How To Manage Your Professional Brand Arkansas

If you are not clear about who you are as a professional, others will make up their own image for you. Then they will broadcast that image. Wouldn't it be better if you took control? If you heard an associate describe you, would you be shocked? You don't have to let that happen. Your character is your own. Your reputation is defined by others. It is your job to make sure they get it right.

If you want your management and associates to ‘get' you, then first you need to understand just who you are. You need to define your true professional self or professional brand. Then act in a way that clearly reflects the real you. Then you are not taking any chances. When you hear your management describe you, it will be as if you have put the words in their mouths yourself.

What are the steps?

1. Define the words that describe you as a professional. Remember, if you do not start with a clear definition, how can others see who you are and what you are made of?
2. Take your words (I call them brand words) and put them together into a few sentences.
   
3. Review your sentences from step 2 above. You should be able to say them out loud in a logical, cohesive and concise paragraph. If you were at a professional organization, you should be able to use your sentences to answer the question, ‘So what do you do?' And the person who hears your response should remain interested, pick up key phrases and walk away knowing what you do, who you do it for and who you do it with AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, why you are special! This means your paragraph contains the functional or technical aspects of your job and that special ingredient you bring. It is not enough to know that you are the director of quality assurance or the senior business analyst. You bring something special and unique to the job; tell everyone about that special quality. ...

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Author: Margaret Meloni