Working Wounded: Developing Your Brand

April 06, 2007 — -- DEAR Wounded: I've read a lot of stuff that says that each of us needs to develop our own personal brand. I agree with the idea, but I have no idea where to start.

ANSWER: I get a lot of phone calls from aspiring columnists, but one really sticks out. This particular woman had been working on the "voice" of her column for over three weeks and was frustrated because she still didn't have it right. She asked me how long it took me to nail down the voice for Working Wounded. The answer: Four years!

Most people think the process to identify their personal brand should be quick and painless. But sorting out your unique contribution and how you'll make it takes time and effort. I've listed a few questions below to help you in your journey. For more, check out Catherine Kaputa's book, "U R a Brand" (Davis Black, 2005)

What are your goals? Just because you can do something, that doesn't mean that you have to do it. That's why it is important to ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. The best way that I know how to do this is kind of morbid, but it works -- imagine the eulogy at your funeral. What kinds of things would you like to see discussed? What were your highlights and major accomplishments?

How is your SWOT? SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This is a great combination of things to keep in mind, because it's not just about you (the S & T) and it's also not just about the environment around you (the O & T). No, you must blend all four together so you can get just the right take on both the environment and your role to play within it.

Who is your target market? With whom can you have the biggest impact? In media and marketing it's always about the target "demo." What demographic can you best serve? It's no different when it comes to your personal brand. You need to know the audience that is best served by what you do and you have to get to know them better than they probably know themselves.

How do you define your brand? Note this question, which seems like it should be the first question to ask, is closer to the bottom of the list of questions. That is for one simple reason: To really get at the heart of the answers about your brand, it's important to start with goals, SWOT, etc. Once you've answered those questions, then you need to explore what sets you and your brand apart from others in your field.

How will you get the word out about your brand? Most people won't just trip across your brand. They'll have to find it. That's why your strategy for spreading the word about what you do is so darn important.

Brands don't happen overnight, but if you take the time to answer these questions, your voice will be heard in the marketplace.

Here are the results from a recent workingwounded.com/ABCNEWS.com online ballot:

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Working Wounded/ABCNEWS.com online ballot question: What are your feelings about networking?

• Networking has worked for me, 67 percent
• I would call it notworking, 25 percent
• Networking has worked for people I know, 8 percent

"All generalizations are false. Including this one." -- Alexander Chase

Don't try this at work… Worst uses of your time:

• Doing what everyone else is doing
• Complaining about your situation
• Criticizing others, particularly those who are rich and successful
• Watching television
• Gossiping and talking on the telephone

From: "Real Success Without a Real Job" by Ernie Selinski (10 Speed, 2006)

Bob Rosner is a best-selling author, speaker and internationally syndicated columnist. He'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic, especially if you have better ideas than he does. His books include: "The Boss's Survival Guide" and "Gray Matters: The Workplace Survival Guide." Send your questions or comments to him via: bob@workingwounded.com.