personal branding
what is a personal brand?

Your personal brand is what comes into people's minds when they think of you - what shapes their ideas and expectations of you. It is the powerful way that you communicate what you stand for - your vision, values, skills, passions and attributes.

In other words, personal branding is about what makes you unique. It relates to how people see you, what you project to others, and their perception of you.

By using the powerful tool of personal branding, you will reflect clearly with confidence who you are, what you do and what makes you unique.

how does personal branding work?

To understand how personal branding works you have to acknowledge that every human being uses their instincts to make immediate judgements about people, objects and situations. It seems we have not evolved much - in today's society we still use our instincts to form a lasting impression of people and the business they represent. We need to be aware of these clues in order to make that great impact at an interview, client meeting or networking opportunity - not forgetting that understanding these clues can also be useful in other aspects of your personal life.

It can take less than 30 seconds to form a lasting impression and up to 21 repeated occasions for someone to alter a disappointing first impression. So it is vital we make our first impression count.

Personal branding is about consciously managing perceptions people have of you in order to create a powerful, authentic first impression. This will clearly convey your value to people you want to work with and to those who can influence others to work with you, so that you are their first choice (the person they need for the job in hand), and so that they can identify and relate to you on a professional and personal level.

why do I need to develop my personal brand?

Like it or not, the ability to brand yourself has become essential to the way we live and work today. So how do you plan to stand out from the crowd? How could you be seen to add value to your employers or clients?

In building a strong personal brand you will stand out for the uniqueness that you offer - you will have a competitive edge and a magnetic influence that attracts the right kind of opportunities to you.

Once you have identified your personal brand values - what you stand for, where you are heading and what value you offer others you will find that you will be able to communicate in order to present yourself and your company. Others will then easily see the value in what you do and how you can be of benefit to them.

What can personal branding do for me?

When you develop a strong personal brand with i-define, you will benefit from:

• Establishing yourself as an expert in your field
• Becoming more assertive
• Effective communication skills
• Establishing strong business networking relationships
• Creating strong loyalty from those you work with
• Evoking the correct perceptions in the mind of your target market
• Creating a message that is compelling and enticing
• Improving presentation skills
• Enhanced verbal communication skills
• Greater visibility and credibility
• Enhanced Interview skills
• Creating a credible business pitch