English  Auto  Biz  Careers  Credit  Finance  Health  Music  Sports  Travel  Tickets  Blogs  Podcast

"Tu" Brand

Step 1: Identify "Tu"
Before you can clearly describe your personal brand, you need to look at the big picture: your vision, and purpose. Your vision is external. It is the essence of what you see possible for the world. Your purpose is internal. It is the role you play in supporting that vision.

Your brand should be linked to your personal goals. Think about where you want  your life next year. Write your goals for year two and year five. Document your thoughts. With your goals set down, and with a real understanding of your vision and purpose, you can begin the assessment process required to understand and develop your brand.

Know Yourself
Successful people have authentic personal brands. You need to know "you" before you can build a brand. If you are creative, dynamic, outgoing, and whimsical, you will not succeed by communicating the attributes of the predictable, the steady, and the focused.

Know Your Competitors
Who are your competitors? Colleagues, Foes other people in your industry. Look at your goals, and take a closer look at your competition. If you see yourself making major career changes, your competitors are not likely to be your current colleagues. If you are planning a straight-ahead trajectory to a more senior position, it may be easier to identify the competition.

Know Your Target
To be successful, it's not enough just to have a personal brand. You need to communicate it to the right people. It would exhaust your resources to aim for the world at large. The key to successful personal branding is focus!

Step 2: Express "Tu"
Describe your brand from the results of Step 1. Create a personal profile. List your attributes, create a brand statement and your personal brand tagline. Communicate your brand.

Find the Right Mix
Once you know yourself, your competitors, and your target, you can identify the ideal combination of communications tools that reach your audience effectively.

Mark Everything You Do with Your Brand
Whether you're giving a presentation, participating in a meeting, or writing a report, you never have to leave your brand behind. Always connect your brand to every situation.

Live and Breathe Your Brand
Live in a state of inquiry for two weeks – to start. Question everything you do, every tool you use, every article of clothing you wear. Are they consistent with your brand?

Step 3: Evaluate "Tu"
You've identified your brand. You've developed communications tools to reach your target audience. But how do you measure your brand success?

Use measurable metrics - performance evaluations, informal feedback from peers and managers. Trusted people who will provide truly honest feedback, perhaps your mentor.