Shelley Mentor States How to protect your personal brand

Shelley Mentor is a Business Accelerator Coach & Speaker who has double digit industry years in her bag of expertise being shared today that she has used when dealing with International brands. As she puts it, “Is no different to how you should be approaching the creation, development and sustainability of your personal brand.”

Here is her view on how Individuals who are the employer or employed, can establish & protect their personal brand. Your personal brand is your online voice to the world when you are not able to speak for yourself.

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently” – Warren Buffet

Just like the world of FAKE NEWS – so many people are creating FAKE BRANDS, you know them, you follow them and sadly, are so often lured through emotionally convincing marketing campaigns and strategies to buying from them.  The online world provides access for so many to be projecting untruths about achievements, success and milestones. Do you find yourself not knowing who or what to believe? If you’re feeling this way about others; when last did you do an audit on your brand to establish how others are feeling about you?

Warren buffet has also been quoted saying – “If you lose money for the firm, I will be forgiving. If you lose reputation, I will be ruthless”

Some people wait for a socially crippling disaster before they think to protect their personal brand. The truth is, our personal brands are created when we are born, it is part of you and your legacy. Your name and the values you build as you grow up, the things you believe in; your behavior and personality is what makes you who you are and a huge contributing factor to your personal brand – it’s going to evolve, let it – embrace it. Ensure that you are always 100% authentically aligned with what you and your online brand and message, stand for.

People want to do business with people they like and more so, people they can trust.

Here are the three ways to establish and protect your personal brand from being misunderstood, misjudged and misrepresented;

1. Authenticity  –

By virtue of its definition – Authentic is defined as: “not false or copied” therefore by implication it would stand for “genuine, legitimate or real” – representing one’s true nature or beliefs. In psychology it is referred to as living one’s life according to the needs of one’s inner being, rather than the demands of society. When establishing an online presence and authentic brand; too many people are trying to copy the content of others because of what they perceive their “likes” and credibility stand for. Remember no-one is you, so stop trying to be someone else. Each person has an inner, underlying established brand that is core and unquestioned, when scripted it forms the basis of the digital dialogue your brand translates to the rest of the world.

• Establish your personal branding story board
• Understand the dynamics of what it represents, stands for and is clear on what interest you hold
• Be clear what your brand will and will not tolerate and be steadfast in your conviction
• Approach every post, like and following with a clear message that aligns to your brand’s essence
• Don’t vacillate in your approach to suit different situations or people, remain consistent with your message

2. Transparency & Integrity –

People want to deal with people they can trust. So many people are using smoke and mirror tactics about who they are, what they stand for and the latest craze is bragging about what they would like you to think they are achieving. Everyone can spot a “fraud” from a mile away. Just be yourself, leverage the achievements that you can take credit for, don’t try and stretch this to reflect something which is not true. When producing your personal brand on a digital platform, people often forget the real highlights of their journey that lend themselves to talk-ability and create credibility.

In other words, you protect your personal brand by not being a fraud, gossip, disloyal and an unethical person and entrepreneur. You refrain from walking all over people, using them for their time and money or blatantly lying. Do not oversell people on what you are not and cannot provide. There are severe consequences for that; such as legal battles and hefty fines.

Do the right thing always!!!

3. Be a “Trusting” skeptic

There are many sharks in the water, watch who you’re swimming with in your;  office, inner circle of influence, network and friends/family, even strangers who you barley know. As the value of your brand increases and gains credibility and awareness always be on the look out for those who are trying to attach themselves and benefit from the brand you have built, beware of people who are out to make a transactional fast buck or two by luring others into believing they are aligned with your brand.

Acknowledge and understand that priorities change when you realize the value of your brand. Associate with other personal brands that align with your goals and values. Don’t accept things at face value. Protect your personal brand at all costs.

The essence of what you post is not only a reflection of you, it is your digital footprint, before you post consider the relevance and positioning of what you are putting out there and always ensure it is something you would be proud to share at any point in time.

“To be persuasive, we must be believable, to be believable we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful “ _ Edward R. Murrows

To learn more on how to position your “Brand for Brilliance” visit www.shelleymentor.com or follow her Facebook & Instagram @shelleymentor