How to Enhance Your Personal Brand
One of the most effective ways to build relationships is to enhance your personal brand. You want people to remember you so you need to be proactive to make sure that happens. The first thing that you need to do is to pick a topic that you are passionate about and focus your efforts towards becoming a subject matter expert. Chances are that you already are an expert. Either way, you should spend more time making sure that people perceive you as the expert.
Without credibility, you won't get very far. It takes time to build but well worth the effort. Start talking to people about your subject either one-on-one or in front of groups. Take the time to educate people on your topic. It is a good idea if you can relate what you are saying to what has happened in your life. Again, chances are that what you talk about is what you have learned from your own experiences.
In addition to speaking, create a Website, start a newsletter, or write articles. You need let people know that you are out there. Demonstrate that you are knowledgeable by sharing your thoughts through these channels. You can take it a step further by starting a blog around your subject matter.
Once you start implementing the above suggestions, you will start to enhance your personal brand. The above techniques are what I used to brand myself as a "networking authority". While no means am I claiming that I am an expert, but rather someone who understands how to effectively build relationships.
Take one subject that you have an interest in and start building a future surrounding that area.
Posted by: Dan Schawbel | June 25, 2007 at 06:57 AM
Great advice. Focus is the key to branding yourself.
Posted by: Jason Jacobsohn | June 25, 2007 at 05:00 PM