Believe in Your Brand
As any great salesperson will tell you, passion drives sales. Passion that comes from belief. Belief in your product, your company. But what about belief in you? It's time to take a look at your most important product, your most valuable work. The total brand. The brand of you.
First, what are you famous for? Again, to reference sales, all great products start with a point-of-difference. What is yours? What's the one thing that you excel at? What makes you unique? What comes easy to you? What do people notice you doing well? That's the starting point of what you can offer the world. The starting point for making your brand.
Vision Statement
What do you want to be known for? This becomes your vision statement, an aspirational description of what you would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future. This is where you think big, dream big and imagine all that is possible.
Mission Statement
How are you going to get there? A mission is different from a vision in that the former is the cause and the latter is the effect; a mission is something to be accomplished whereas a vision is something to be pursued for that accomplishment. Think of this as your road map to achieving your vision.
Your Brand
When you start a job with a new company you immerse yourself in the brand's culture. Take a similar approach to investing in yourself. Instead, with even more attention to detail than anything else you've ever done. Why? Knowledge is power. How? Keep reading...
- Know your strengths. StengthsFinder is a great talent assessment tool that will assist in identifying your unique combination of skills, talents and knowledge - also known as strengths. People who use their strengths on a daily basis are said to be six times more productive and engaged.
- Ask for feedback. A fundamental communication skill, asking for feedback from your peers, colleagues, friends & family will provide you with valuable insight into the perception others have of you and your uniqueness. The better you are, the more you want to get better.
- Do your research. Who else is offering something that is similar to what you are doing? What are their strengths versus yours? Knowing what else is out there is not just a smart business idea, it can serve as an additional source of growth and self-development if you are using it wisely.
- Have some quiet time. Grab a journal, your favorite drink and some quiet time. Listen. Your heart will tell you the rest. What is meant for you will never pass you by. Sometimes, you just need to be silent to hear it.
What's the fire in your belly? What were you born to do? Comment below and have your passion fuel your purpose. It's your uniqueness that becomes your brand.
xoxo
Rachel