mutual support that every one of us needs to reach our full potential.

To build a personal brand based on credibility the formula is: Competence + Character + Consistency = Credibility What is your area of competence? What is your character? How are you consistently true to these things? Once you understand what you stand for and what you personal value proposition is the you need to market it.
Marketing your personal brand can be as simple as knowing you are and being transparent about it or can involve a marketing plan for yourself to establish your credibility with the audience you are targetting.

Resources:

• Personal branding blog
• Marcus Buckingham
• Mashable: Personal Branding 101.
• Personal Brand vid
• Open Colleges Personal Branding Course