Susan Chritton

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

Personal branding is about deciding to take an active role in the direction of your life. You benefit from creating a personal brand because it allows you to self-manage your life and stop depending on others to do it for you. Your personal brand helps you make the most of what you’ve got to offer. Permission to be yourself The personal branding process assures you that it’s okay to be yourself. If you’ve built your life on pretenses — on attempts to be someone you are not — this assurance is a huge relief. Personal branding is about expressing your authentic self by allowing you to be the person you are meant to be. The strategic process of personal branding makes you an active partner in creating the direction of your life. You get to decide what your unique promise of value is and who you want to share it with. Gains in confidence You develop confidence as you develop your personal brand. That confidence comes from looking at your strengths and knowing that you have many positive qualities to share. When you know that you have something of value to offer, your self-esteem soars. Your personal brand done well highlights your strengths and gives you a direction in which to use them. As an added bonus, personal branding also minimizes your weaknesses. It’s human nature to want to improve your weaknesses, but by crafting your brand, you can determine whether you really need to use your weakest skills at all. Building credibility Your target audience wants to know that you can do what you say you’re going to do. You build credibility not through your words but through your actions. If you live your personal brand and keep your brand promise to your target market, you are automatically on the path to credibility. Your actions, which align with your brand, validate that you can be trusted and show that you are credible. Showcasing your specialty You need to specialize and have an area of expertise. When asked what you do best, your answer can’t be “everything.” No one knows what that means. To develop a specialty, the best place to start is with what you know. What can you do that few others know how to do? What segment of the population do you understand better than most people in your field do? You have a unique combination of work experience, life experience, and personal characteristics that create the foundation for determining your niche. To be known in a certain niche, you are wise to choose an area of expertise or market segment that you know well and that you enjoy. Leaving your mark Part of the branding process is becoming known for something. Your first step is to identify your best characteristics so that you know what to build on. In a way, developing a personal brand is a means of ensuring that you leave a legacy. People will remember you through your actions, your expertise, and the emotional connections that you make. But keep in mind that strong brands often repel as much as they attract; not everyone belongs in your target audience. Defining who you are means that you need to be brave enough to let your true self be visible. Connection to your target audience Personal branding success requires communicating your message to the right people — not necessarily to the entire world. And it requires communicating in a way that creates emotional connections with your target audience. You simply cannot build a solid brand without building relationships, which are based on emotional connections. Building a strong personal brand helps you interact with your target audience in a clear, consistent way that quickly becomes familiar. That consistency builds trust in your target audience, which allows those emotional connections to form. Distinguishing yourself from the competition You are hardwired to notice what is different. You notice the person dressed in red in a sea of black clothing. Differentiation is crucial to your personal branding success. If you are like everyone else in the market, you are a commodity, and you look the same to the customer as all the other options. If your target market discerns nothing special about you, it’s easy for the customer to pass you by. The support you need People genuinely want to help you. The problem is that if you are vague about what you need, no one is going to jump in and try to figure your life out for you (except perhaps your mother). You need to be clear about who you are and what you need so that you can ask for support with clarity. If you know what you need, you know what to ask for. Defining your personal brand helps you determine your needs and identify who is most likely able to fulfill them. Focusing your energy You are probably as crazy busy as everyone else is. A benefit of having a personal brand is that when you have a clear understanding of who you are, what you do best, who you want to work with, and how you want to use your talents, you also know what you don’t want in your life. Using your personal brand like a filter allows you to more easily say yes to the right opportunities and say no to the wrong opportunities. You know what is “on brand” and what is “off brand” for you. Branding gives you clarity so that you can focus your energy on what’s truly important to you. Letting yourself be lazy A personal brand helps you avoid the need to reinvent yourself and the tools you use in your professional life. After you pinpoint your expertise, your goal is to use it over and over so that you reap maximum benefits from it. (Perhaps you write an article that is then broken down into blog posts and later becomes the subject of a presentation to a professional association.) The beauty of personal branding is that while it’s never static (you always want to learn and grow), it thrives on consistency. And consistency requires you to use key pieces of your branding puzzle again and again even as your personal brand evolves. So do your tough work up front and reap the rewards down the road. And remind yourself that it’s sometimes good to be lazy!

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

To reach the right target market, you need to identify who its members are. Visualize yourself working with your ideal client, company, service, or scenario. For example, here are possible characteristics of an ideal client: Appreciates the work that I do Pays me well and pays in advance Loves the service that I provide Trusts my expertise and lets me serve him or her using my best judgment Refers other dream clients to me Promotes my work to everyone he or she talks to Dreaming about the perfect situation gets you thinking about who would actually be the right target audience for you to put your time, energy, and effort into pursuing. You then conduct thorough research to locate the people you've envisioned. Developing a positioning statement A positioning statement is a tool used in business to identify how a brand will be positioned in the market. It puts into words what makes a brand important and differentiated so that it is noticed by those who need to know about it. Here's how to develop your own statement: Define your target audience. Who do you want to serve? Figure out your frame of reference. What is your point of view? What category do you want to participate in? Identify points of difference. What distinctive benefits do you bring to your target audience? How do you stand out from the competition? Offer support. Support is the evidence that your positioning statement is true. You need credible proof that you are what you say you are. State your promise or core benefit. Here, you pull the four previous pieces together to let your target audience know what the net benefit is to them.

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

The first step in the personal branding process is to spend time figuring out who you really are and what you want from your life. Often, this self-analysis is the hardest part. Here are the building blocks of your brand that you need to identify: Needs: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a helpful tool that shows layers of needs from the most basic (physiological needs, such as food) all the way up to self-actualization — becoming everything that you are capable of becoming. Values: These are core principles that give meaning to your life — a set of standards that determine your attitudes, choices, and actions. Interests/passions: The things that intrigue and motivate you determine how you want to spend your time. Mission: Everyone should have a mission statement — an expression that clarifies what you are all about and what you want to do in life. Vision: Your ideal version of how you will use your mission is your vision. Strengths: Certain abilities and patterns of interest consistently produce a positive outcome in your life, and these are your strengths. Freak factor: This term refers to a unique quality that makes you different and unusual. Personality attributes: Describing the face that you show to the world helps you define your personality. Education and work experience: These attributes are easy to identify because they're based on fact. 360º feedback: The people who know you best (such as friends and coworkers) can provide key information about your character. Goals: Getting specific about what you want to achieve greatly increases your chances of success. Target market positioning statement: This tool identifies how your brand will be positioned in your target market. It puts into words what makes your brand important and unique so that the people who need to know about you can clearly understand what you represent.

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

Personal branding is about making connections, and the logo you choose should connect with your audience. A logo creates awareness. It can be a symbol, text, a graphic, or a combination of these things. (Keep in mind that people recognize images more often than they remember text.) It symbolizes your brand and provides an image that gives you a memorable identity. Many people associate logos only with company brands, but you can have a logo made just for you as an individual. You want to keep your logo simple and clean. Here are some other tips for creating a great logo: Shape or symbol: Symbols are powerful. Create your logo so that it’s easy to understand and see without glasses. Color: Use the color(s) that you consistently employ to represent your personal brand. Use colors that attract the people you want to attract. Most logos use vibrant colors in order to have the greatest impact. Size: When you place your logo into your materials, it should be large enough to see clearly and small enough that it doesn’t dominate. (Make sure that you have your logo in a file format that allows you to resize it for various projects.) Brand connection: Think about how you want people to emotionally connect with you. Find a symbol that you care about and use it to connect with others. If you love your logo and feel good about it, you’ll feel great about putting it on display, so take your time and design something wonderful. And don’t be a copycat; you want your logo to be unique. If you struggle to create a logo yourself, spend the money to get professional help. A great logo pays dividends by attracting business, and (ideally) you want a logo that you can use for years. If you don’t know any designers, you can find one online at a design sites like Upwork, Deluxe Logo Design, or ZillionDesigns.

Article / Updated 10-19-2023

You don't just communicate your personal brand in person; you should communicate your brand online as well. A profile hub can serve as a central point for all your online activity (your blog or website, Twitter account, photo gallery, and so on). Content for your profile may include A brief bio about who you are Links to your social media sites (such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and business fan pages) The name, products, and/or services of your business If appropriate, your key clients Your education Special features that enhance your personal brand, such as a favorite quote or testimonial Videos highlighting who you are and what you do Your photo Links to — or PDF versions of — articles you've written, slides, or other visuals you've produced Popular profile hubs include: LinkedIn: This site helps you build effective business relationships based on nurturing the "know, like, and trust" factor. If you are just beginning to think about using online tools to showcase your personal brand to your business and social networks, begin with LinkedIn. Facebook: Facebook helps you tell your story in ways that connect, inform, and entertain. This allows you to navigate the gentle balance of being social while also sharing enough of your personal brand to offer a satisfying taste of what others experience when they meet you in person. But, as your mother always told you, be careful who you hang out with! Your community of choice makes an impression. About.me: Create a personal home page that's free and easy to set up. There's no need to create a website when you can use About.me as your hub. Visitors can view your site without logging on, and you can use it as your central point of contact.

Article / Updated 07-10-2023

Your unique promise of value and your personal brand statement are closely linked; the statement is an expression of the promise. Both of them focus on what your target audience expects from you; they create an expectation of what you can deliver. These pieces of your personal brand profile are probably the most important (no pressure!), so you want to take your time and get them right before you start to communicate with your target audience. Identifying your unique promise of value Your unique promise of value is a promise that you make to your target market that your brand will fulfill. It’s the personal aspect of your brand that is aligned with your mission and values. Your promise of value is the essence of what you have to offer and guides you in how you live your personal brand. It clarifies and communicates what makes you special — what makes you different from other people. Crafting this promise requires understanding your values, interests, strengths, and personal qualities and using them to distinguish yourself. Lida Citroën, in her book Reputation 360 (Palisades Publishing), offers this advice when crafting your brand promise: Your brand promise should look something like this: “In order to be known for (your desired brand qualities), I will hold myself out to others in this way: (your behavior, actions, attitude); and I will demonstrate authenticity in this way: (how you will let people see you as real, genuine). I will know my brand promise is working when I see this: (benefits, goals you hope to achieve).” You must be able to live up to your promise of value. You’re always better off under-promising and over-delivering to those you serve. Your brand promise is what you want to be known for. It can be the promise of value of who you are today or it can be written as who you aspire to become. Here’s an example of a unique promise of value: I am known for my creativity, enthusiasm, and intelligence by serving each client with respect, giving them individual attention, and treating them with unconditional positive regard. I am an expert in my field and use my knowledge to help my clients and students excel. My clients appreciate my solid, grounded approach during times of transition and trust my guidance through the process. Move from your promise to your personal brand statement After you’re satisfied with what you’ve developed as your unique promise of value, you can turn your attention to writing the all-important personal brand statement. When you work on your own statement, keep in mind the central themes that emerge and think about your attributes. Then, envision your best self! To begin your thought process on what your brand might include, answer the following questions: What three or four keywords describe your essential qualities quickly and clearly? What is your essence factor, the core of who you are? “I know I am in my element when __________.” What is your authority factor, the knowledge that you hold and skills that you possess? “People recognize my expertise in _________.” What is your superstar factor, the qualities that set you apart? (This factor is how you get things done or what you’re known for.) “People comment on my ability to ___________.” Pepper your statement with “wow” words When writing your personal brand statement, you want to use words that best describe what you offer. The words you use should highlight your emotional attributes and motivate you so that you can deliver that brand to your target audience. Then, to communicate the action in your message, add key verbs like the ones listed here. Accomplish Analyze Articulate Budget Calculate Capitalize Classify Close Collaborate Communicate Conceptualize Conclude Decrease Demonstrate Distribute Educate Empower Engineer Enhance Examine Exceed Generate Identify Influence Integrate Listen Manufacture Mastermind Maximize Navigate Network Organize Pilot Pioneer Prospect Rebuild Redesign Reengineer Rehabilitate Simplify Slash Sold Strategize Supervise Systematize Teach Transition Upgrade Drafting your statement To give you a sense of what a personal brand statement could look like, here are examples: I am passionate about the development of people and am able to lighten the mood with my humor. I enjoy bringing that competitive spirit to solving my clients’ key advertising problems. The continuous challenge to learn fuels my love of accumulating knowledge. Driven by the energy of connections to others, I apply my solid intelligence as the interpreter of complex issues to create practical solutions while bringing a sense of fun into every situation. Grounded in my core beliefs, I identify the patterns and am able to look strategically into the future with a global perspective. Analyzing the DNA blueprint for my clients, I act as the bond between science and business to find opportunities by joining people and businesses through unique value-added insights. Acting as the conductor to the orchestra of people that I lead, I bring the pieces together to close I am the visionary sales leader of the South American practice. my customers count on me to navigate the complexities of multinational business. I am admired for not only how I lead my high-growth business but also for my work in the community in creating pathways out of poverty for those that I serve. My own statement reads this way: I bring creativity and enthusiasm into the lives of professionals using my expertise in career development and personal branding with an intelligent, customized approach. Gather keywords to use as a starting point for writing your statement, and then let it simmer until you know how you want to express yourself.

Article / Updated 06-05-2023

Why not infuse your portfolio with your personal brand? A portfolio is a collection of documents that validate your accomplishments and professional achievements when you go on a job interview (or when you meet with a new client). This tool helps you remember all that you have done in your past to build your personal brand. Portfolios provide evidence of your credibility. Having possession of your documents not only provides proof of your work to use as a marketing tool but gives you the confidence to speak to your brand. Your portfolio may be compiled in a section of your file cabinet, scanned into an electronic file on your computer, or put into a file box. These days, portfolios are often saved to online repositories — such as Espressowork.com and, for creative work, Behance.net — that provide electronic access to all these documents. Follow the steps at Wikihow to create your own portfolio. But even as society moves away from paper and toward the computing cloud, it’s a good idea to create a portfolio binder that contains paper copies of documents that demonstrate who you are. Sharing such a binder with a prospective employer or new client is an impressive way to highlight and prove that you have done what you have said you could do on your resume. This printed portfolio is especially helpful for people who need to show writing samples or visual representation of their work. Credit: Courtesy of Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Here are some things to include in your portfolio: Your branded resume Your branded biography Letters of recommendation, at least one or two of which are current Sample projects Articles that you have written Past business cards Academic degrees Certifications and licenses Employee reviews A list of key successes from your work A list of awards you have received Volunteer service documents A list of professional contributions, such as committees you have chaired or evidence of how you have contributed to your profession Thank-you notes you have received Social networking site profiles Print copies of multimedia presentations you have created

Article / Updated 12-01-2022

Your personal brand can help ease the pain of transitioning to a new career by reminding you that at your core, you’re still you and need to be your authentic self. Your reinvented self may be wearing a new outfit, but in all that you do, no matter what you call yourself, you are still you. Your personal brand helps you identify those core pieces of yourself that you want to express and use in the world. See a new, positive way forward Your biggest obstacle in launching a second career may reside in your own mind. Shift your mindset and build your confidence. Head into your second career knowing it’s a new season. Start out expecting great things. Turn your negative thoughts into the positive actions you can take to get to where you want to be. Here are tips to prepare yourself for the necessary changes: Starting now, think and talk differently about yourself and your future. Don’t use age as an excuse not to get the job you want. Focus on what you’ve gained from your wealth of experience and what you have that younger applicants don’t. Target companies that value the skills and experience of seasoned professionals by seeking out industries known for hiring older workers. Research smaller companies in your area, which may be more open than larger companies to hiring mature workers. Reach out to the owners and managers directly. Accept this different marketplace Accept the fact that you’re competing in a marketplace very different from what existed in the past. Learn about today’s workplace, accept it, and leverage it to your advantage. Work to better understand generational differences. For example, keep in mind that mature workers are generally seen as loyal, dependable, hardworking, and honest. Also know that mature workers are considered not to be tech savvy and energetic. Use the positive assumptions to your advantage and be proactive about addressing the negative assumptions. For example: Are you current with technology and social media? Update your skills and education where needed. Show your prospective employer that you’re a lifelong learner. Are you current in your appearance? Yes, it matters. If you think you’re not, meet with an image consultant and follow that person’s advice. Does your energy come across, or have you put a few extra pounds on that slow you down? Now is the time to join a gym and get the help you need. You may have to do something you’ve never done — personal sales and marketing. You can be an amazing talent, but if nobody knows about you, it doesn’t matter! Especially if you’re starting over in a new industry, you have to raise your visibility as an expert in your new niche. Promote your talent and experience Convince the people you meet that you’re an undiscovered source of talent. Expand your own thinking about your capabilities, and announce your abilities to the world. Make sure that you’re communicating your unique personal brand value in everything you do by Crafting your online profile and identity Reconnecting with and/or building your network Connecting with local groups and associations Seeking out volunteer opportunities Speaking, writing, teaching, and consulting Here’s the great news: Studies show that most workers who change careers at older ages say they enjoy the new job more than the old job. So look at this time of change as a new opportunity to follow the dream you’ve always wanted to achieve. Ask yourself how can you combine your wealth of experience, knowledge, and personality to deliver something that the younger workforce can’t. Brand yourself to stand out, regardless of your age.

Article / Updated 03-07-2022

Women want to be given the same opportunities to succeed as men, but often they want to succeed in a different way. The generalization goes that women (more than men) tend to embrace the desire to want to live more authentically, and that translates into being more of who they are in the workplace. Be your authentic self Personal branding is about living your authentic self and building on natural talents and strengths. In general, some of the following characteristics may be more true for women as a group than for their male counterparts: Collaborators Connectors Socially oriented Focused on community Natural multitaskers Awareness of visual identity Strong verbal communicators Empathetic and intuitive Engaged in stories Builders of deeper relationships When a woman works on her personal brand, she needs to let go of the fear that these characteristics are bad things in the workplace (especially if she’s in a male-dominated work environment). Often, male coworkers don’t see these qualities as intellectual or as worthwhile as the characteristics of individuality, facts, and logic. These are the complex subtleties that women face every day in the workplace. As you refine your brand, you continually need to be true to yourself and to know how to play the game in your particular workplace. In rapidly changing work environments, the rules aren’t as clear for women about how to be who you are, what you should wear, and what qualities are acceptable. Building a female personal brand means focusing on your best self within the variables that you can control and not being afraid to be seen for your uniqueness. Be confident in what you know The story goes that there was a dinner with a group of partners in a professional services firm. The event was equally comprised of men and women. One of the men at the table was a senior leader in the firm. There was a lot of talking, laughing, and sharing of stories. One of the women was telling a work story when the male senior leader said, “Do you know what is wrong with women?” The table gasped and all turned to him. He continued with, “You are at least as smart as the men in the workplace, and probably smarter, but you wait until you know how to do something at least 80 percent before you say, ‘I can do that.’ Most men will say we can do something when we know it 25 percent. We are confident enough to know we will figure it out. If you want to get ahead in business, have the confidence to say that you know how to do something much sooner.”

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022

Personal branding is a marketing strategy focused on your most important product: you. Developing a personal brand requires figuring out who you really are (your skills, values, passions, and personality), who you want to serve (your target market or audience), and how you differ from the competition (your unique niche). A successful brand creates a consistent, targeted impression that helps you achieve your personal and professional goals. It also allows you to live authentically because a great brand is always honest; you can’t fake your way into a successful brand.