Personal branding is all about building credibility. The simple truth is that customers prefer to work with an expert. Think about it—if you’re getting serious about saving for retirement, who would you trust to manage your portfolio: a nationally recognized expert, or a generic local planner. Of course, you’ll choose the expert—and you’ll pay more for him or her!
How can you build this credibility for yourself? Below are five steps:

1. Write a book. Nothing says “expert” like publishing a book on your area of expertise. It may sound like a daunting task, but it’s not—get in touch with me today if you’d like to learn more!

2. Publish a blog. These days, consumers are turning to the internet when they need a service provider. Publishing an industry-related blog positions you as an expert—and it allows you to engage with prospects who are actively searching for the services you provide.

3. Feature testimonials. There’s nothing like a great testimonial from a client when it comes to building credibility. It’s one thing for you to tell the world how great you are—it’s quite another when your customers are bragging about you. For best results, utilize video testimonials. When video isn’t an option, be sure to at least include a picture with the testimonial so that prospective customers can tell that the testimonial came from a “real” person.

4. Publish articles in national newspapers and magazines. Writing an article or even being quoted in a leading publication like the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal provides instant credibility. For better or for worse, our culture assumes that if an individual is featured in national media, he or she must be an expert! Of course, accessing these publications can be difficult—but we can help!

5. Get out and speak. Whether it’s a local networking event or a national seminar, look for opportunities to speak on topics related to your area of expertise. Most people are terrified to speak in public—so when you do so, especially on a topic related to your industry, it sends a powerful message that you know your stuff!

Questions? Comments? Would you like to learn more about the steps you can take to rapidly increase your credibility in your market? Contact me today at www.jwdicks.com/contact!

You’ve heard the saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I’m not going to give you advice on your love life—but I can tell you that this sentiment is absolutely accurate in the world of personal branding. This is because you don’t ultimately define your personal brand—your audience does. It is their perception of you and your business that determines your brand.

This means that it isn’t enough for you to figure out the brand you’d like to create. You need to figure out how to communicate it in a way that makes sense to your audience.
Here are four questions to ask yourself:

1) Are you speaking the right language? If your brand is going to resonate with your audience, you need to speak their language. As a financial advisor for retirees, for instance, words like “stability” and “security” will be effective. Get to know your audience, and learn to speak their language.

2) Are you using the right channels? Using the wrong channels will diminish your brand. If you’re an attorney seeking to represent celebrities, CEO’s, and other “big shots”, advertising your practice on bus stops is a bad idea. Chose channels that will both reach your audience and position your brand in the proper light.

3) Are you communicating the right benefits? Why should customers choose your products or services? What value do you add to their lives? It’s important that the value you are emphasizing appeals to your target. Wal-Mart has branded itself as the low-cost leader which works well for them—but if their target was high-income earners, they’d need a different approach.

4) Are you using the right picture? Believe it or not, the picture you use of yourself has a tremendous impact on the way that your brand is perceived. It’s important that you have a high-quality, professional headshot to use—and that it positions you in a way that is consistent with your brand.

You may think that your personal brand is strong and effective. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you think! What matters is the way in which your audience perceives your brand. Contact me today if you’d like more information on this subject.

In today’s high-tech information age, consumers are savvier than ever before. Whether it is comparison shopping online before visiting a brick-and-mortar retain location or reading the reviews of a product on Amazon.com before making a purchase, today’s consumer routinely performs a “smell check” before committing to purchase a good or a service.

This skepticism represents a challenge for businesses, but also an opportunity for top performers to clearly separate themselves from the competition. As we have discussed elsewhere, a strong personal brand is a powerful way to differentiate yourself from the competition by establishing your expertise—but that personal brand will be subjected to the same scrutiny as your products and services. This scrutiny can manifest itself in a variety of ways… some potential clients will visit your website and dig around, others will take a look at your social media presence, and still others will call around town looking for confirmation from a past or current customer.

Therefore, if your personal brand is to serve as a powerful means of differentiation from your competition, it must hold up to scrutiny. And to do that, your personal brand must be genuine. It must be authentic.

Fortunately, building a powerful personal brand starts with being yourself. It isn’t difficult to create an authentic brand—because the strongest personal brands are 100% authentic. Your personal brand should be an expression of your passions, your interests, and your personality. Granted your brand must be “cleaned up” a bit before it’s ready to be presented to your audience, but at the end of the day your personal brand should reflect who you are.

Are you passionate about golf or fishing? Find a way to work that passion into your brand—perhaps by frequently tweeting from the golf course or by publishing a book in which you relate the lessons you’ve learned while fishing to your industry.
Are you passionate about a particular cause or movement? Get involved in local clubs and organizations. Offer to guest-blog for prominent writers focused on those causes.
Creating a genuine personal brand doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it doesn’t have to feel like work at all. The key is to identify an angle by which you can connect your personal interests and hobbies to your industry, and to the products and services you offer. Feel free to get in touch with me for more on this subject!

If you regularly read my blog entries and articles, you know that public speaking is an effective way to build expert credibility. And you know that credibility is an essential element of a personal brand that enables you to dominate your market and lock out the competition.

But, if you’re like most people, you dread the idea of public speaking. Now, I agree that public speaking isn’t for everyone… but I also happen to believe that most of you could do a great job at it. Of course, the decision is yours to make, but today we’re going to cover four ways in which public speaking will help you grow your business. And then you can decide whether or not it’s worth it!

Public speaking provides immediate credibility. Think about it for a moment—when you see an individual speaking at a seminar or an event, even before you’ve heard what he has to say, you automatically assume that he knows what he is talking about. Adding the line “sought-after speaker” to your biography makes a big difference.

Public speaking offers great exposure to your target market. In fact, there are few forms of marketing more effective than speaking on your area of expertise to a group of target customers. The key is to choose your speaking engagements carefully, so that you are speaking to your target market—and then to ensure that the topic you cover closely relates to the products and services you offer.

Public speaking helps you to sharpen your message. Developing the perfect marketing message takes time, and it requires trial-and-error. That’s why politicians and advertisers test their messages in front of focus groups before taking them to the masses. When speaking to an audience, you’ll have an opportunity to gauge the effectiveness of your message—and over time, you’ll refine it.

Public speaking positions you a level above your competition. Because most people are terrified to speak in public, they hold those who are brave enough in high regard. Chances are, few of the competitors in your market are willing to pursue public speaking— which means that doing so positions you in a category far above the competition.

The idea of speaking in front of an audience may be intimidating—but if you can work up the courage to give it a shot, the benefit to your business will be enormous.

Creating a strong personal brand is not something you do once. It’s not something that you ever “finish”, so to speak. In order for your personal brand to maintain its appeal, it is important that it is constantly evolving. A stale personal brand will get tossed aside like last year’s fashion lines, in order to make room for what’s new and exciting. In order to maintain top-of-mind awareness, your brand must stay fresh. Here are several ways you can make this happen:

Let your audience see you grow. Some business owners are reluctant to admit that they learn anything—because they don’t want to acknowledge that there was anything they didn’t know to begin with. Newsflash: nobody is buying that. We’re all human, we’re all learning every day, so don’t hide it! If you’re attending a conference or seminar, talk about it! If you just finished a great book, share your thoughts. Let your audience see you grow.

Tell your audience what’s new. Are you launching a new line of products or a new service? Share this information with your audience—whether that means tweeting about it, blogging about it, or referring to it at your next public speaking event. People are naturally attracted to movement, and the word “new” is very powerful. When you launch a new initiative, don’t keep it a secret!

Consider publically pursuing a new goal each year. Here’s an outside-the-box idea that may appeal to some of you: each year, find something new to pursue. It could be anything—from shaving 5 strokes off your golf score to reading a self-improvement book every week. Once you’ve settled on your goal, make it public! Write about it on your blog. Post about it on Facebook and on Twitter. Share your progress, good or bad. You’ll find that your audience becomes very interested—because again, as humans we are attracted to motion and to progress.

All three of these suggestions will help you keep your brand fresh—but this is by no means an exhaustive list! Think creatively, and I guarantee that you’ll come up with more ideas. As always, feel free to get in touch with me today if you’d like more information on this subject!

What can you do to keep your personal brand alive and well in 2012? Simple: it needs to continue to grow. Humans are attracted to motion, growth, and change—and the world of business is no exception. An appealing personal brand is always developing. Like a good book, it holds the attention of its audience.

But for many business owners, the challenge is determining how to keep their brand interesting. They know that growth is important, but in which direction should it grow?

The key is thinking outside the box as you come up with interesting yet valuable new ideas for your audience. Below are some ideas to get your wheels turning:

1) Launch an industry-focused blog. Blogging is a fantastic way to build stronger relationships with your audience while increasing your expert credibility. A blog allows you to mix a bit of personality in with your business persona—giving your audience a chance to get to know you better.

2) Offer a new product or service. This requires a bit more time and planning, but the launching of a new product or service is a great idea—even if your customers are already happy with your current offerings. The launch of new products and services creates the perception of motion, change, and advancement. It positions you on the cutting edge of your industry.

3) Write a book. Very few initiatives will change your perception within your market as rapidly as authoring and publishing a book! As soon as you add the word “author” to your biography, your credibility skyrockets. You are no longer “just” a real estate broker or a financial advisor—you’re now an expert in your field.

The key to building a compelling brand over the long term is to keep it interesting. Yes, consistency is very important—so it’s critical that your new adventures don’t contradict the brand you have build in the past. But consistency alone won’t establish you as a leading celebrity expert within your market—so don’t get complacent! If you’d like to learn more, or if you are ready to take your personal brand to the next level, get in touch with us today!

You have heard us talk often in this space about the value of speaking when it comes to establishing credibility and expertise. Because of the fear most people have of public speaking, the simple fact that you are willing and able to give speeches on your industry establishes you as an expert in the minds of many people. However, speaking can be very intimidating… so below are three tips to help you overcome anxiety and give great speeches:

1) Thoroughly prepare your presentation / speech. The best antidote to nervousness is impeccable preparation. Don’t procrastinate—make sure that you have all of your content organized well in advance. This includes any slide shows, illustrations, or other visuals. Tailor your content to your audience and make sure that you’re confident in every element of the presentation.

2) Write a great introduction. Devote time to coming up with a great “hook” for your speech. You will be able to sense that you’ve drawn your audience in—and you’ll feel relaxed and totally in control. If you’re not sure how to begin, think about a statement that sums up a problem facing most members of your audience. If you’re speaking to retail store owners, a stat about employee theft will likely catch everyone’s attention!

3) Adjust your expectations. Much of the anxiety felt before a speaking event stems from a fear of mistakes. But here’s the thing: even the best speakers in the world make mistakes. Therefore, it’s inevitable that you will too. Whether it’s mispronouncing a word, losing your place in your notes, or losing your train of thought… you are going to make mistakes. When you realize and accept this fact, much of the pressure goes away. Don’t aim for perfection—just get up there and deliver valuable content to your audience.

You are an expert in your line of work. There is no reason that you can’t find opportunities to speak—whether it’s in an industry conference, a trade association, or other event. Speaking gives your personal brand a massive credibility boost—so don’t let your nerves hold you back. Contact us today to learn more!

While the concept of personal branding has become more mainstream in recent years, there are still many Americans who don’t understand what it means. As a result, there are a number of myths and flat-out falsehoods that are commonly circulated. In the interest of clearing up common misconceptions and making sure that businesses and individuals recognize the value that a strong personal brand can provide, today we are going to get to the bottom of four particularly common myths:

1) Personal branding is only for extroverts. This idea is very prevalent, and understandably so. Personal branding is all about shaping public image—so for an individual who does not enjoy the spotlight, personal branding may sound incredibly stressful. The important thing to remember, however, is that there are many channels for building a personal brand. While some focus on public speaking and TV appearances, others strategies such as publishing a book, writing a blog, and focusing on face-to-face relationships.

2) Personal branding is too expensive for a small business. Sure, investing big money into personal branding will lead to greater returns—but there are plenty of strategies for business owners with no room in their marketing budget. Take a look at my blogs and articles—you’ll find plenty of great, cost effective strategies.

3) “I don’t need a personal brand.” This line of thought is misguided—because like it or not, everyone has a personal brand. What do people think of when they think about you? Are you boring? Funny? Knowledgeable? That’s your brand. I don’t help my clients to create personal brands out of thin air—I help them define and shape their brands for maximum profitability.

4) Personal branding doesn’t generate results. A strong personal brand, properly leveraged, can completely revolutionize any business owner’s marketing systems. A strong brand differentiates the individual from the competition—and allows them to stop competing on the basis of price. Make sure to leverage your brand effectively with direct marketing—and you’ll see results you never through possible.

If you’d like more information about personal branding, feel free to get in touch with me today (http://www.jwdicks.com/contact)!

Personal branding is a unique form of marketing for many reasons—including the reality that, to create an effective brand, the individual must commit to truly living his or her brand. It doesn’t do you any good to halfheartedly commit to personal branding—because your brand must be consistently reinforced whenever you interact with your customers and your market.

At first glance, this may sound like a lot of work. And it can be a lot of work… if you fail to create a brand that reflects your personality and your values. On the other hand, if your brand is true to your personality and your values, you simply have to be yourself. I’ll give you an example—I enjoy fishing. If you’ve read my bio on my website, you know this. If you’re my client, you probably know this. If you’re my friend, you definitely know this. And while my love for fishing may seem to be a rather small part of my personal brand, it’s significant. And because it’s part of my brand, it is important that I live it out. Now… do you think it’s difficult for an avid fisherman to bring up fishing from time to time? It’s not—reinforcing this portion of my personal brand is easy and fun, because it’s a true representation of my personality and my values.

What do you value? Are you a passionate moviegoer? A devoted sports fan? Dedicated to social justice or charity work? Committed to your family, your friends, your community? Who are you—and what do you stand for? Those values should be built in to your personal brand—in fact, those values and interests, combined with your professional expertise, should be the core of your personal brand.

When your personal brand accurately reflects your passions, interests, and values, it becomes easy to live out. And when you are able to commit to living out your brand, it becomes believable and powerful. As you seek to build your personal brand, start by making sure that the brand you build is consistent with your personality and your values. Once you’ve done this, you’re well on your way to creating a compelling and effective brand!

As technology rapidly develops, video platforms such as YouTube have exploded in popularity. But if you are serious about building your personal brand, YouTube needs to be more than simply a source of entertainment in your spare time. As a business owner, YouTube offers an invaluable channel by which you can enhance and broadcast your personal brand. Considering the affordability of recording equipment, there is no reason you and your business should not be active on YouTube. Below are three reasons why you need a YouTube presence:

1) Face-to-face communication establishes trust. It’s one thing for a prospective client to read the content of your website or of articles you have written—it’s quite another for them to be able to sit back and watch and listen as you speak to them. Video is the next best thing to face-to-face conversation—and if you aren’t utilizing it to reach customers and prospects, you are missing out on a prime opportunity to build trust and establish a strong relationship.

2) Video allows you to express your personality in a way no other medium can. Writing is great, for many reasons—but it limits the ease with which you can communicate to your audience. With video, every facial expression and every inflection of your voice is captured. You can vary the speed and volume with which you speak. You can get your audience excited. Video allows you to communicate the essence of your personal brand in a way that no other form of media can.

3) YouTube is a great way to bring potential customers into your marketing funnel. YouTube is rapidly becoming a search engine in its own right—many people utilize the site to search for tips, advice, and information. If you provide valuable content, you can bet that potential clients will be intrigued—and in many cases, they’ll visit your website or even give you a call.

It’s simple: if you are serious about your personal brand, you need to have a presence on YouTube. Don’t put it off—get started today!