TAKE CARE OF YOUR BRAND

It's said, “It takes years to build Rome and just a day to destroy it”. This is often so true in your Personal (aka Life) Branding journey as well. It takes us years, probably decades to see where we want to be, putting in a lot of thought, hard work, fine-tuning our skills and challenges, what if something happens and your own Rome gets destroyed at the blink of an eye, maybe, even much before you notice it. Personal Branding may feel like a rage these days; however, it has its shortcomings too. In this article, I bring out the most common pitfalls of Personal Branding., check them out-

Pitfall #1: Diminishing Authenticity-

There is a very thin line of difference between taking inspiration and mirroring someone. Don’t get into the trap of “Monkey say monkey do”. Because some strategy worked for someone, does not mean it would work for you too. Always remember, there is a personal authentic self which cannot be comprised. Understand your inner self to create your outer world.

Pitfall #2: Drawing Negative Publicity-

One wrong representation, one wrong action, one wrong behaviour, one wrong act, one wrong judgement, one wrong statement etc etc is good enough to spoil your image. And remember, this will follow you like a shadow for your entire life, coz we as human beings are hard-wired for negativity than for positivity. So, be mindful of the risks and actions you take in this journey.

Pitfall #3: Self-managing everything-

I am in love with Pareto’s principle of 80/20, fits in everywhere, works everywhere. One of the explanations is that 20% of your actions are responsible for 80% of the results. What if you do 100% of the stuff all by yourself and get even less than 20% of results, how demotivating it can be. Self-managing everything can be self-eroding. Work on your strengths while weakening your weaknesses; delegate and outsource anything which is not your core competency.

Pitfall #4: Not being visible enough-

The amount of your visibility is directly proportional to the number of deals you make, the potential clients/employers you attract, the contracts you enter. Do justice to your brand by being there, talking to people, networking, on the social media etc. More often people will hire you or buy from you for no other reason than they have seen you around.

Pitfall #5: Getting complacent-

Arrogance is likely to erupt (maybe unknowing) in this journey. When we start reaping the benefits of being the brand, start experiencing success, we may become complacent. This can work as a parasite in your success journey, works slowly, but kills your personal brand eventually. So, always keep a tap on the questions like-

·      Am I still a learner (The more you learn, the more you grow!)?

·      Do people still talk about me exactly the way I want to be known as?

·      Is my path consistent with my goals?

While there may be other potential downsides too, but by being mindful of these can save you the risk of not ruining your brand, nevertheless -the hardest thing to build is the easiest to get destroyed!!