When talking about doing business,
developing partnership, designing
products...marketers consider 'Branding'; for instance, what kind of company
image should they give their clients, what logo design can catch consumers'
eyes?
But when talking
about you, me, or any individuals, do you remember / know how to do branding?
I joined a team
called Protocol Ambassador (PA) when I studied in National Chia Yi University
in Taiwan; it is a team that provide services for holding ceremonies like guiding
guests, being the emcee, providing Chinese / English presentation to introduce
our university...etc. It was then I realised how important it is to create
a proper personal brand. Anytime, anywhere, when there is a PA member; he / she shows
a strong image for the university, such as friendly, professional about what
they are doing, and always smiling.
In this fast
changing world, how do you do to let those people who just met you to
remember you? What kind of image you want them to remember you? A person who
always talking loudly and never listen to others? A person who only stands
there without participating in any group discussions? A personal who talks
the constructive opinions at the right time? A person who is humorous that
makes everyone smile even when they are under stress? Or...
So why branding?
Because it tells
everyone who you are, what you are professional at, what you like and dislike.
Even when you are choosing what to wear every morning, you are preparing the 'image' that you are
going to provide in front of others when you go out. On the other hand, when a
company wants to have good brands, of course there are A LOT other facets they
need to consider however; one of them will definitely be 'your employees' brand
image. Will you like it when you go to a restaurant to enjoy a romantic dinner
with your partner, the food is fascinating, the atmosphere is perfect
for a date; and then every time when the servers come, they give you a long
face like they hope you leave as soon as possible so then can finish their work
early? Merely just because of ONE reluctant employee might stop you from
stepping into that restaurant ever again. Will you like it when you go
to a meeting with your future business partner, but almost everyone
is looking at their iPhone or Blackberry during your talk? Their attitude and
disrespect probably make you choose other potential business partner to work
with.
How to show the
strong brand image of a company? Always let EVERYONE of your employee represents your brand is
one of the fundamental issues. Training them to build up their personal brands,
creating sense of achievement from work and the environment to make sure your
employees are confident and proud to work with you is the first step.
Each one of us
represents ourselves and our companies. What brands you create to develop
business or your personal life, it really depends on what you do.
Please feel free
to give me any comments or share this article! :-)
