“An undiscovered genius has no value in the marketplace” ~ Bernard Kelvin Clive
The dilemma of a personal brand! Does that speak to you or anyone you know?
You are so great at what you do yet, it seems you are not well-known in your circles and people only pay you little for your works and perhaps you find it difficult to let people to market yourself?
You may not only be the only person, but some have also been in a similar situation and overcame it. You too can. People need to hear, see, and encounter you. Your value must speak and you must learn to also confidently sell yourself if not the market will only pay you peanuts. You deserve better, this is not the time to pity party there is plenty to party on, if only you learn how to play properly, position and promote yourself.
“…And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?…” – Romans 10:14
In doing business today, visibility, brand marketing is necessary to help drive sales. However, the challenge for several individuals is how to confidently sell themselves without sounding prideful.
Truth is that personal branding is not about personal branding; it is the ability to distinctively market your uniqueness without being boastful.
Today will be sharing with you some basic strategies that will help you put your best foot forward confidently to promote your brand and expertise.
With the opening quote above, we can get started. I believe you will agree with me that we all know one or two people who are so great at what they do, but are not known, or do not get the traction for their expertise as it should be, right?
The point is that we are in an age where if you don’t show up consistently to let the world know what you have and the value you have to offer, you and your business may suffer from the competition.
It requires that you promote yourself to the right audience, by letting them know what you do excellently.
The challenge is that most people find it quite difficult to do this. Either they lack the confidence or have the fear of being labeled as proud.
So, here are simple tips to enable you to promote yourself without being boastful:
- The first step is to be great at what you do. Without that, you will be only, deceiving yourself and the public, you may end up losing your credibility. So, be determined to work harder on your craft, be the best in your chosen field. That alone can push you through the pile to the top, you may gain ‘word-of-mouth’ advantage.
- The second way you can promote yourself is by using endorsements by reputable firms. E.g. Entrepreneur magazine calls him “the branding guru“. Endorsements by reputable firms serve as a key to unlock the hearts of others. Do not go chasing for the praise of men. If people and institutions find your work worth it, and accord you some honors, great! Keep doing great works!
- The third way you can self-promote yourself is by using testimonials by respectable people. E.g. “Kwame’s keynote speeches are not just inspiring but practical with humor that makes his audience laugh their way through with well actionable advice” Paul McAllen, president of Coca-Cola Canada.Understand that people tend to believe what other prominent people say about you the more than when it comes from an untrusted person. You can also employ this strategy at live networking events, you ask friends to introduce you to people you would like to connect with.
- The fourth way is by using the third person pronouns to describe yourself and your achievements. Either you are writing it to be used to introduce you or as part of the content, you would be sharing, article, blog, etc. An example… He has trained over 500 corporate staff in a period of 6months in brand positioning strategies.
- Lastly, one quick thing you can do to promote yourself is to carry a ‘Business Card’. It may seem that a business card is old fashioned, hey NO! It simply does the talking for you in a flash. Ensure that you have your details, endorsements, and expertise on it. Never attend a business or networking meeting without one. Additionally, your virtual business card can be your website/blog that you simply direct people there to read. It speaks volumes!
Finally, never settle for less, give off great value at all times.
Never be afraid to ask for referrals, this can be done right from your first client. Do this one-on-one, could be easier to begin with and may eventually translate into many repeat businesses without you being boastful.
The world is your oyster, go make a ruckus!
Recommended book: Business Networking Made Easy by Bernard Kelvin Clive
Do you have questions or need help with your personal brand, just contact me via [email protected]
The post Personal Branding with Bernard Kelvin Clive….Personal Brands: Ways to self-promote without being boastful appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.
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