Your agency’s “model” is about greater than the message or tone conveyed by its web site or emblem. It’s additionally about you. You’re doubtless one of many first folks to the touch base with purchasers or prospects, and the way you come throughout influences the connection folks really feel for you and the agency. Briefly, you’re a keeper of the observe’s model, a teller of its story.
In case you can inform your individual story nicely, your private model will convey to everybody you work together with—together with your crew—your expertise, your worth, and the particular expertise you add to the combo.
Perceive What You’re Placing Out There
Let’s begin with some context round what a private model means. For previous time’s sake, take into consideration your favourite brick-and-mortar retailer. Whether or not it’s Costco, Goal, or HomeGoods, you’re a buyer for a wide range of causes. Possibly you’ll be able to all the time get the gadgets you need or want. Maybe you are taking consolation in realizing precisely the place to search out what you’re in search of. Regardless of the motive, your impression is clearly favorable otherwise you wouldn’t hold going again.
Simply as you view company manufacturers in a selected mild due to your interactions with them, folks make judgments based mostly on their interactions with you. Based mostly on first impressions, how would they describe you? They choose up on the alerts you’re giving out, by your physique language and presence, in addition to what you say and the way you say it.
Formalize What Your Model Ought to Be
When working with companies to develop their model tales, we regularly start with their positioning assertion. A few of the similar factors we use to develop that assertion will also be helpful when creating a private model:
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Outline your target market. Take into consideration who you’re attempting to achieve (e.g., colleagues, facilities of affect, purchasers). It’s simpler to craft a private story once you perceive your target market.
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Pinpoint your viewers’s wants. Think about rational and emotional wants. For instance, purchasers could anticipate you to offer dependable info once they name into the workplace, however they might additionally want you to be an issue solver with a sympathetic ear when issues don’t go in response to plan and worries come up.
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Consider the way you meet these wants. Let’s say your target market is your employees, and also you need them to know you’ve heard their issues about their skilled growth and guarantee them you’re invested of their profession progress, too. So, take into consideration including a daily skilled growth check-in to the calendar and make a degree to allow them to learn about any instructional alternatives they is perhaps taken with.
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Determine your specialty. Your private branding ought to embody what you do particularly nicely. Maybe you’re a retirement planning guru or a whiz with debt administration. You recognize what makes you particular—and people round you need to, too.
With these 4 factors in thoughts, you’ll be able to put collectively a quite simple model assertion for your self. It would look one thing like this:
(Your identify) is a (your position) that gives (target market) with
(your providing) in a (your differentiator) method.
As you begin to develop your private model story, this assertion can function a helpful guidepost—however be happy to revise it as your objectives and viewers change.
Audit Your Model
It’s not sufficient to provide you with a model; you must also see in case you’re dwelling as much as it. To conduct a model audit, rank your self within the following areas from 1 to five (with 1 being nonexistent or wants enchancment and 5 being your model is stable):
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Communication type (written and verbal)
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Physique language and bodily impression
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On-line presence (e.g., social media profiles, publications utilizing your identify or agency web site, private bio)
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Written paperwork that embody details about you (e.g., agency advertising and marketing supplies)
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Suggestions from colleagues and associates
When you have hassle with this train, enlist a detailed pal or colleague to undergo the listing and supply a rating for you. Then, see how the scores evaluate. The place do you align? The place are the scores broadly completely different? The insights will assist you establish areas that might use some work, in addition to key strengths.
Protect Your Private Branding
Carry on tending to your model as soon as it’s outlined. Right here’s how:
1) E-mail. An e-mail could make or break you in only a few keystrokes. So, all the time hold your model in thoughts when crafting messages.
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Examine your tone. Do your emails sound instructive and useful, or do they veer towards tone-deaf and harsh? Set the correct tone, particularly when writing a delicate e-mail. You may ask a colleague to learn it first. Or it’s possible you’ll discover calling the individual is healthier than sending an e-mail. I’ve a private rule: if I’m having hassle discovering the correct phrases for an e-mail or discover myself occurring too lengthy, I choose up the cellphone as an alternative.
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Be skilled. In case your e-mail makes use of an excessive amount of jargon, the reader is perhaps confused. Use correct English and clear language, and clarify any acronyms or abbreviations (relying on the viewers).
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Spell examine! Don’t let the message of a well-crafted e-mail get obscured by pointless typos.
2) Voice (voicemail, cellphone messages, and calls). Ever surprise in case you’ve been too informal (or too formal) in conversations with purchasers? To mission each your agency and private model, contemplate:
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Creating scripts for traditional greetings, cellphone messages, or inserting a caller on maintain.
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Being positive what you’re saying—and the way you’re saying it—is according to what others in your crew are conveying.
3) Physique language. Your physique language can provide off unintended impressions. Earlier than a severe dialog, observe having the dialogue in a mirror. Pay attention to your physique language and facial expressions.
4) Social media. Most of us use social media personally and professionally. It may be a serious increase to your private model—in case you use it accurately.
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Know who “follows” or “likes” you. Since your likes and follows might be seen by others, your followers might have implications on your private model. Be conscious of the feedback in your posts.
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Assume earlier than you tweet. Earlier than you ship off a fast submit, ask your self, “Is that this one thing I might need my employer, household, or associates to see?”
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Examine the language. As with e-mail, stick to applicable and constant language.
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Use professional-looking photographs. Does your LinkedIn photograph convey the skilled picture you need others to see? Is it latest, or a shot from 5 years in the past? Your photograph doesn’t should be taken by knowledgeable, but it surely ought to precisely convey who you might be.
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Google your identify. What info seems? Is it what you anticipated?
In fact, completely different platforms will assist you inform completely different elements of your model story (e.g., LinkedIn to spotlight your skilled accomplishments or Twitter to remain up on and share the newest business information). And, if accomplished nicely, it may be an necessary technique to attain your target market and preserve your private model.
Rebranding May Be in Order
In case you’ve by no means actually thought of your private model, I hope I’ve given you place to begin. It could assist you visualize what you need different folks to see in you and what they’re really seeing. And if these two variations don’t align? Properly, it might simply be time for a rebrand.
Please seek the advice of your member agency’s insurance policies concerning social media previous to using the platforms mentioned.
