What do the most successful people over 50 have in common?
They know and express who they are. They have honed and communicated their professional identity and made others aware of their personal attributes: their experience, talents, and deepest commitments. In other words, these people have developed a personal brand, or a “Brand for you”, the term coined by Tom Peters.
Mention their names and you’ll instantly think of a set of personal attributes, in the same way that we might associate attributes like “reliable, fuel efficient and low maintenance” with a certain make of car. However, a personal brand is not a superficial marketing ploy. It is as different from a product brand as a complex, dynamic person is from an inanimate object. “Brand You” springs from a person’s deepest commitments, interests, and unique “genius.” What are some famous personal brands?
Bill Gates: Tech Genius: Harvard dropout who was founded by Microsoft to become the richest man in the world. Philanthropist: Puts his wealth to work on great global projects for the public good.
Oprah Winfrey: Brilliant Entrepreneur: Billionaire talk show personality and media owner. Social pioneer: As a black woman, she crossed racial and gender barriers to be adopted by households of all races and ethnicities in 12 countries.
Warren Buffett: Stock Market Investing Genius: Financial oracle known for being right about achieving investment profits in rising and falling markets and amassing great wealth. New image of “rich”: Buffett lives frugally compared to most of the “rich and famous”. What is the value of a personal brand? Whether you’re a celebrity or just a mature, knowledgeable worker with years of valuable experience, establishing a clear and authentic personal brand can bring multiple benefits. It allows you:
- Control the direction of your career by increasing your visibility and ability to attract and secure jobs.
- You’ll spend less time and money on job searches and personal marketing because your brand will do a lot of the selling for you (online, offline, and everywhere you go).
- Ask for and receive higher compensation for your work because your offers are unique and differentiated in your market.
- Experience personal fulfillment by aligning your career with your authentic self.
- Conversely, without a strong personal brand, you may miss out on key business and career opportunities.
You can do it!
Here are five tips for building your own “You Brand.”
Spend some time thinking and talking with others about who you are professionally and how they perceive you. If the two are not the same, plan a strategy to align them. This could start with rewriting your resume.
Use one or more public channels to promote your personal brand. Create a personal website, blog, or online resume that reflects your personal style, describes what you do, details your background, and conveys your unique value. Include credentials, experience, skills, and/or personal attributes that set you apart from people with similar profiles. Tell readers what they will gain by hiring or working with you.
Use images. Photographs and graphic designs that reinforce your verbal message can create powerful and positive impressions in the reader’s mind. Consider hiring (or negotiating with) a professional designer to create a logo that reflects your personal brand and help you with effective designs for your promotional materials.
Reinforce your personal brand in all your interactions with others. Mention your key attributes and special qualities in voicemail messages, your email signature, and every time you speak face-to-face with current or potential customers.
Treat your personal brand as a work in progress. Experiment to see what works and weed out approaches that don’t produce results. Use your “you brand” to create employment, career and retirement solutions that satisfy and energize you throughout your life.