Personal Brand Development
Tips for developing your personal brand and managing your reputation for professional development and career advancement.
Having worked within corporations, PR agencies, and professional services firms for more than 13 years, I’ve had of associating with a varied cast of professionals, a majority of whom can be grouped into two categories.
I label the first type of professional, “Barry, the first-class passenger.” During my initial conversation with the Barry’s of an organization, I solicit information relating to their areas of expertise, clients, and past marketing initiatives that have been successful in positioning them as the “go to” person in their industry and in building their business.
Barry’s answers are typically very generic, with an air of “why are you wasting my time asking such questions…don’t you know who I am?” When it comes to networking and business development, Barry’s preference is for someone else to do all the heavy lifting, bringing him back the spoils.
Barry can’t be bothered with speaking engagements, authoring articles, or participating in social media, as they have never resulted in new business. So they obviously don’t work and are a waste of time. Media inquiries are responded to in days, sometimes weeks, if at all. Barry is critical of the organization’s marketing and business development initiatives, as they never seem to do enough to promote him and his hungry ego. He is also critical of fellow colleagues who succeed and receive industry praise for their efforts by blaming management for giving them preferential treatment.
As a member of a professional networking group, I have the opportunity to meet and form relationships with hundreds of professionals who have the ability to make introductions, refer business, and provide value to my law firm.
In preparation for a “get to know you better” lunch with another member of the networking group, Brad, I googled his name in hopes of learning more about him. Out of seven Google links that resulted, only two pertained to the Brad I would be meeting. I had to filter through a singer, a songwriter, a realtor, a race car driver, and a Minor League baseball player—all with the same name—before finding Brad. Once I did, the information on him was too basic to really get a comprehensive sense of the value he provides.
While at the agency one afternoon, I received a call from reception that my guests had arrived and were waiting for me in the office’s lobby. It was my opportunity to meet the publisher and editor-in-chief of San Francisco’s most influential business publication.
Immediately outside my office are two workstations. My marketing coordinator sat in one and Kayla, who assisted the president of the agency, occupied the other.
Making small talk with my guests as we headed back to my office, we rounded the corner from reception to find Kayla sitting at her workstation with one foot propped up on the edge of her desk. She was clipping her toenails. I did a double take…I was mortified!
As the three of us passed, Kayla looked up, smiled, and said hi, all the while continuing her grooming. My guests looked at me as if to say, “What kind of a dog and pony show are you running here?”
Almost weekly, I receive emails from readers who find themselves in situations where an individual or company’s brand has made a distinct impression—either good or bad. Their stories excite me as it further demonstrates the need for each of us to be cognizant of how our verbal and non-verbal communications and our interactions are perceived.
One recent email comes from an industry colleague, Sharon Berman, principal of Berbay Corp., a marketing and public relations agency that represents professional services firms. She relates two examples of recent situations that got off on a bad note but were quickly resolved to her satisfaction. Below is her email.
Jonathan,
I thought of BAD for the BRAND during two specific interactions with well-known companies.
In the first instance, I was contacted by Intuit to upgrade my agency’s accounting software, QuickBooks. Apparently we were using a version that they no longer support. I assumed that by upgrading, I would be provided the necessary tools and technical support to download and install the new software. For reasons unknown to me, the process didn’t go as expected, and the install failed.
In an effort to resolve the situation, I was directed to the company’s “after sales” customer service department. The representative there claimed that the problem had nothing to do with the software, leaving me to my own devices.
Major, my five-year-old, Staffordshire Terrier/Boxer rescue
I had just started as the firm’s director of business development. Understanding that my success would largely depend upon my ability to win over the trust and respect of my attorneys, I immediately went to work initiating relationships, starting with the “big guns” who occupied the corner offices.
As I made my rounds, I was particularly cognizant of Jerry, a senior partner who also served on the firm’s governing committee.
My conversations with Jerry had been strictly business. It was clear that he wasn’t particularly interested in me. In his mind, the jury was out as to the value I could provide him in building his law practice.
On a whim, I invited Jerry and his wife to a Fourth of July celebration I was hosting at my home. I didn’t expect them to attend, but thought the invitation would demonstrate goodwill on my part. Much to my surprise, he accepted.