A major theme throughout this book is that we’re all leaders of our destinies as Me Inc., Brand-You or CEO of your career. In other words, we are all portable producers of value. As a product, we may offer a courteous phone response, engineering consulting services, gentle dentistry, or milling a machine part. All these services and activities add real and perceived customer value.
So, what does this product discussion have to do with you? Everything!
If most of us are going to be itinerant professionals then we need to think about how we can differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. The Brand You is the method. Let us first start with the definition of a brand. A brand is a name, term, or reputation that identifies unique goods and services.
Can a person be a brand? You bet. Think Michael Jordan, Oprah, and Lebron James. What do they have in common? They are well-known names that impart real and perceived value. Each person is a brand – a Brand You. These folks have established name franchises that offer known value. In today’s economy, the difference is not between competing workers, but it is between people who have a reputation and enhanced personal brand that conveys value.
So, what does your name convey to people, to employers, and to the world in general? What do they associate with your work products? Is it high quality? Do you manage highly visible projects so they are on budget, on schedule and within scope? All of these are part of your Brand You.
You may be offended by the thought that you are a product. If people, customers or employers do not know who you are, you are simply perceived as an interchangeable product – a commodity. They only see your resume. They don’t really know or frankly care who you are. They have to infer from your resume what value you can offer them and the firm.
Life Lesson Earned: Can you think of the associations or attributes that your Brand You conveys?