Personal Branding is the art of creating and controlling how others perceive you. To get noticed and stay noticed, you need to create a brand that Employers can easily identify and want to flock to. Whether you are at the top of your category or bottom, establishing yourself as a brand of excellence can only help further your business goals.
Three ways to start on your path to branding greatness: Be unique, be polite, be great!
Set yourself apart from the pack. Choose quality projects to work on. When a potential Employer asks for references, they are not only checking to see what you did, but whom you did it for. Everyone wants the guy who produced last year's top TV ad for a billion dollar company to work on their projects and to get "that" guy are more likely to pay more. If you only accept low quality projects, you are confining how others can see you. Very few people want to gamble on the "potential" of a Freelancer's work, especially when they can see the "expertise" of others. Distinguish yourself from the pack as someone who seeks out excellence and provides it in return.
Be on time, be prepared and be respectful. In a business environment growing more casual, many professionals think of etiquette as a quaint notion. It is a necessity rather than a notion in a market that continues to expand globally every day. Reliability and professionalism are key accolades for any professional who wants to achieve gold star branding. Even in a virtual world, time is money. Though there may not be a time clock to punch, there are phone calls to return, emails to write and deadlines that loom. Punctuality relays a sense of respect for co-workers and employers alike.
Anybody can slap together an unpunctuated, grammatically incorrect, slang filled email. However, the Freelancer who takes the time format and carefully word an email is one who shows attention to detail and esteem for the reader. Extend that awareness to all aspects of your professional dealings.
Deliver the best performance of your life. As Employers peruse your Feedback and Work Samples, they should be seeing the very best you have to offer. Nobody wants to hear that the previous Employer was difficult to work with, the deadline got pushed up or that was an attempt to do something you have never done before. Your work will speak for itself, whether you want it to or not, make sure it's always saying how perfect you are for the job.
You never know when that devotion to excellence will finally be awarded. Therefore, every project that you dedicate your time to should be an example of the best you can do.
These three steps are an excellent beginning to creating and marketing the unique and exceptional brand of you. |