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Put First things First Brand Before Role

Written by: Andrea O'Neill

Article Overview: The intention of any efforts in Personal Branding is to set oneself apart from the crowd by creating a memorable impression of the unique characteristics you possess. This impression is perhaps the most powerful marketing tool you can create for yourself both personally and professionally. By clearly identifying and communicating what makes you different from the masses, you become memorable and attractive to those who seek what you have to offer.

Put First things First Brand Before Role

The intention of any efforts in Personal Branding is to set oneself apart from the crowd by creating a memorable impression of the unique characteristics you possess. This impression is perhaps the most powerful marketing tool you can create for yourself both personally and professionally. By clearly identifying and communicating what makes you different from the masses, you become memorable and attractive to those who seek what you have to offer.
Given this basis, one key issue that I see frequently in my branding work with clients is that as we begin to identify these brand adjectives to set us apart from the crowd, we tend to perceive ourselves in terms of our role. We see ourselves as parent, or architect, or writer, or attorney. Then as we look for the traits of our brand, what surfaces are actually the traits of the role we see ourselves in. An attorney might say, "I am logical, strategic, detailed, and aggressive." Then as this attorney progresses along the path of personal branding, he finds that these descriptors are not unique at all, and cannot create the edge he desires.
In order to define our brand in a meaningful and impacting manner, we must look past our roles. We have to look past ourselves as parent or architect, or writer, or attorney. What are the adjectives that exist when we are just plain ourselves? What are the adjectives about ourselves that we bring to our roles that are different than the norm of the others who generally operate in this role? What makes us different?
One key to doing this is to stop thinking about the client at this stage. Clients inherently pertain to a role. As an individual, you don't have clients. As a parent you do: your children. As an architect you do: the homeowner or developer. As an attorney you do: the plaintiff or defendant. As a writer you do: the publisher or book buyers. Thinking about the client causes us to try to fill the role we think the client needs. Focusing on your own style before the needs of the client is an important first step in branding.
Of course we all need clients, and the objective of branding is to help you get more clients. But when you start with you, and YOUR personal brand, you will quickly see the clients that create your natural target audience. The brand descriptors that you define will naturally appeal to a certain type of person. This is your target audience.
Developing your personal brand creates authenticity, attraction, opportunities, and increased energy (because trying to be what you think a certain audience wants takes a great deal of energy). Developing your personal brand allows you to focus your marketing dollars and efforts on the people who truly have a need for what you, in your natural state, have to offer.

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