Why Call it Personal Branding – When Most People Leave Out the Personality?

So, why is it called a “personal brand” – and then it only contains corporate information?  Is that REALLY all you do?  Remember, people do business with people – because they like them.  There are very few people who only want to know what type of business awards you’ve won, how many companies you’ve chartered to success, etc.  They want to have a glimpse of who you are both at work, and as a person outside that realm.

I keep an online profile at QAlias - and have seen many pieces of business come in as a result of it.  From an old client from my days at AT&T refinding me to new people who someone simply told them – Google Andy Greider - he’s the one you want to talk to – I’ve benefitted greatly, developing an ROI that is almost embarrassing.  However, my favorite story comes from a new client who read my “Outside of Work, Andy enjoys” section of my online profile.

In there, I mention I homebrew, like to make wooden toys for my son and that I like to cook and hike, too.  I met with this new client, to find they had many of these same interests.  Guess how much we talked business in that first meeting?  Maybe 25% of the meeting….Guess who I didn’t even have to write a proposal for – just send a contract?  See, when people can get to know you through your personal brand, you’re already around second and headed for third on the relationship base path.

Get out there – create a true personal brand – and be sure to make it real, share yourself – and who knows, maybe you’ll soon be known for more than your successes in the boardroom or in the field.  Support the one thing that follows you everywhere, your name.  (Even your shadow doesn’t have that ability!)

Andy “Google Me” Greider is owner of Marketing Pedagogy and radio show host of business growth solutions show, Uniqueness is Power.  Andy is also Brand Manager with qAlias, plus he is a Self Promotion maven, serial entrepreneur, author, blogger, and inventor of the Gorelephant, first eImpressions and networthing.  He’d love to help you grow your business or develop and deploy your online personal brand.