You are NOT a Brand – You are a Person

Personal branding or just personal?

What do you see when you look in the mirror?

It’s not a logo or a brand staring back at you. It’s your face. That face is a sign that you are a human being.

Don’t get fooled by the pundits claiming that you must have a personal brand to succeed. While they’re preaching “Brand or die” they’re fitting you for their version of branding. It’s like the used-car sales rep saying, “Trust me. This car is perfect for you”.

Back to the mirror

Smile. Notice the warmth conveyed when you smile. Notice how friendly you look when you smile. What do you feel is more attractive – a logo or that smile?

Examine that face. That face is the outward expression of all your wisdom, experience and character. Brands don’t possess any of that. Why would you trivialize your character by calling it a brand?

Look closely at your eyes. The old expression is “the eyes are the window to the soul”. Behind those eyes are your values, emotions and personality. Go ahead and wink at yourself. What did you see? Brands can’t wink at you.

Instead of fretting about your brand, get more comfortable with yourself. Identify and reinforce your strengths because that’s why people will like and buy from you.

Take everything that is you and build better relationships.

Those relationships will be far more powerful than any brand. Relationships are multi-dimensional while brands are flat. Relationships are living connections between people while brands are corporate attempts to induce a zombie-like trance on customers.

Some might suggest that if you build relationships your personal brand will evolve from that. That’s okay, but don’t focus on the brand because the brand will at best be a shadow of your personality. If you focus on shaping the shadow you risk losing the benefits of being a human being.

Who would you rather do business with – a brand or a person?

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter