The word lever was absorbed into English from the Old French levier. In essence it refers to making something light by raising it in a specific manner.
You can raise the memorability of your personal brand at three times in your life:
- When you launch
- When you are building your business or your career
- When you’re established
Let’s take each in turn.
When you launch. Our first rockets had gyroscopes in them built by Honeywell. They were the size of softballs and were specified to be able to correct the lean of the rocket on the launching pad up to 10 degrees. The engineers built them to specification but because of extraordinary care added miniscule improvements which gave the gyros greater resilience than anticipated. The rocket made it into space. The gyros had worked even though the lean exceeded 13 degrees
Small, well-focused actions can produce significant enduring improvements. The elements of vision can engender incremental improvements just like that.
Your vision should include these elements (courtesy of Cascade Software www.executivestrategy.net )
- Output No matter what you do the output is the effect it has on customers or clients. For Example: A bakery makes bread, pies and cakes but the outcome is customers enjoying those goodies.
- A Unique Twist Define that Unique twist which you (or your organization) bring to that outcome. Express that different approach, the something that will make you (and your staff) successful where others have failed. Returning to our example: Because we only use premium grade locally sourced ingredients.
- Quantification Find a way to let folks know what you are talking about in terms of who you are trying to impact. Make it a little more down to earth and easier to visualize. Back to our example: Every customer within walking distance of the store.
- Human Connection Add a human “real world aspect. Help people conjure up a sloid mental image. The more tangible you can make it the better. In the example: Ensure that every customer who leaves our store does so smiling.
What is your vision statement?
Our wordsmithed example would be: Producing and selling locally sourced bread, pies and cakes that are so delicious and satisfying that every customer that leaves our store does so with a smile.
On the way up Whether you operate solo, have a partner, add staff as an entrepreneur or within an organization as a manager you need to have a mission that can be shared with your familiars. They need to understand what drives you.
“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.”
Simon Sinek
Here’s the worksheet some of my clients have described as “fiendish.” But it works. Give it a try.
- What—what one or two words describes what you or your business do in terms of what you deliver? Example: Delivery (for a package service)
- How—add one word that says how you provide it. In our example: Overnight which gives us Overnight delivery
- Where—Tell people where you provide the service or product in just a few words. Back to the example: in the USA which adds up to Overnight delivery in the USA.
- Who—Tell me who it is for. Be brief but paint a picture with one or two words.In the example we might say: for businesses hence Overnight delivery for businesses in the USA.
- When—In a word or two, tell us the need use or occasion that helps make your offering special. Example: on a deadline yielding Overnight delivery In the USA for businesses on a deadline.
Given all those answers, Why is it you do what you do? What is the reason you and your team get up each morning?
What is your Mission Statement?
Our example, if you haven’t guessed, is Federal Express when the mission was; Package delivery in the USA when it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.
In Orbit
You might think that once you’re established that you can rest on your laurels.
You can’t.
Now is the time to truly make a difference. If you have lived up to your vision and your mission you will have made some contributions to the knowledge in your area(s) of expertise. You will have been at times a contrarian and a cheerleader. Look back at those considerations.
Now look forward. Will the approaches you championed hold up into the future? Have you assured that your knowledge is available to others? Have you shown them how to put it under the microscope?
Here’s a brief checklist of actions you should consider for this part of your Brand journey:
- Mentor someone in my organization or the industry
- Speak on controversial subjects in print, on-line and in-person
- Back your opinions up with facts (especially when the facts point a different direction) and don’t be afraid to reveal your process.
- Ask others, especially those younger, their opinions and listen.
- Learn the tricks of futurists and practice them.
What’s on your list?
Jerry Fletcher, Networking Ninja, is a sought after International Speaker, beBee ambassador, founder and Grand Poobah of www.BrandBrainTrust.com
His consulting practice, founded in 1990, is known for Trust-based Brand development, Positioning and Business Development on and off-line.
Consulting: www.JerryFletcher.com
Speaking: www.NetworkingNinja.com