Do you want to know how many others are looking for a job or position this year?  Do you wonder what they are doing about it—online and offline?  Take part in our one-minute survey at http://svy.mk/yp2LEG. Feel free to share it. Deadline is January 16, 2012.

To post this survey on jobs and personal branding to your site, the embed code is: <a href=”http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RLMHX2Z“>Click here to take survey</a>

Thanks for your help!  I’ll be blogging on the results.  So stay tuned.

Brand is everything.

And everything is brand.

Is this too bold a statement to make?  Not really.  Think about it.

You have a 360-degree brand.  It encompasses how you are perceived rationally and emotionally from all different aspects:

• Visual
• Communication
• Strengths
• Attitude
• Presence
• Value

Everyhing you think, do and say has a bearing on your brand.  Some more than others.  But, brand is built up in layers and experiences over time.  How consistent, how clear and how compelling you are will determine if your brand is desired. This is true for people, products and companies.

Branding is not a luxury in today’s world.  It is something that we all need to master.  You don’t have to start out with a grand plan.  Figure out who you are, how to communicate it, and do a few things well.  Remember, bake the cake, then ice it.

I’m writing a book this year to help you with brand positioning.  What is the most important topic(s) I can cover that would help you?

What personal branding? Why it is necessary? It seems so obvious to me as a branding expert, but I’m definitely in the minority based on how often I’m asked these questions.

Let me start at the beginning.

1) What is personal branding?

Your personal brand is your reputation and image.  It’s what you’re known for, and what people have come to expect of you.

Personal branding consists of the strategies and actions you take to guide your brand.

Therefore, your personal brand is how others perceive you.  Personal branding is what you do to shape these perceptions.

2) Why brand yourself?

If you want to get the most out of your career (and, might I say, life?), people need to know about you and your talents.  But awareness of your brand is not enough. You need to offer value that is unique. You must differentiate from others, or else you will be a commodity–usually with a salary to match.

3) Do I need to be active on social media to brand myself?

Social media is a tactic. First, figure out your goal and your strategy. You need a differentiation and message strategy so you’ll know what to say and do in social media, other communications channels and in person.

Sometimes, I think that the world believes: “I tweet, therefore, I brand.”  But, there are millions of people who are probably doing more to harm than enhance their brand by using social media.  (Does anyone need to know that you had a tuna sandwich for lunch?)

That said, you do need to have a presence in social media because this is the new way that the world communicates and engages.  Have your personal branding goals and strategy in mind before you begin.  If you want to be known as an expert in a particular subject, make sure that 80 percent of your online posts are about your desired area of expertise. If you want to be known as an elder care expert, and you are tweeting about Justin Bieber, your followers will be confused.

4) What are the benefits of strong personal branding?

A strong personal brand means that people will have an immediate image of your rational and emotional value.  There is clarity and power that comes from a consistently communicated personal brand.  You don’t have to be Lady Gaga, but you get the picture.

By being clear in what you are and how you message, the influencers in your ecosystem will be able to advocate for you.  Whether its doing an e-introduction or writing a LinkedIn endorsement, others will be empowered to help you.

As your personal brand gets more widely recognized, opportunities will arise–jobs, clients, projects, partnerships, and speaking and media opportunities,

Your name will have a certain cachet.  Your brand equity will grow.  You will be more successful at work, and be able to do the things you want to do.

All of this will bring you greater satisfaction in your career and your life.  Therefore, a better brand equals a better life.

5) What is the quickest way to start branding myself?

There are many social media platforms that may fit your strategy, but LinkedIn is the granddaddy of networking platforms for professionals.  You should ensure that you have a good footprint there.  LinkedIn is the place where employers, recruiters, potential partners, potential clients and others go to engage with professionals that they are seeking.

Implementing your differentiation strategy and messages will help you to show up well on LinkedIn.  You need to have a strong profile with keywords that people are searching so that you can be found.  Use a professional-looking photograph (no blurry image from a recent party!).

Request recommendations from former employers, clients, and colleagues because what other people say about you will carry more credibility regarding your character and capabilities than what you say.  You should remind them of your expertise, what project you worked on and what the result was before they endorse you.  Don’t leave it to chance.

Consider joining LinkedIn groups in your area of interest, and then contribute to them. You’ll be engaging with others, hopefully, adding value and this will aid your reputation of someone who offers something of value.

You can buy a new set of clothes, which may get you noticed, but what is your substantive value? Don’t be an empty suit, be known for your ideas, passion and expertise.

6) What if I don’t have an area of expertise that sets me apart?

Being a generalist these days is risky, as you are expendable.  Read the trends and develop expertise in a hot area–this could be in an area of technology, leadership, global strategies,  company culture or best practices.  Personal branding is all about being proactive, and not being a victim.

7) Can’t I just be known for my personality?

Personal branding comprises both your rational value (your functional value) and your emotional value (your personality, attitude and image).  I call this cake (positioning) and icing (emotional branding).  However, if you don’t have a strong raison d’etre (cake), then all the icing or personality in the world will not make up for your lack of substantive value (unless, of course, you are a reality TV star).

In sum, get a good brand strategy before embarking on a personal branding program. But, don’t think of this as a campaign.  To have a powerful brand, you need to be that brand in thought, word and deed.

Last week, I was a guest at ToastIN, the nascent Toastmasters club at LinkedIN. I went so I could better understand the audience for my Take Charge of Your Brand educational keynote talk at the District 4 Fall Conference on November 12 (www.d4tm.org/fall2011).

The celebrity speaker was Deep Nishar, the LinkedIN SVP of Products and User Experience, who shared a personal story that underscored his values and ability to learn from others–including his young daughter. The ToastIN group loved his talk.

While watching Deep and others speak, I was struck by how important the ability to communicate is to personal branding. The words are important but equally important is the non-verbal communications.

One’s gestures, facial expressions and body language speak volumes about what kind of person you are and how you engage with others. Let’s say you are talking about the need for open communications in business and your arms are folded, or closed, in front of your chest while you are speaking. Your audience will have difficulty believing your message because of the conflict between what the words say and what your body says. Imagine opening up your body language, showing your palms or outstretching your arms for effect. Add to this an engaging smile and your audience will be ready to accept your open communications message.

If communications is not a strong suit for you, work at improving both your presence and ability to communicate. The club members at ToastIN and in the many corporate Toastmasters clubs have joined because they are motivated to improve as public speakers. The interest and support by LinkedIN executives shows that LinkedIN sees the value in having employees with the confidence and skills as speakers. I would venture to say that all companies value employees with good public speaking skills.

When I speak at the Toastmaster International (D4T) Fall Conference on November 12 in Burlingame, Calif., I’ll be sure to point out the importance that speaking skills can have on one’s personal brand. I’m not a member of Toastmasters, but I like the speaking skills they promote and the fact that their clubs provide a supportive environment in which to learn.

I hope you have a chance to come to the Fall Conference. I’d love to see you there!

I’m on vacation in Hawaii and I’m not supposed to be doing work, like blogging. But, I started thinking about this restaurant that we ate at for the second time during our week in Maui.

It’s called Star Noodle (www.starnoodle.com). You have to drive past public storage units and warehouses to find it tucked away in a most unlikely area for a popular restaurant. Yet, both times we were there, lines had formed in the parking lot waiting to get in.

We were lucky our first night and got seating at the bar within minutes, but the general wait was 30-40 minutes. It appeared nobody was put off by the wait because the parking lot was still full of folks.

So what’s the big deal about this restaurant? It delivers on its brand promise that is understood by all even though it is not stated on its menus (which are printed on small sheets of unpretentious white paper). The promise it this: Asian hip comfort food (read house made noodles) at a reasonable price in an attractive, yet informal setting (the décor, not the warehouse location).

Like any good brand, Star Noodle brands from the inside out. They make sure that their food tastes good consistently (no overcooked noodles or canned ingredients here). They make sure their young wait staff is friendly but not overly. Our waiter helped us get vegetarian versions of a number of their dishes.

And they know how to connect with you emotionally. You feel lucky to get seated. You feel like an insider that you know about this out-of-the-way place. You want to have one of their printed t-shirts (I wanted the gray one with the red star on the chest that they don’t sell to the public). You feel satisfied that you got this great meal (with fresh kimchee!) without breaking the bank,

But, what about the graphics? Well, they deliver in the visual branding department, too. The symbol is just a bowl with some free flowing noodles curling over the edges. It says to me: We’re a fun, not fancy, place that knows how to do noodles. As you’d expect, the logotype is a straightforward font with a simple five-point star.

It’s the total brand package. Well done, Star Noodle! You’ve made your brand promise as simple as a great bowl of noodles.

Guy Kawasaki

Yes. Yes. Yes!

These are the words that I kept saying in my mind as I turned the pages of Guy Kawasaki’s latest book, Enchantment.

Enchantment, the tenth book from this best-selling Silicon Valley guru, is an all-in-one guidebook to personal, product and company branding. This is something I’ve been doing for 25 years, so I can say with authority that this book is the real deal.

He encourages us all to dream big and to have a meaningful vision that inspires others. Whether that dream is personal computing (as in the case of Apple and the Macintosh) or your own desire to change the world, you need to have a worthwhile cause that can engage others.

Guy knows a thing or two about making companies and products enchanting, having been the chief evangelist of Apple in the early days, a venture capitalist and an entrepreneur. With a large Facebook and Twitter following, he is also a poster child for personal branding in the age of social media. Two chapters are devoted to his sharing of “push” and “pull” technology in our digital world.

What I love about this book is that it’s about branding from the inside out. Before embarking on your quest for enchantment, you need to be likeable and trustworthy—basically, you need a winning personality and the right set of values. If you are thinking Dale Carnegie, you are on the right track. Guy writes about knowing who the influencers are and how to influence people—ethically and authentically. He also understands the need to enchant your employees (Chapter 10) and enchant your boss (Chapter 11). Those looking to manage change in their companies would do well to read this book.

I did not find the personal stories contributed by others at the end of each chapter to be that inspiring or illustrative, but they don’t distract from the overall excellence of this book. Another small nit is when he says his positioning statement is two words: “Empower people.” This is really his mission, not his unique value proposition, which is what positioning is all about. The important point that he makes is to be clear on what you do and to communicate it in a compelling and credible way.

So much of what Guy says in this volume is common sense, but he has a way of making it all sound fresh. I found the book, quite simply, enchanting!

Executives with strong personal brands make better leaders. People want to follow leaders who are sure of who they are, show passion for what they believe in and can communicate their vision and value. Executives build leadership brand equity with every action, word and gesture.

What’s your Executive Branding IQ? It’s a combination of your understanding of your rational value and your emotional value. I call it: Cake and Icing. Some executives are all cake: technical competence, expertise, strategic insights and experience. Other executives are all icing: Charismatic personality, chic style, likable, vision, sense of humor, executive demeanor, socially adept and verbally facile. But, you need both cake and icing to have a strong brand.

Some mid-level executives that I have worked with in the past were known for consistently making their numbers. They were among the hardest working and the most results-driven. But, they were passed up for promotions they wanted. They were all cake. They never socialized and rarely networked inside or outside of the company. Consequently, their boss knew who they were and what their value was but few others. They believed that doing great work would give them a great reputation in their company. Think again. Your boss is too busy to do your personal branding. Only you are responsible for being your brand manager.

How do you improve your Executive Branding IQ? Start with tallying both your cake and icing assets. Then, identify the intersection of what you love doing (where your passion lies) and where you can make the biggest contribution. Build your brand strategy and messages to meet your career goal. Understand the influencer model for your brand ecosystem. Then, take action. Build key relationships and communicate your brand in a credible and consistent way.

Raising your Executive Brand IQ may be as easy as raising your awareness.

Is promoting oneself in bad taste?  In almost every seminar I give on personal branding, some participant says that he or she is uncomfortable with self-marketing or promotion.  Often the person is female or Asian, and their cultural values promote humility and deference to others.

My answer is, “Don’t think about personal branding as promotion, think about it as education.”  Education, in almost any culture, is a good thing.

Everyone benefits when your personal brand is recognized and valued.

Your group is better positioned when you have a good brand.  Your company understands how to leverage your talents. Outsiders can tap your expertise and experience.  You enhance your performance and rewards with a positive brand.

Therefore, personal brand education benefits everyone.  Don’t be shy about letting people know what your unique value is.

I re-learned three things this weekend:

1. Listen to your heart
2. Your core values drive personal branding
3. Deep relationships with a small number of people trumps networking in numbers

I was honored to be a part of a small group of extraordinary people at CerebrateSV http://bit.ly/bCQhtH.  Over the last three days, on a mountaintop south of Silicon Valley, we talked about ourselves, our ideas and our passions.  The experience as one attendee put it was “magical.”

All the participants were hand-picked as much for their accomplishments as for their authenticity of spirit.  The gathering worked so well because we learned to trust one another in a short amount of time.

Rajesh Setty (http://twitter.com/UpbeatNow), the co-organizer with his beautiful wife Kavitha, is a man of incredible love for humanity.  We followed his lead to open our hearts and minds to new people and new possibilities.  I went into the CerebrateSV event with no preconceived notions.  Only that Rajesh said that I would not regret it.

I am amazed at what has transpired over 48 hours.  I have new friends who I know I will be connected to for life.  I have new business partners who will collaborate with me on projects that could not happen without their help.  I have speaking and consulting opportunities that would not have come my way otherwise.  But, all this came without expectation on my part or theirs.  That is the beauty of the Cerebrate concept.  Put a small number of people in a setting conducive to sharing and collaboration….and see what happens.

Just listen to your heart.  Follow your core values and let your brand flow from the inside out.  Deepen your relationships with shared experiences.  Let’s all CEREBRATE!

(Photos above from Darius Miranda; photos below from Raj Setty)

http://bit.ly/cQZpe3

1.  Identify your desired professional brand (what you want to be known for)

• The best personal brands provide value to others, and connect on a rational and on an emotional level
• Rational Value: Your job function, expertise, experience and evidence
• Emotional Value: Your personality, brand associations, likeability, trust factor, behaviors and image
• What are the skills, qualities and brand attributes of sucessful people inside and outside of your organization?

2.  Assess the gap between your desired brand and how you are perceived today (your reputation)

• What do others say about you?
• Consider getting formal or informal 360-degree feedback
• Prioritize your areas to improve and put them into your branding plan

3.  Create an “elevator pitch” that captures your unique brand positioning

• A 15-30 second answer to “What do you do?”
• Find ways to weave elements of your elevator pitch into a conversation without sounding canned
• Be clear, compelling and CONSISTENT

4. Develop key value messages by stakeholder

• Customize your value messages to the “care-abouts” of different audiences (such as CEO, CFO, department heads, team members and rest-of-world)

5.  Build a personal branding plan

• Focus and do a few things well!
• Your branding plan should include:
  • Areas to improve that affect brand perceptions
  • Challenges to overcome
  • Priority actions
  • Measurement

6.  Model and identify your Brand Ecosystem

• It’s not what you say, it’s what others say about you
  • Focus on the small number of people who have the greatest influence  on your career and reputation
  • Pre-sell yourself and vet your ideas with influencers before broadening your communications efforts
  • Build long-term relationships and your network of references and advocates (third-party endorsements are key to credibility)
• Provide 2-way value and be consistent in communications

7.  Implement your branding plan

• Credible, visible brands advance faster
• Don’t think of marketing your personal brand as promotion, think of it as education that benefits all.  Becoming a recognized brand enables the world to leverage your talents.
• Understand how to brand beyond words
  • The emotional response to your brand will come from personal interactions: how you behave, your vibe, your voice, your gestures, what you wear, your likeability, your confidence
  • What are image and behavior areas that affect your brand?
  • What are cultural differences in non-verbal branding?

8.  Leverage portable branding in the age of social media

• Establish and monitor your brand on Google, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.
• Know that online mentions, photos and videos are part of your portable brand
• Help yourself and others to create a positive brand for you
  • Consistent use of profile words and profile photos
  • Provide value online through articles, micro-blogging, knowledge sharing, thought leadership and links

9.  Deliver on your brand promise

• Be true to your core values
• Align your messages, actions and image with your brand
• Deliver what you promise

10. Manage your brand as your most valuable asset

• Your brand is dynamic and is enhanced or undermined by your words, gestures and images every day
• Breaking the trust with your brand and stakeholders is hard to overcome
• Invest in your personal brand, and you’ll reap the rewards!