Originally posted on the DMA website following an event they hosted for rising talent. I talked about how to get ahead in marketing and create a personal brand that will help you stand out. You can read a summary of the presentation below and find out how to get a copy of the presentation slides.

How do you introduce yourself with impact?

How do you introduce yourself in a professional environment? Is it different to how you introduce yourself socially? Without thinking too much, go ahead and introduce yourself, out loud, to some imaginary senior or influential figure (your CEO, your boss’s boss, a head-hunter, someone at a networking event or conference). How did that make you feel? Nervous? Not exactly sure what to say? Did you make the right impression? Did you waffle?

Try it again.

This time choose only 3 words to describe you.

Was that easier or harder? Most people find the first exercise easier – because saying less means thinking more. But saying less often has more impact.

Throughout your career, you have many opportunities to present yourself to new people. People you want to impress.

So how do you make the right first impression?

Well, it starts way before you ever meet someone. To articulate yourself succinctly, in a meaningful and memorable way, you need to know who you are and what value to have to offer the world. That’s the power of personal branding.

It’s time to invest in your personal brand.

Personal branding has been around for decades. Tom Peters was an early proponent back in 1997 and his article “The Brand Called You” is still a worthwhile read. There are many reasons why personal branding has endured and is having somewhat of a renaissance. It’s not rocket science. The career marketplace has never been more competitive, chaotic or difficult to manoeuvre.

It’s not just about standing out; it’s about boosting your career in the right direction.

How you express yourself you can shape the perception others have of you. You want people to know how uniquely fabulous you are, don’t you? On the flipside, if you don’t define your personal brand – your market will.

People buy people - so make it quicker and easier for them to get to know the real you and the value you offer. An effective personal brand can elevate you into someone people want to know and work with. First impressions often happen online – so its essential you create an authentic, clear and consistent view of yourself across the Internet. Consistency builds trust and reinforces your story.

Personal branding can work on a deeper level too.

It can help you enjoy your working life more. Going through the process of defining your brand (more on that next) can help you align who you are with what you do. Which makes for a more fulfilling and successful career. You will make better choices (choosing roles and companies that really fulfill your goals and add to your brand) and you will flourish.

One of the main benefits of a personal brand is, of course, helping you standing out from your peers. How did Marissa Mayer land the CEO role at Yahoo? According to Laura Ries, it was because she has what most people don’t – she has a brand. “As Google’s 20th employee and first woman engineer, she is a ‘brand.’ Marissa Mayer is the woman that made Google successful.”

Personal branding, done well, cannot only help you communicate with the C-Suite; it can fast track you to the C-Suite.

However, a personal brand will is not a shortcut to success. You need to work, work, work, work, work. Some say doing good work matters more than your personal brand. I’d say doing good (or great!) work is a given. But a personal brand gives you an edge. In the same way a slick ad campaign won’t sell a crappy product – you’ve got to put the work in. Creating your personal brand is a no-brainer – so how do you go about it?

5 steps to creating your personal brand.

This will take a little time! And it’s an investment in yourself so you don’t want to rush or shortcut. There are many approaches and tools to help you along your way and I’ve made reference to a few of them here and in the reading list at the bottom.

Here are 5 simple steps to get you from A to B(rand)!

Step 1: Reflect

Go find a quiet, comfy place and put your thinking cap on – you are going to ponder some deep and meaningful questions. Write things down – pen and paper, laptop, fag packet – what ever you prefer. Ask yourself:

Where are you now?
How did you get there?
Where do you want to go next?
What are your values?
Are you happy in your chosen field or do you want to shift?
How high do you want to fly?
What energises you?

Step 2: Assess your skills

Time for a little more thinking (and writing):

What are your core skills - hard and soft skills?
Do you have a superpower?
Which skills match the things you most enjoy doing?
What skills do you want to learn?
How have you demonstrated these skills?
What are you recognised for?
How do people describe you?

There are some great resources available to help you structure your thinking. Try “Your Best Year Yet”, “What Colour Is Your Parachute?”, and “Ditch Dare Do”.

The Ditch Dare Do approach helps you find your unique value by guiding you through thinking about:

Authenticity – the real you, what you love doing
Differentiation – you unique value, what you are great at doing
Relevance – what makes you compelling to employers

It helps you uncover an insight that sparks the “big idea about you” and helps you build you brand. Which brings us to step 3.

Step 3: Build your brand

Here you switch from thinking mode into doing mode now – time to pick up the pace! Prototype quickly and get feedback from trusted friends and colleagues. Then iterate. This may take a few goes to get something that feels authentically you. If you are committed to accelerating your career, then I strongly recommend finding a coach or mentor. They will not only guide you through this process more quickly – they will truly help you up your game.

Decide on the brand assets and content you need to help you tell your story. More on that next. Between your day job and sparkling social life you will have a finite amount of time to work on all of this. So, be laser-focused on things that will expand your visibility, network and influence.

Step 4: Position yourself

What’s your 'value proposition'? Now, it’s time to define your positioning statement. It's the same principle as the “three word exercise” but with (a few) more words. This will form the basis of your Elevator Pitch, which, in turn, will be used across your brand assets (Twitter, LinkedIn and other social profiles, your resume, blog, email signature etc.).

As you advance in your career, think about how you can reframe the experience you gain as reputation…. it's a very powerful way of communicating.

For example, “I’ve created new teams and services” becomes “I have a reputation for building profitable new capabilities” or “I have a reputation for delivering growth where others can’t”. It packs more of a punch.

Step 5: Create your brand plan

Now its time to start to summarising your thinking into a succinct plan. Write short statements for the following areas:

Vision: Where do you want to be in 5-10 years?
Goals: What would you like to accomplish?
Purpose: Why do you do what you do?
Values: What do you believe in?
Issues: What’s standing in your way?
Strategy: How will you get there?
Tactics: How will you execute your plan?

Make a list of what you need to tell your story, e.g. update your resume, spend more time networking and tweeting each day, make sure your social profiles are consistent, get a better professional photo, go on that training course, put your hand up for more project work etc. Make them SMART actions.

A great way to build your presence online is to have your own blog or website. If you feel you don’t have the time or skills then try one of the great tools out there like about.me, branded.me and flavors.me to create your own presence easily online.

Now you’re ready to communicate your personal brand!

Congratulations! You’ve invested quality time in creating your brand. Now it’s time to communicate it.

Creating your brand assets puts your brand out there proactively. It will also help you to respond well – and on brand - in those spontaneous moments. You’ll know exactly what to say when you bump into your CEO in the lift, or meet new people at a conference. Your confidence will soar because you know you are representing yourself authentically and in the best possible light.

All the thinking and preparation on your personal brand will come into its own and you will consistently present yourself as “someone to know”. It will get you noticed.

And finally, some tips from the top.

Personal branding can help you get noticed by the C-Suite. It also helps if you think like them.

Here's some advice from CEO worth taking note of:

Show commitment: "The truth is, so few people really jump on their jobs, you really will stand out more than you think. You will get noticed if you really go for it.” Warren Buffett
Be enthusiastic: Having a great attitude really matters.
Take the initiative: Put yourself forward. “Embrace tough assignments” Indra Nooyi PepsiCo Chairman and CEO
Speak up: Bosses aren’t mind readers!
Be adaptable: Look for the opportunity to expand your skills and take on new challenges.
Be succinct: They are intelligent and busy people – don’t waste their time.

Thank you for reading and good luck with your personal branding efforts! If you’ve enjoyed reading this post then check out the links below and would like a copy of the slides from the DMA event then please drop me a line at pipa@verveiq.com.

How to create your personal brand.