What do men say I am?

When you read Mark 8:27, it reads, Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”

Do you reckon that he was actually making reference to Personal Branding? Well, he was! Personal Branding is basically the way you market yourself to the world. Your personal brand is what other people think of you. Though it is outside your control what people think, you definitely have some influence over it.

Personal branding is unavoidable. As people interact with you, they will automatically form mental associations that connect you with certain labels, often within the first few seconds. You cannot avoid being labelled, and other people will not stop labelling you. It happens because our brains are wired to recognize patterns and form associations. The labels people attach to you become part of your personal brand.

How you dress, what you eat, and how you talk all contribute to your brand. Think of your brand as the summation of all the associations about you that are stored in people’s minds. Essentially, there are two ways to view this, your internal brand and external brand. Your internal brand is what you think of yourself. Can you pick four (4) adjectives to describe yourself? Ponder over this for a moment and write them down. Is that the brand you feel good about and want to project? Does it really resonate with you? Is this the same image you project to the world? If you could change those adjectives, what would you change them to?

Your external brand is how you project yourself to the world. Basically, your projected image will influence what others think of you and how they choose to interact with you. You may stumble upon this image accidentally, or you can deliberately target a specific type of image. Becoming aware of how others see you help you identify blind spots within yourself, which can be worked on to enable you become more internally congruent. Here are 5 ways to make personal branding work for you: 

1      Make your brand so visible that people cannot avoid seeing you

Your gifts, talents, skills, expertise must not be hidden, once you are consistent in deploying them, they will be known. Today, the internet is helping with successful personal branding. Use it to your benefit however, make sure your internal brand is firm: your credibility, reputation are intact, and your brand will fly and surely make impact.

2       Be so remarkable that strangers will even talk about you

People will talk about you; people who know or may not know you. Just be consistent in what you do and stand out and you will generate a positive talk value.

3       Be a content producer, not just a consumer

It is very easy to brand yourself as an innocent observer. The problem is that consumers do not share any real value with the world, while producers a build value in themselves and get their ideas noticed. Try to be relevant and people will begin to notice and be drawn to your brand. Being a producer is much more rewarding, and it causes your network to flourish, thus positioning your brand for career success.

4       Communication is the lifeblood of your brand.

Every time you open your mouth, your colleagues, friends, customers and strangers judge you and form impressions.  That is why professionals concerned about their brands in the workplace are very careful about what they say and how they say it

5       Have an “endorsement mindset”

Finally, bear in mind that there is power in positive endorsements. Collect endorsements throughout your life like you would collect mangoes. You are the Chief Marketing Officer for the brand called you, but what others say about your brand is more impactful than what you say about yourself. Personal branding is not for celebrities only; we can build equity just like them. Discover your brand, create your brand, project it so that when you ask, “Who do men say that I am?” like Jesus Christ did, you will find the right answers.