What is a Personal Brand Strategist?

Whether you know it or not, you have a personal brand. Everybody does.

Your brand is what you present to the world. It’s how you want to be perceived and how others relate to and interact with you. It deserves your attention because very often, it will influence how people treat you and your status in the workplace.

Some of us work on our brand consistently while others need a little guidance in this area and that’s where a personal brand strategist comes into play.

A personal brand strategist specializes in helping working professionals create a brand that represents the value they consistently deliver to those whom they serve.

So, what does this look like in practice?

Determine how You Wish to be Perceived

When you hire me as a personal brand strategist, we’ll begin by determining how you wish to be perceived. What are the adjectives you want people to use to describe you, even if they only see you from across the room?

Here are some good examples of adjectives I think are effective: energized, magnetic, focused, professional, dynamic, communicative, positive, strategic, approachable, trendy.

Once we define who you are, the next step is to determine how to integrate this into your brand so the adjectives you chose truly define your presence. The essence of your brand must show up everywhere: in how you look, how you act and how you communicate.

Integrating Non-Verbal Cues

We’ve all heard about Professor Albert Mehrabian’s research on the importance of non-verbal communication. He discovered that a full 55% of our interaction with others is informed by our non-verbal cues. This means that if your personal brand is going to present itself in all areas of your life, it must exist in your non-verbal communication as well.

Non-verbal cues are composed of posture, facial expressions and gestures as well as wardrobe choices.

Long before we open our mouths to interact with another person, they take us in visually. And let’s face it: 90% of your body is covered with clothing and accessories that are bound to make a statement about who you are – so naturally, clothing is a major aspect of crafting your personal brand!

Download my free info sheet: 5 Tips to Increase Your Executive Presence

My job as a personal brand strategist is to look at the full picture of you. I examine how you wish to be perceived and then reconcile the differences. Sometimes that means taking a shopping trip, sometimes that means putting a focus on body language and most often it means working on both.

The Makings of a Strong Leader

How does it all come together to give you an edge in the workplace and in your personal life?

According to a report issued by the Center for Talent Innovation in New York City, there are six core behaviors that are key to projecting strong leadership:

Confidence. The ability to maintain yourself while under pressure.
Decisiveness. The ability to make a decision and stick with it; no wavering or waffling.
Integrity. The discipline of honoring your word, even when it is difficult or inconvenient.
Emotional Intelligence. An awareness of others, the ability to manage your own emotions as well as recognize the feelings of others.
Vision. Being able to inspire others with your vision in a way that is empowering and inclusive.
Communication. Strong communication skills will help you inspire and collaborate with others.

Crafting a strong Executive Presence that encompasses all of the above-mentioned behaviors is key to success in the business world. A personal brand strategist has the expertise to bring it all together cohesively.