Corporate life definitely gives you an experience of embracing tough love – especially when we talk about corporate America.
And so the only thing that can help you sustain in this challenging business world is a well polished professional brand. Many of us talk about having a strong personal brand; but a better way of visioning this scenario would be to meld the personal and professional – and straddling well somewhere in between the two. Rather the synthesis of being ‘profersional’ makes you win many points in the corporate world – as you are intuitive, rational, and fairly balanced with the right inject of personal brand’s essence and a dash of professional outlook.
However, pacing up with the professional version of your brand definitely needs a recalibration to ensure that you are the best version of your brand. That said, what can truly differentiate you when you are pitted against others in the corporate/ business world are the following USPs that no one can take away from you. Let’s dig in.
Your personality. You are a summation of your own values, thoughts, competencies, potential and attitude: that are unique only to you. Incrementally, you are a consummate individual with your own strengths and areas of improvement that make you conscientious enough to know how to stand out in the professional world. So work on your personality enhancers and strive for the north. In business, you are the product, you are the service, and you are the brand; not the actual product you are selling – it is you who is making a difference via your unique personality to win a contract, land a consulting gig or speak at an event. The products are the ‘by-products’ of doing business with you.
Your specialisation. Let’s face it: if you really want to make good money and have a professional standing, get tete-a-tete with your area of focus – and focus monomaniacally on that one subject/ realm/ field until you become second to none. Being obsessively focused in developing that one skill can help you build an indefatigable professional brand. My favourite example is Oren Klaff, author of Pitch Anything; he can give you goosebumps with his level of expertise in raising money to the tune of $1 billion. You can follow suit, too!
Your connections. Your relational skills can make you win more business or get promotions than you can imagine; not everyone is adept at building new connections and sustaining them for a period of time. Your ecosystem is your net worth – and how you best have a win-win business relationship is something that people learn every day yet only a few can forge ahead. So use this as as a case of personal + professional brand differentiation and build up on it.
Your evangelism. Be so passionate about your craft so that you can build a thriving community and make a distinctive professional brand. Elevating your purpose as an evangelist makes you become a thought leader and a more trusted brand in your ecosystem. No hyperbole; just a conversation that creates positive triggers in your professional life and accentuates your ‘professional’ brand.
How are you enhancing your professional brand?
Let me know.
