Personal Branding - Don Roy, Ph.D.

Change Your View of Networking from Freak Out to Stand Out

Building and nurturing a network of contacts is essential to success in nearly any endeavor or field you enter. Networking has obvious implications for professional growth, but it also can lead to a richer, more fulfilling life in general. Hard to believe something that is painful for many people to do could make you happier? That idea is not a stretch if you buy into the ideas presented by personal branding expert Dorie Clark in her book Stand Out Networking: A Simple and Authentic Way to Meet People on Your Own Terms (Penguin, 2015). If you are unsure how to get the most out of networking or apprehensive about taking the plunge into networking activities, this quick read is worth checking out.

Preparing to Network

Among the most valuable takeaways in the book are ideas shared in the Introduction and first chapter. In the Introduction, Clark points out that networking to grow your business should not be viewed as dirty, but treating it solely as a means to an end is damaging. In other words, if the focus of your networking efforts is how meeting people can help you land new clients or make more money, you will likely not be an effective networker and will wonder why you struggle to see payoffs from your networking activity.

To change what you get out of networking, you must change your inputs into networking. Those inputs begin with the mindset held. The goal of networking is to turn brief encounters into real, long-lasting, and mutually beneficial relationships. That view is far removed from treating networking like a game to see how many contacts you can make and whether any of them can benefit you now.

So what does it take to have a networking mindset that focuses on relationships rather than merely making connections? Clark gives three pieces of advice on mindset:

Defer short-term gain to build long-term relationships– Avoid the temptation to ask for favors or help immediately. Focus on getting to know the other person to understand you can help them as well as recognizing how he or she can help you.
Find common ground with people you meet– One of the fastest ways to convert a stranger into a friend is to identify and build on common interests or experiences.
Look how to add value for others instead of how to extract value from people you meet– Too often, people engage in networking in an attempt to get something from the other party (an introduction to someone else, a job interview, or make a sale). Instead, focus on how you can deliver value to them so that they would be willing to do something for you.

When a networking mindset is established that takes an outward looking, long-term view, you will be guided into engaging in networking activities that makes you valuable and set you apart from most people who are driven by solely by personal gain motives.

The Role of Luck in Networking

I found the theme and content of Chapter 6 (Getting Lucky) very refreshing. While the Introduction and Chapter 1 dealt with how we should think about networking, Chapter 6 acknowledges an emotional component is involved, too. Clark advocates developing a lucky attitude. Rather than viewing networking as a necessary evil required to get ahead, she suggests embracing networking for the possibilities it brings in terms of broadening your network to include more interesting and diverse people. Three traits of a lucky attitude are identified:

Humility– A willingness to meet and learn from new people)
Curiosity– A genuine interest in others makes connecting easier
Optimism– Sparks a desire to embrace opportunities to expand one’s network

When feelings associated with networking shift from “it’s something I have to do” to “it’s something I get to do,” you avail yourself to growth opportunities that you might otherwise unintentionally block.

Why and How

Many business books are long on telling us why the topic is important but shed little light on how to become better or more effective. Stand Out Networking stands out (pun intended) in that Clark shares many practical, usable tips for becoming more comfortable with networking. Regardless of your comfort level with networking, you will likely come away with a different outlook and ideas you can implement to become more effective at networking.

Motivation: Energy for Your Brand

Answering the “Who am I” question about brand purpose can be accomplished by asking more questions, beginning with a broad query “Why am I who I am?” This question is not meant to be deeply philosophical- it addresses motivations for wanting to create the personal brand you aspire to have. Motivation has been studied extensively by psychologists, but its meaning can be put in simple terms: Moved to do something.

If you consider every decision you make in your life, it can be connected to a motive. You might be seeking an outcome that gives you feelings such as pleasure or accomplishment (e.g., a personal best time in a 5K run or getting a job interview with the top company on your target list) or one that avoids guilt or punishment (e.g., prepare for a group presentation to avoid looking incompetent or arrive at work on time so your boss does not fire you).

Sources of Energy

Motivation- positive and negative- spurs action, creates urgency to get things done, and keeps you on track toward reaching a goal. To identify and understand what motivates you to fulfill your purpose in ways that align with personal values, you want to determine sources of energy that move you to get things done. These energy sources are better known as extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. One source is not necessarily better than the other; they are two different ways that you can be energized to action.

Extrinsic motivation. When actions are guided by the expectation of an outcome separate from the action, extrinsic motivation spurs us to pursue the outcome. Actions are motivated by what is anticipated will occur as a result of the actions. Extrinsic motivation is effective when it is believed we have some control over an outcome. For example, a prime extrinsic motivator in business is that being a productive employee will lead to opportunities for pay raises and promotions. The outcomes (raises and promotions) spur action (greater effort or commitment).

Intrinsic motivation. While extrinsic motivation can move you to reach goals because of a reward linked to action, your personal brand needs to be guided by a stable internal compass that moves you in the direction of what is important to you. This internal compass can be described as intrinsic motivation. In contrast to external motivation, internal motivation occurs when you enjoy rewards from engaging in behavior that you find interesting or enjoyable. Intrinsic rewards do not come from an outside source (e.g., a pay raise at work or a grade on an exam). Instead, you could say that we give intrinsic rewards to ourselves; you decide how actions or outcomes are to be valued.

Understand the Motive behind the Motivation

To better understand how extrinsic and intrinsic motivations shape your purpose, consider how each source of motivation influences decisions and actions. When it comes to extrinsic motivation, you have likely heard the terms “carrot” and “stick” used in reference to providing incentives to get someone to engage in desired behavior. The carrot refers to positive reinforcement or reward if the desired behavior is exhibited. It represents a “goody” that one gets for meeting someone else’s expectations. The stick is negative reinforcement or consequences resulting from failing to meet expected behavior. Use of a stick as a motivator is based on the belief that one will learn from the situation and be motivated to avoid a similar negative result in the future.

Determining sources of intrinsic motivation may seem more challenging. How can you come up with the answer to the question of what you truly find interesting or enjoyable? It must be noted that intrinsic motivation not only resides within an individual, but it exists in the relationship between a person and a task. For example, people are attracted to a hobby more often by intrinsic rewards than external outcomes. An avid fisherman could be drawn to the sport because he enjoys spending time outdoors, connection to memories from childhood, or as a way to “recharge the batteries” after a busy week. These outcomes can be experienced regardless of how many fish are caught… even if that number is zero!

The Bottom Line on Motivation

Extrinsic motivation = Influences action because of what it does for you

Intrinsic motivation = Influences action because of what it does to you

Image Credit: Unsplash/Jake Hills

Vulnerability: A Desirable Personal Brand Trait

An important aspect of brand management is proactively monitoring image and reputation. How a brand is perceived by others is influential in determining its standing in the marketplace. Whether a product brand or personal brand, meticulously overseeing for what is communicated about our brand is vital to maintaining trust with others… or is it?

Why Vulnerability is a Desired Trait

I would have argued strenuously in favor of obsessively managing a brand to “protect” it until hearing a statement in a podcast that called this belief into question. Best-selling author Ken Blanchard was interviewed on Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership podcast about his latest book, Trust Works! The book teaches how to assess the level of trust others have in you as well as discussing “trust busters” that diminish a leader’s effectiveness. The idea that brand management is about striving for perfection is debunked by a statement Blanchard made about how others perceive leaders:

“People admire your skills but love your vulnerability.”

This statement resonated with me. I think of branding as being “always on”- our guard is up to minimize chances of something being said or done to harm our brand. Yet, the reality is we cannot prevent missteps or mistakes- we are humans, not machines. Vulnerability is a state in which we all are in from time to time; it makes you no less effective as a leader if vulnerabilities are revealed. In fact, your brand can benefit when you reveal traits with which others can relate.

Vulnerability is Part of Your Brand Story

Stories bring out unique qualities and help paint the picture that is your brand. Revealing vulnerabilities and your efforts for dealing with them does not portray an image of weakness. Instead it conveys authenticity. We work hard to build credibility by developing expertise and building trust. But, underneath all of our brand building efforts remains a person with weaknesses. We don’t have all the answers; in fact, we are rarely the smartest person in the room. Share your humanness rather than obsessing with control in a futile attempt to project a perfect identity that does not exist.

Dealing with and overcoming vulnerability can be a captivating brand story, and one that is more credible than a facade of perfection.

Note: This post was first published on this blog August 19, 2013

One to Grow On: Be You

Note: This post is the first in a new series that will post each Monday that focuses on one idea for personal growth for the week. I hope you enjoy and find useful.

We have witnessed to a monumental week in the United States. Decades of controversy about the Confederate flag reached a tipping point following a hate fueled shooting rampage at an African-American church in Charleston, South Carolina. And, the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is legal, a milestone for many couples who have sought equal treatment from their government. The summer of 2015 will be one that is remembered long after it gives way to fall.

Take a Stand

As the events of the past week unfolded around the country, I observed that many corporate brands and individuals who rely on their personal brand for their livelihood took a stance on these issues. Not surprisingly, stances taken were not universal, although many brands and people took public positions on no longer recognizing the Confederate flag as an historic symbol and in favor of granting same-sex couples the right to marry. What struck me about these public proclamations on sensitive social issues that it could be argued that it was unnecessary for brands and people to weigh in. After all, these issues may have nothing to do with their day-to-day business, right?

The corporate and personal brands that took a position on the Confederate flag and same-sex marriage should be lauded. They used their platform to speak up for what they believed was right, regardless of which side of the issues they took. Did they take a risk of turning off people and even losing customers or clients? Yes, they did, but they also resonated with customers and non-customers alike who share similar views.

Be You to be Authentic

The advice for growth this week is simple: Be you. Will your brand be universally embraced? Of course not- some people will think you are too liberal, or too conservative, or too irreverent, or too stuffy, or too something else. You cannot be all things to all people, and once that reality sinks in you can focus on being yourself. When it comes to your personal brand, don’t be concerned only about what is best for business. You must also focus on what is best for you, achieving authenticity through congruence between your personal values and values that guide your professional work. When you do that, chances are you will find opportunities to align with others who share your values and beliefs.

Be Different: Have a Career Development Plan

Image Credit: Flickr- Extra Medium (CC License)

If you take car trips to new or unfamiliar places, a map is an essential travel accessory. Whether it comes in the form of an atlas, a fold-out map, or a smartphone app, we need a map to plan our journey. What are the different routes that can be taken? Which route is the shortest distance? Is there a route that will be more memorable than others because of scenery or attractions along the way? If you are driving from Dallas to Denver, you probably would not just hop in the car and start driving in a northwesterly direction. You need a plan to get where you are going or you will likely never get there.

Career Maps: A Rarity

The map analogy came to mind as I read an article on Careerealism in which results of a reader survey about career development plans. It was a simple, one-question survey in which readers were asked “Do you have a career development plan in place?” with the obvious answer choices of “yes” or “no.” Results of the survey may surprise you (or they may not):

: Image Credit: Careerealism (http://www.careerealism.com/poll-career-development-plan-need/)

Two-thirds of workers do not have a career development plan, a map that outlines a route to their destination. Reflecting on this statistic, I identified three reasons why such a large number of professionals do not have a plan: 1) No destination, 2) no chosen route, and 3) no mapping skills.

No Destination

A map is not as useful if a destination is not known. Simply put, where are you wanting to go? One reason for not having a destination is the inability to answer the question of where do you want to go. Setting goals or objectives is crucial to managing a professional career like a brand. You need milestones to reach, or you will remain where you are. In today’s dynamic business environment, five-year goals may be more challenging to set and attain, but they still serve a purpose of orienting you toward where you should be going. Complement long-range destinations with intermediate milestones such as two-year and one-year goals that are intended to move you closer to the five-year destination.

No Route

Some people may have a destination in mind for their career, but they have not laid out the route needed to take in order to get there. This scenario sounds more like a dream than a plan. The idea of setting a route to reach a five-year, two-year, or even one-year destination can be intimidating, particularly if your destination is a great distance from where you are now. But, remember the answer to the question “What is the best way to eat an elephant?” The answer is “one bite at a time.” Applying the concept of the 3Ms of personal branding (Meaning, Makeup, and Message), think about how focusing on each of these areas can contribute to advancing your career and moving you toward your destination.

No Mapping Skills

One characteristic of a map that we take for granted is that someone has already done the hard work for us by creating and publishing the maps. All we have to do is figure out how to read it and decide on the route to take. When it comes to your professional career, the same luxury does not exist. No one has designed your career map… because no one other than you can and should do it. You must be willing to determine a destination and plot a route to get there.

Even those commitments are not enough- sharpening your mapping skills is a must or your career journey will inevitably encounter dead ends and wrong turns. One of the most effective techniques for becoming more proficient at mapping is to learn from others. Whether you seek out a mentor, network with other professionals, or commit to a daily discipline to learn, you can have significant impact on career management by becoming more confident and experienced in mapping your journey.

Be Weird and Plan

Financial planning expert Dave Ramsey says when it comes to personal finances, normal is being broke. In professional career management, normal is not having a plan. Be weird and set a plan for where you want to go, how you will get there, and what fuel and supplies will be needed for the journey.

The Three Roles of Personal Branding

Building a brand is work that is never completely finished. But, the fact that branding is an ongoing process should not discourage you from managing your professional life as a brand. Any skepticism about the benefits of personal branding can be addressed by asking the classic question “what’s in it for me?” Although great brands are remarkable because they are not about the brand owner as much as having an outward focus on customers and community, understanding the personal benefits that a well-developed brand can have for you serves as added motivation to embrace the role of Chief Marketing Officer for Brand You.

Three ways that actively managing your brand will provide benefits include:

Provides cues about brand values and quality
Expresses brand personality
Tells unique stories that are your life experiences

Your brand either possesses these traits or it does not- which state do you prefer?

Provides Cues

One way in which brands benefit us is that they serve as mental shortcuts, giving off signals about what to think about a brand or associate with a brand when encountered. Think about product brands that possess distinctive cues:

Michelin = Safety
BMW = High performance
Campbell’s Soup = Good-for-you food

We glean a great deal from these small bits of information, using cues like these to make broader judgments about the quality and capabilities of brands. Likewise, building a personal brand can lead to creating brand cues that immediately connect one’s professional brand with a desirable trait. For example, Gordon Graham is a professional writer known as “That White Paper Guy,” a reference to the genre of research report writing that he does. Graham has earned this brand association by having written more than 170 white papers for business-to-business technology companies. Of course, many professional writers write white papers, but Gordon Graham owns a distinctive position among writers and the clients for whom they write white papers as an authority.

You may not be at a point in your career where you are an authority or known for a particular skill or ability, but that does not mean you cannot use personal branding to develop cues associated with your brand. Your actions and habits can serve as cues to others encountering your brand that signal what they should think about you. Seemingly simple behaviors like arriving to work and meetings on time, always meeting deadlines, and volunteering to help with projects can create cues of “dependable” and “focused.” Wouldn’t you rather have colleagues describe you to managers who have not met you in these terms rather than “indifferent” or “inexperienced?” Use your brand to send positive signals on your behalf.

Expresses Personality

In addition to sending immediate associations via cues, brands can be developed to express personality traits. This characteristic of branding is almost awkward for some people to embrace. How can something that is not a living being (like a hammer or an auto insurance policy) have a personality? The answer is actually quite simple: We associate human personality traits with objects and intangibles. Jennifer Aaker’s research into brand personality traits found that a vast majority of brands are described by one of five personality dimensions:

Sincerity
Excitement
Competence
Sophistication
Ruggedness

Do these descriptors sound familiar? They should because we use similar language to describe people that we encounter. Projecting a distinctive personality holds even greater significance in personal branding than for products or services. Why? You are the brand, putting the “person” in brand personality. Personal interaction is very influential in forming business relationships. Even when one company is buying from another company, the relationship is usually carried out by people representing both firms. Human nature is to prefer to do business with companies (and their people) that we trust and like, emotion-based states that can be influenced by how our personality is perceived.

Tells Unique Stories

All brands share the characteristic of possessing unique stories- providing a backdrop for a brand’s existence, its successes and failures, and how it connects with people who come into contact with it. A distinctive brand story is powerful in that it can create brand awareness, differentiate a brand from competition, and build customer loyalty. Think about brands that have risen to cultural icon status. It is not because of reaching a certain dollar level in sales (people do not care about that); it is because they have stories that people find interesting or worth associating with.

The inspiration for creating Starbucks is a very powerful story. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz fell in love with the coffeehouse concept on a trip to Italy in 1983. He wanted to bring that experience back to the United States, giving people a place to gather for conversation and be a part of a community of people who also appreciated the experience. Schultz was so inspired by his experience that he opened his own coffeehouse, Il Giornale. A few years later, he bought a small coffeehouse chain called Starbucks. Today, Starbucks has more than 18,000 stores in 62 countries

Starbucks is a great brand not only because it has great products, but it also has a brand story that resonates with people. Brand storytelling is not only applicable to personal branding; it may be more relevant than telling the stories of product brands. Why? Your brand is defined by the stories that you have lived. What you have done, who you have known, and how you have handled life situations have shaped your personality, character, and achievements.

Think About Your Brand

Take control of your brand by clarifying the cues, personality traits, and story lines you want others to glean from their interactions with you. Although a brand is based on perceptions people have about it (or you in the case of a personal brand), you have some sway in how your brand is perceived by managing the cues, personality, and stories associated with your brand.

What is a Thought Leader? (Infographic)

“Become a thought leader.”

“Strive to achieve thought leadership.”

“Build your personal brand by being a thought leader.”

Most personal branding experts are apt to dispense advice like the above statements to people who want to position themselves as a useful resource who adds value to others. Thought leadership is a means to that end. Identifying thought leaders in a field is not too difficult. When I think of marketing thought leaders, names like Seth Godin, Chris Brogan, and Mark Schaefer come to mind. More difficult tasks are grasping what it means to be a thought leader and determining what it takes to arrive at that destination.

The meaning of thought leadership is laid out in the infographic below.

“Think” and “Lead”

One of the most striking notions of what it means to be a thought leader is that being smart or an expert in your space is not enough. While thought leaders certainly can be characterized as intelligent, what sets them apart is their courage to take a stand or even take action for principles about which they feel strongly and are unwavering. Moreover, a thought leader exhibits leadership by being able to rally a group of people (i.e., their tribe) to affect change among them. An example of this distinctive characteristic of a thought leader is career expert, author, and speaker Dan Miller. His 48 Days community numbers more than 15,000 people who look to Dan for guidance and help each other as they look for career fulfillment.

Follow the Leaders

You may be on a personal journey to become a thought leader in your field. Keep in mind the characteristics of a thought leader given in the infographic as you work to carve out a distinctive position. Use this information to assist you in finding thought leaders you should follow, learn from, and rally around. I cannot think of a single thought leader who woke up one day with a Thought Leader badge pinned to his or her chest. The status is earned through years of work (often in obscurity), clarifying your values and core principles with a willingness to act on them. In the meantime, enjoy the journey.

The 4-D Personal Brand

Brands may have originated out of a need to identify the owner or maker of an object or product, but the role of brands in marketing today has expanded. Instead being a single-dimension concept, brands now fulfill four key roles or value-added functions:

Brands communicate identity
Brands project an image
Brands make and fulfill promises
Brands engage with individuals and groups to form relationships

The default role of a brand has been to communicate identity (think brand name and logo). However, to build a distinctive personal brand the other three roles of your brand will need to be discovered and defined.

Brand = Identity

Brands are usually thought of in terms of the use of a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature to uniquely identify a seller’s product. In personal branding, your name is your brand. Be proud of it and use it to your advantage. Dale Carnegie powerfully and simply captured the significance of a name when he said that “a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Also, brand elements such as the name, logo, and colors serve as mental shortcuts that associate a product with its owner. An unusual or distinctive name can be a plus for the identity dimension of your personal brand.

If you have a common name or feel that is not distinctive, you need not research what is required to legally change your name! For example, a LinkedIn search of the name Michael Johnson returns more than 26,000 results (Michael- if you are reading this do not worry- this is not a deal breaker to building your personal brand). Fortunately, not all 26,000 Michael Johnsons compete in the same industry or for the same audience. Tactics that could be used in a situation like this to develop an identity associated with your brand include differentiating by using your middle initial, use a nickname (if you have one that positively reflects your personality), or create a visual association like a logo that appears with your name in your messaging (e.g., on business cards, in your Twitter background, and on your blog).

Brand = Image

Another role a brand serves is that it is a representation of thoughts or mental associations people hold for an object or person, which is brand image. A definition of brand image that acknowledges the role of a brand for projecting an image is that a brand is a customer or user experience represented by images and ideas. The thoughts and perceptions that one has for a person or object, known as brand associations, influence the image developed. Formation of brand associations that comprise image does not require product usage or experience. You may not realize it but people who come into contact with you or are part of your target market have associations about you that shape their image of your brand.

This characteristic of a brand is a reason why branding requires you always be “on.” Actions and behaviors are observed by others and play a part in forming perceptions of your brand. We can unintentionally send negative brand messages if we are not consistent in how we project our brand in the various environments in which we interact with others (work, school, church, social groups, etc.). Brand image resides in the minds of others; the audience that you interact with determines image through the perceptions they hold of you. Those perceptions can be based on past experiences with you, existing knowledge about you, and knowledge obtained from other sources such as your social media profiles.

Brand = Promise

Brands represent a promise of action that will benefit a customer. People value brands because they stand for intent to deliver value. Promises made by brands can be explicit or implicit. Explicit promises are statements of action such as a guarantee. Performance standards are spelled out and it is up to the brand to meet those standards.

Understanding that a brand is a set of promises is essential to building your personal brand. Some brand promises are explicit such as you meeting (and even exceeding) commitments. Simple actions such as having a report ready by your boss’s 5:00 pm deadline or volunteering to help set up a room for a meeting can communicate your brand’s value. Brand promises take on great significance through developing brand associations that give meaning to a brand. Promises are highly correlated with brand identity (how we desire to be perceived). Thus, coming up with promises you want your make through your brand is important for positioning the unique value your brand possesses.

Brand = Relationship

Exchanges between buyers and sellers may be business relationships, but one’s decision to buy from a business is often guided by the same criteria applied to personal relationships. An individual may choose friends or associates based on whether he or she believes a person can be trusted. Also, the likability of that person can influence a decision to forge a friendship. Similarly, consumers tend to enter into business relationships with companies and brands that they trust, like, or perceive to be similar to them.

Managing your personal brand as a connector is vital to establishing relationships with clients, colleagues, and community. Perhaps the most important personal branding tactic for managing the relationships around your brand is networking. The term networking may not be clear when you are given advice to “build a network of contacts” or “network with others.” This uncertainty about networking can result in paralysis, not building your brand through networking because of the ambiguity of what you should be doing. Let’s clear the air- networking can be reduced to three words: “building good relationships.” Whether it is done face-to-face or online, the aim of networking is to begin and build relationships with people who have shared interests for potential long-term mutual benefit.

Managing Your 4-D Brand

The four roles of a brand- identity, image, promises, and relationship- are complementary pieces of a personal brand. If any one of these cornerstones is weak, the strength of your personal brand will be limited. To manage your brand means to manage these four roles.

Begin now by taking inventory of where your brand is for each of these four roles. Then, consider how you want these roles to be defined as you go through the process of determining Meaning, Makeup, and Message for your brand. It is likely that you will commit to change the current state of one or more of these brand roles to get to a state consistent with goals that you have for your personal brand.

Become a Switch-Pitcher

A minor league baseball player who finally makes it to the majors after eight seasons usually does not garner national media attention for his debut, but most players in this situation do not have a skill set like Pat Venditte. The Oakland Athletics called up Venditte to join the team’s pitching staff last week, making him the only “switch-pitcher” in Major League Baseball. A player being a switch-hitter is not unusual, but no pitcher on a major league roster has the capability to pitch with his left and right arms… that is until Venditte was called up. His promotion to Oakland was a long way from where his professional baseball journey began as a 45^th round draft pick of the New York Yankees. To learn more about Venditte’s story, read this article from USA Today.

How Switch-Pitching Relates to Personal Branding

Pat Venditte may be a baseball player, but his story offers lessons for anyone aspiring to build a professional identity to position for career success. Being a switch-pitcher is a unique ability that enhances Venditte’s skill set, making him more valuable as an employee. Whether you are an employee of an organization or are self-employed, building a set of skills relevant to job performance will make you more valuable, too.

We can learn three ways that enhancing our brand Makeup (i.e., skills and experiences) can be beneficial from Pat Venditte’s journey:

Adds value– Being able to pitch with either arm means that Venditte offers greater flexibility for his manager as relief pitchers are often matched against batters depending on which side of home plate a batter hits from. Typically, a left-handed batter calls for a left-handed pitcher to be brought in; a right-handed batter triggers a call for a right-handed pitcher. Venditte’s switch-pitching ability eliminates that decision having to be made, so he can be used in more situations than other relief pitchers. Employees that add to their skill set can enjoy the same outcome, being called on to take a key role in a project because they have developed a broader skill set than their peers.
Adds longevity– One of the hazards of being a pitcher is the tremendous wear and tear on the pitching arm. The repetition, intensity, and force of a pitcher’s motion combine to jeopardize his career length every time he takes the mound. Being a switch-pitcher is like a form of diversification for Pat Venditte. He is not wearing out one pitching arm like his fellow pitchers and could very well have a longer career as he is less likely to overuse a pitching arm like his one-arm pitching counterparts. Similarly, adding to your skill set regardless of career stage keeps you current with skills needed to succeed in your field and minimize the arm fatigue that is career obsolescence.
Stands out– Being a switch pitcher is certainly novel, and Pat Venditte has received national publicity for his novelty. But, if Venditte was a mediocre pitcher with either arm he would not have made it to the major leagues and would not have been sought out by Oakland after his contract with the New York Yankees organization expired after last season. Venditte stands out for is ability (career statistics include a 2.37 earned run average and 10 strikeouts per nine innings). This trait is not to suggest that you become a jack-of-all trades, but a portfolio of complementary skills could enable you to look different than your peers as well as add to your capabilities.

Warm Up Your Pitching Arm(s)

Being a switch-pitcher is such a rare skill that it is unlikely we will see an influx of them in Major League Baseball anytime soon, if ever. You need not develop such a unique niche in order to strengthen brand Makeup. Are there certain skills that you have been interested in acquiring but have delayed on taking action? Would acquiring those skills make you more effective and valuable in your professional role? For example, I am working on becoming more proficient in two skills this summer: HTML coding and Google AdWords. As a marketing professor, I recognize these two skills intersect with courses I teach, and I need to have knowledge in these areas as well as be able to “do.”

Warm up that extra arm and elevate your game by becoming the equivalent of a switch-pitcher in your field.

Two Key Words for Personal Branding Success

“If this business were to be split up, I would be glad to take the brands, trademarks and goodwill and you could have all the bricks and mortar – and I would fare better than you.”

– John Stuart, former chairman, Quaker Oats

What Are You Marketing?

If you have any uncertainty about what exactly is being marketed in the practice of marketing, the quote by John Stuart provides the answer. We market brands- they are representations of products, services, ideas- the value that we create to meet the needs of others. Various accounts of the history of branding put its origins anywhere from 400 to 4,000 years ago. Branding was born out of the necessity to put identifying marks on one’s livestock to indicate ownership. The marketing role of brands shares a similar purpose, with a widely accepted definition of a brand being the use of a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature to uniquely identify a seller’s product to distinguish it from other sellers.

Today, brands have evolved far beyond their original purpose of being identification marks. Brands build up value in the minds and hearts of people who come in contact with them through usage, advertising, or the influence of other people. This characteristic of how people respond to brands influences behaviors like brand loyalty and making brand recommendations to friends or posting positive reviews online.

Two Words to Ignite Personal Branding

Your brand is the most valuable asset you can develop to begin and advance your professional career. But, you must have a grasp on branding fundamentals in order to begin the process of developing your personal brand. Two words in the previous sentence are crucial to understanding branding:

1. “Begin”- This word is important because you need to know that while there is a beginning to personal branding, there is no definitive ending. In other words, your brand is always being impacted by what you believe, think, say, and do. Crafting your personal brand is an ongoing project- you will never completely mark it off your To Do list.

If the notion of branding being a never ending endeavor is hard to accept, think about product brands. They are always “on.” Similarly, there are no breaks or days off when it comes to marketing your personal brand. Do not interpret this characteristic to mean you will never get a day off if you adopt a personal brand mindset. What it means is that you must be constantly mindful that your brand is being observed, experienced, and evaluated in the marketplace by people who come in contact with you.

2. “Process”- Personal branding involves a series of steps that move you through understanding and building your Meaning, Makeup, and Message. It is not one thing you do; personal branding requires completing many tasks needed to implement the three dimensions of your personal brand (i.e., determine Meaning, understand hard and soft skills needed for Makeup, and articulating Message).

Embrace the Challenge

For some people, the two key words for personal branding success might be so daunting that ditching the idea of building a personal brand seems like an attractive option. You must commit to the process of branding, and the sooner you begin the better. Can you think of a single brand- product or person- that was built quickly and with little effort? I can’t either. If branding were simple and fast, everyone would commit to it… and the strategic benefit of a brand would not be nearly as significant.

Don’t dodge the challenge of building your brand; embrace it by taking responsibility for building your most valuable professional asset. Remember that tangible aspects of a business can be replaced, but brand reputation is earned through your efforts to nurture the three Ms of your personal brand (Meaning, Makeup, and Message).