Your personal brand

Your own personal name as a brand is equally as important as giant brands like Apple, GE, Volkswagen and Starbucks. You are your brand. Your brand, your name, is your reputation.

You might have a common name or a unique one. The question is: What do you want your name to stand for? You have a strong name if you choose it to be. Shakespeare said, "What's in a name?" That's up to you.

Your brand is what differentiates you from other people. A strong personal brand will get you hired after a job change, or a call from a friend who needs your help, or a visit from a customer who wants to purchase a product or service you offer. In today's business environment people do business with people, not just a big company.

Here are a few ways you can brand your personal name:

Develop your core message. What is it that you stand for? This message should be used in your conversations, your print ads, your television or radio ads and appearances. What one sentence best illustrates you? If you are not sure, ask your clients, fans or constituents on how they best describe you. Use this as a guide to articulate your message to share your personal brand.

Grow your network. This can be done through traditional face-to-face means or through Internet social networks. Participate in non-profit groups; join online networks such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook, Twitter and other specific professional career forums. To get noticed you have to be in front of people.

Develop your specialty. What are you great at? What is your gift or strength? Maybe you feel you as though you aren't really great at anything. What do you want to be excellent at? You always have the power to take the classes and study, practice and develop your area of expertise. Now is the best time to sharpen your saw!

Secure your name. This can be done through Internet domain registrations or through securing your name as a registered trademark. If you want to brand it, it's a good idea to own it, legally. Protecting your brand is another way to strengthen your personal brand name.

Sharpen your communication skills. Are you drawn to people who can communicate well? Of course you are. If you feel your communication skills need to be improved, you can start right now. Think of the communication skills you admire about others, and then go about modeling exactly what they do. Are they great listeners? Do they compliment often? Are they sincere? Funny? Courteous? Are they great public speakers?

Deliver what you promise. Reliability. Hallmark. Guarantee. These are the words that describe promise. This is the cornerstone of branding your personal name. People need to believe that you are going to fulfill your word. Nothing smashes a person's name faster than being a flake. Be careful to promise only what you can deliver. Three strikes and you are out, maybe. You might only get one swing!

Focus on others not yourself. If people suspect you are only in it for yourself you will destroy your personal brand in the eyes of many. Life is about you, but it is also about others, too. Focus on yourself and people will move away from you. Give attention to others so you can draw them closer.

Be consistent. Avoid changing your viewpoints because the wind is now blowing in another direction. You confuse what your personal name stands for when you often change to whatever the flavor of the month is. If you act differently in similar scenarios you are going to leave people bewildered. You build a weak brand if people don't know what you stand for.

Create positive experiences. Strong branding creates an emotional tie. Feelings drive behavior and have the power to attract or repel. People want to be associated with positive feelings, not negative ones. Likability is strengthened through a positive vibe. How can you make sure you are emitting the energy that makes others feel good? Create the activities and conversations that are enveloped in optimism.

Use endorsements. Nothing is better than other people sharing their positive thoughts and experiences they've had with you. When you proclaim your value it is great, yet when others shout your value it is much better. People tend to believe what others say about you than you about yourself. Make the time to garner, in writing or with video and audio, about how great you are and the value you provide. Let the voice of others help to strengthen your brand.

Nurture your relationships. Trust is not built overnight. Build your personal name as a strong brand that can be trusted and people become loyal even in hard-hitting economic climates. To create that loyal trust you have to stay in touch. Set the appointments, go to lunch, write the note cards, pick up the phone and converse.

Who you are and what you attract is largely determined by how other people perceive your personal unique brand, your name. You can practice these tools, tips or habits to make a difference. Latch onto at least one of these suggestions to strengthen the power of your personal brand. Your name!

Jeffrey Benjamin is the co-author of "Real Life Habits for Success," and the founder of Breakthrough Training. He hosts Breakthrough Radio every Sunday at 9:30 a.m. on 99.1 FM Talk. Contact him through www.breakthroughtraining.com.