No one wants to believe the need for their services will become obsolete. Whether business is booming or tough times are looming, branding can position you in the hearts and minds of your clients so you stand out and are remembered longer. It’s the most important form of insurance an entrepreneur can have.
By defining and promoting yourself in a way that makes you rationally and emotionally appealing to a targeted demographic by filling a specific need for them, the demand for your services will never expire.
[tag]Personal Branding/tag] works whether you are a professional ready to catapult to the next level in your career or an entrepreneur embarking on your first business venture.
Here is a list of eight laws of personal branding:
1. Specialization
A great Personal Brand must be precise, concentrated on a single core strength, talent or achievement.
2. Leadership
Endowing a Personal Brand with authority and credibility demands that the source be perceived as a leader by the people in his/her domain or sphere of influence.
3. Personality
A great Personal Brand must be built on a foundation of the source’s true personality, flaws and all. You’ve got to be good, but you don’t have to be perfect.
4. Distinctiveness
An effective Personal Brand needs to be expressed in a way that is different from the competition.
5. Visibility
To be successful, a Personal Brand must be seen over and over again, until it imprints itself on the consciousness of its domain or sphere of influence.
6. Unity
The private person behind a Personal Brand must adhere to the moral and behavioral code set down by that brand.
7. Persistence
Any Personal Brand takes time to grow, and while you can accelerate the process, you can’t replace it with advertising or public relations. Stick with your Personal Brand, without changing it; be unwavering and be patient.
8. Goodwill
A Personal Brand will produce better results and endure longer if the person behind it is perceived in a positive way.
These and more resources on personal branding here.