Branding Yourself.

You always want to put yourself in a position to be asked the question “So... what do you do?”

They say that the most profitable customers come from them coming to you rather than you going to them. How, then, do you have prospective clients come to you? Branding.

Branding yourself is key to building your network of influence. When you volunteer for positions, help with fund-raisers or help with organizing committees make sure that what you do is fairly high profile. Another words, have your efforts be seen and recognized with others. Take for example my support of a recent celebrity golf event to support the charity Cystic Fibrosis. Our company promoted the event to raise money, increase attendance and generate awareness and support for this charity. At the event I made sure to be seen with some of the celebrities as well as network with those who I knew and didn’t know. It has nothing to do with ego and has everything to do with building your personal and professional brand. One of the sports celebrities who I met was Mike Eruzione. He is an American hero in my mind. It was a pleasure speaking with him. He was extremely humble and down to earth, despite what one may think.

Me associating my brand with him and with the “miracle on ice” twenty-five years ago was certainly an honor. That evening he received the Lifetime Legend Award being the captain and Olympic Gold Medalist on the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team who won the Gold Medal at Lake Placid. He scored the winning goal against the Soviet Union in the game that stunned the world. Miracle is one of my favorite sports movies of all time. These are certainly not bad credentials to be associated with in any way.

In addition, I met a Special Olympic athlete. He played softball and was just as pleasurable to meet. He had all the energy in the world and was just as happy to meet me and my business colleague James, as I was to meet the other celebrities. It reminded me of the days when I ran PR/Marketing for the Tennis venue for the 1995 Special Olympics World Games. I was both grateful and humbled by the experience.

Regarding associating my personal brand with the US Olympics or the Special Olympics, or even the charity of the golf event Cystic Fibrosis, I know that I am building into the fabric of my brand noteworthy causes that have inspired others nationally and globally.

Keep in mind that who you associate yourself with helps define who you are – especially when you are building out your Centers of Influence.

Please feel free to post comments on my blog at http://powernetworking.blogspot.com/

Suggested reading:

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

All Marketers Are Liars – The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin