Want a remarkable business? More leads? More clients?.. Time to be a rock-star.

Over the past 8 weeks, I have had a lot of people call me to ‘pick my brains’ or contact me for mentorship as they have freshly started their business. We were published in magazines and I did a fair few interviews about marketing and branding. We have also helped our own clients elevate their profiles and have put in place strategic plans to make it happen - we work on an attraction model to make this real. What does this do for my business and theirs? It drives enquiries to the roof and exposes us on the marketing scene, it gives a new direction to our clients' businesses. The advice which is about to follow is directed towards business owners who have fire in their bellies and want to be rock stars in their industry.

If you are a business owner wanting to touch the clouds, developing and communicating your personal brand is paramount in order to succeed. Just like a company’s brand, your own brand should communicate to others the unique promise of value you offer. Your brand should not only be conveyed in person, but nowadays your online presence is becoming ever-increasingly more important. Clients only need to Google you to be able to find all of the ways you communicate online. This is why having your brand remain consistent throughout social media as well, is pivotal in a successful brand. This blog will go through 10 ways within which you can start developing and refining your personal brand.

1. Mirror Mirror who am I?

Determine what your brand will be - many companies and individuals fail to do this first step effectively. The reason for this is that it takes a great deal of self-reflection. However, before you can start communicating your brand, you need to be clear of what it actually is. This is probably the most important step of the whole process, so take your time to get it right. Jeff Lowe’s Forbes.com article goes through the questions you need to ask yourself to be able to establish your personal brand. These include determining your emotional appeal, determining your description, as well as determining your functional offering. Again, this part takes a great deal of introspection, so be completely honest with yourself. Your brand is something you need to live every day. If you are the face of your business then you need to be ‘the remarkable face’ of your business.

2. Superstar Mindset

With the knowledge of your brand with you, the next question you need to ask yourself is: “where do I want to be?” For this stage, you need to set yourself goals, not only for the long-term, but also the short-term. This will effectively give you a focus and direction, which will also aide your ability to measure progress. Are their lists that you would like to be on? Magazines that you would like to contribute to? Where do you want to be? Make a list and make it happen.

3. Point Your Laser Jedi

Nowadays, businesses don’t operate to please the masses, most business operate within niches and selective customers.  I also say that there is only one type of marketing ‘niche marketing ‘– don’t try to be everything to everybody. This is what you need to do with your personal brand. Determine who can benefit from your value offering, and tailor your approach to those individuals. Determine who your audience is and drop technical jargon and over – used phrases such as ‘we are professional’, ‘we decrease costs’... “Our software gives you 4.5555666 XYZ a minute” – truth is nobody cares.

4. Does My Business Look Big In This?

Your personal image is one of the most important tools for your brand’s success. This is not about being superficial; it’s a way in which you can communicate your value. Ensure that you are embodying the position you are aiming to achieve.  If your website says that you are ‘approachable, fresh and friendly’ then I don’t expect you to be stiff like a stick at a meeting. Too often, the discrepancy between the person I see online and the person I meet is too big for me to trust and like them and eventually buy from them. Another pet peeve I have is business owners using photos from 10 years ago to represent their business – it’s always a shock when I see them in 3D.

5.  Become An Influencer

You need to ensure that you communicate your value by showcasing your knowledge and expertise within your field. You can do this by setting up a blog, writing an E-book, or engaging in forums. You should aim to be a resource for your industry, and the only way to do this is to invest time in teaching. We are all in the business of education and if you expect you to be paid for each bit of advice you give out – be ready to go broke as the dynamics of business have changed. People will do business with you if they find you credible, trust you and LIKE you. I know that for my part – I like helpful and knowledgeable people more than people who are trying to push their product or service on me before they even understand what I do.

6. Get Social

Now that social media plays such a large role in your professional life, you need to embrace it as a tool for your personal brand – don’t say thing such as ‘I don’t care about the views I only want the people’. – You are trying to drive a car without petrol and why should they care about you if you aren’t producing content that they want to see. One thing you need to ensure, in all social media, is that you build your network, be it on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn. However, just like any other brand, ensure that there is consistency between all of these platforms. Also, especially on Facebook, ensure that your profile is on private, if you wish to use it as a more social and casual platform.

7. It’s Who You Know

It’s all well and good to build your networks through online forums and social media; however you need to be able to translate those to face-to-face interactions. Whether you’re looking for a job, a business partner, or new clients, interactions in-person will offer you the best opportunity to transform your network into successful business relationships. If I place ten enquiries and one business gets back to me over the phone – I will go with them in most cases. Stop being safe and hiding behind emails. Still wondering why you didn’t close that deal?

8. Nothing Wrong With An Attention Seeker

One of the best ways to communicate your brand to a wider audience is getting in the media. Look for the websites, magazines, and other media platforms most relevant to your industry. This is a great way to not only communicate your personal brand, but to showcase your business too. If you get a chance to speak at events – go and do it – nobody ever died from public speaking.

9. Chameleon Style

By nature, people are not static, we adapt when our circumstances change, and so should our brands. Ensure that when your professional environment is in a shift, that your personal brand does so as well. Adapt to keep your brand fresh and relevant.

10. YES we can.

Throughout this whole process, be true to yourself, and be authentic. When you believe in your brand and you unique value offering, so will your audience and you will break away from the mindset of ‘Oh my god I am disturbing them.’ All the time I hear – ‘I hate sales’ ‘ I don’t see myself as a salesperson’ let me break it to you – that’s exactly what you are if you are the face of the business and it’s not about to change so it’s time to embrace it and make the most of it.

Curious to implement an attraction model in your business? Drop me a line and we can share a coffee, cake and some tips. Co - written by Drone Aldo and Queen Bee Sharon.