Posts Tagged ‘personal branding’

Time for a Reboot?

Wednesday, January 6th, 2016

The end of the year is the perfect time to take stock…to ask ourselves the tough questions about what we wanted to accomplish in all areas of our work and personal lives this year, called our “ideal state”, and to authentically look at what we really did achieve, our “current state”.  The end of the year is a great time to discern if there are any gaps between our ideal state and our current state.  If so, it may be time for a reboot.

A reboot begins with honest and careful scrutiny of what is currently working for you and what is not moving the needle to propel you toward your goals.  Do any of these sound familiar: perhaps it’s an unhelpful habit, such as procrastination, that is getting in your way?  Maybe you have bitten off more than you can chew and have gotten involved in too many meetings?  This can cause hectic rushing and an overwhelming feeling that works against clarity and poise.  Or maybe you are stuck in your comfort zone – doing the same things you have always done?  If so, you are probably getting the same results you have always gotten.  Where ever you’re stuck, a reboot can help you get unstuck.

To help you move to your “ideal state’, it might be time to revisit your personal marketing plan to determine the perceptions that others have of you after they interact with you.  This could include many points of contact people have with you, from your voice message and the way that you answer the phone, to the clothes you choose to wear, to the photo you have on your social media accounts.  Every interaction that another person has with you is the opportunity to create a positive impression and enhance your personal branding.

Success expert Stephen Covey believes that with any project we should “Begin with the end in mind”.  A personal reboot should be no different.  As I took stock of my goals at the end of last year, and turned an eye toward celebrating my 15th year of business this year,  I determined that it was time to do a deep dive into updating my own business and executive presence plan.  There was no urgency- I was reaching my goals.  I believed I could achieve more if I focused on aligning my website, RitaPerea.com, and marketing materials with my long-established branding voice.  The goal being exuding the positives that I am known for – dynamic and inspirational professionalism, expertise and integrity.  Let the reboot begin!

Reboots feel good.  Like the feeling you get when  you have cleaned out a closet or organized the files in your desk.  Sure, all worthwhile endeavors do take a bit of time and effort, but at you end you get that great feeling of being organized, aligned and free of clutter.  Here is my secret sauce for a successful reboot.

Step One: Our first order of business is to determine the three to five authentic words that we want others to use to describe us after they have had an experience with us.  This is called our “personal marketing voice”.  Sometimes it is easier to determine how you want to be described if you also think about how you do not want to be described.  For example: Rita Perea Leadership Coaching and Consulting IS solid, dynamic, inspirational, experienced, high-integrity and professional.  It IS NOT fly-by-night, weak or gimmicky.  You get the idea here.  Contrast is a great informant.

Step Two: Use these words as a lens to look through when making daily choices.  If I have a business meeting to attend and I want people who interact with me at that meeting to describe me as solid, dynamic, inspirational, experienced, high-integrity and professional, then I am going to dress and act in a manner that is congruent with those descriptive words in my personal marketing voice.  Note to self:  if your branding voice is authentic then you will be most comfortable looking like and acting like the descriptive words you have chosen to represent you.

Step Three: The next step of the reboot is the opportunity to integrate every experience point with our personal branding voice to spur others to have a positive perception and to take action.  It is time to take our list of descriptive words and look at every activity we participate in through the lens of those words.  At the end of each interaction we want to ask ourselves “How would that person describe me to others?”  In addition to our website and social media interactions, as mentioned above, these interactions include:

•   Community Involvement

•   Networking opportunities

•   Manners/ etiquette

•   Interactions with co-workers

•   Interactions with clients

•   Making cold calls

•   Making warm calls

•   Speaking in front of a group

•   Involvement in professional organizations/associations

Step Four: Just as we reboot our computer each time we turn it on, every interaction with another person gives us the opportunity to be an honest and reflective practitioner.  We can continually reflect and refine by asking ourselves “How did that go?”;  “What went well?”;  “What did not go so well?”; and “What could I do differently next time to truly live my personal branding voice?”

While a reboot takes honesty, time, effort, and perhaps some monetary resources, your return on investment can be exponential.  You will feel aligned, squeaky clean, shiny and brand new.  What a wonderful way to begin a new year.  Here’s to your success in 2016!

®All rights reserved by Rita Perea Leadership Coaching and Consulting, 2016

Personal Branding and Executive Presence are Critical to Success

Monday, December 1st, 2014

They say that “truth is stranger than fiction”. I believe it! As I was enjoying my morning tea at the local coffee shop, I couldn’t help but overhear two women at the next table. They were talking loudly about people on a list. The older woman was giving the younger woman the rundown about everyone on the list, including using the first and last name of each executive being discussed and the company he/she works for. I really couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Neither could the rest of the patrons in the coffee shop.

I was fascinated by their description of each person on the list. “Big Cheese”, “travels only with an entourage”, “won’t ever return phone calls”, “huge ego”, “a horrible person”, “she is the first woman”… It was clear that they were describing senior leaders in organizations. The descriptions went on for almost an hour!

This candid conversation is the perfect reminder that personal branding matters and illustrates why the crafting of executive presence is an important investment.

As a senior leader, director, manager, supervisor, and overall nice person, what do people really say about you after they interact with you? Their impressions are created by your personal branding and executive presence. What do you want people to say about you? Effective leaders are clear about the authentic impression that they create and they are mindful to be consistent with that impression.

There are 7 C’s in my own personal branding plan- the things that I want others to say about me after we interact.

Rita is:
Confident
Competent
Connected
Cheerful/ Inspiring
Creative problem solver
Class Act/ Professional
Committed to Client Success

I owe these two women at the coffee shop a debt of gratitude for the great reminder that the perceptions that others have of us become their reality about us.

Consistently managing our authentic personal brand and executive presence is crucial to our continued career success.

Have you crafted your personal brand? What are the seven words that people will use to describe you? If you don’t have your own list of personal branding words, I’ll let you borrow a few of mine.

Own Your Reputation

Thursday, October 13th, 2011

It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.
Warren Buffet

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