What is personal branding

Personal branding is the process of representing yourself in the way you want others to see you. Personal branding can influence those who make decisions about you. Keep reading to discover the four ways to create a personal brand that is authentic.

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The first thing to know is that you are responsible for the impressions you create. Whether you like it or not, you will be  judged by people the moment you meet with them. It's either you build your brand or allow others to do it for you. 

Why personal branding is important

Everybody has an innate trait to self-preserve, this means that you will make the best decisions for yourself and you will always be on the lookout for your safety.  It also means that other people would look out for their best interest when they conduct business with you.

In your daily communication with others, there is an unconscious process of sizing up each other for any and all information to help in deciding whether it's safe and beneficial to proceed with any business.  

Your success in your business depends on the impression you create when you are meeting with potential clients. The same happens in any job interview. Believe it or not, it happens every day at work. You have the opportunity to create the best impression every day at work, so make it count.

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1.  Start From The Inside

You can’t truly represent yourself if you have conflicts about who you are,  about your value, and about your worth. You have to believe in yourself first and believe in your abilities, this is called confidence.

If you lack confidence in yourself, you will have difficulty with branding yourself and being consistent. The good news is that there are ways to improve your confidence. You should learn how to demonstrate confidence if you need to.

Starting from the inside makes your brand authentic. It's okay to develop yourself and find inspiration from others, but you don't want to be someone you are not. Instead, find out what your ideal client would want to see in you. Identify those things you need to focus on to create your brand.

Having a good understanding of who you are and being confident of your skills makes personal branding an easier task for you.

2.  Evoke the right emotions when you meet with others

Make up your mind to evoke the right emotions when you meet with others. Do not underestimate the power of emotions in your professional life. A lot of people often refer to emotions as a gut feeling.

When making decisions, researchers have found out that our emotions and memories play a role. People make their decisions not only on the facts given to them but also on their gut feeling. If it doesn't feel right,they won't do it. 

If you feel someone is lacking you most likely won’t do business with them. You may not have tangible proof but you have a "gut feeling", and that is enough to kill the deal. On the other hand, if the same person makes you feel that they are competent and trustworthy, the chances of you conducting business with them increases.

People will work with you if they feel you are trustworthy and competent. The same scenario is applicable if you are an employee.The emotions you evoke with your boss and your coworkers have an impact on your career.

It is a known fact that you don't get a promotion based only on your productivity but also on how your boss feels you will do in the new position, hence the reason for work performance appraisals.

3.  Create the right experience.

Creating the right experience means taking actions that help you create the positive memories and emotions.

Every impression counts because impressions create emotions and memories that are taken into account when making decisions about you.

The experience you create starts from the time your clients enter your business space till they leave. This includes the way you dress, the way you speak and your body language. The physical environment of your office if they are coming to you. 

​You want your clients to feel comfortable in your space. They need to know that you are confident, competent, and trustworthy. 

Your clients are taking in all information around you to help with making their decisions. Your client may be your boss or an outsider. Whoever your client is, they want to know that they are making the best choice if they choose you.

4.  Be consistent.

Consistency is an important factor in personal branding. You want to be true to yourself, and to others at all times. You want to make sure that when you are changing jobs, your reputation is not tainted. If you have a job you dislike, don't act contrary to your brand. Do all you can to maintain your brand irrespective of where you are or what you are facing.

Your potential client wants a professional who is consistent and capable of managing stressful situations.

You live in a digital world where information can go viral in an instant and can't be erased. Whatever is out there is readily available for all to see. Don’t indulge in things you would regret later on. In today's world, it is easy to find out more about anyone. Think before acting.