Building a strong personal brand is no magical task. Although the process is pretty simplistic, the application can be a little bit tricky and the one catch is that it does take time for you to go from oblivion into household status.
No wonder people would rather cold call, advertise and do all sort of things that involve selling to gather new and repeat business. They feel like they are not just sitting there doing nothing.
Whenever you feel discouraged and wonder if your personal branding efforts will eventually pay off, just keep your eyes on the pros. 


Benefits of establishing a powerful personal brand include:
1) Not having to hard sell yourself to get new business. If you hate to make sales-pitches such as cold calling, posting ads and kissing people’s butts to get them to recommend you, you are better off building a strong personal brand.


2) When faced with so many choices, the prospective client will usually ask around (through Google or personal friends and associates) who the best in the field is. If your name does not come up first, your chances of new business are slim to none. But as a recognizable brand, you will be the first name on people’s lips or “best of†lists.


3) When disaster strikes, you will have dug your well before you are thirsty. Do you ever notice that people who are constantly in the public’s eyes in a favorable manner seem to get themselves out of trouble faster than an unknown folks? Accidents or incidents always happen that can damper your reputation. Note what happened to US’ Vice-president Dick Cheney recently.


4) A powerful personal brand name creates so many opportunities. Everyone wants to do deals with you, clients will fight to get you to offer them your services (ie: price war in your favor) and to be honest you become a mini-celebrity. You might not make the tabloids’ gossip columns but within your industry, you will be a force to be reckoned with.




Personal branding is the ultimate way to differentiate yourself from the thousands of freelancers offering the same services. You become the winner that takes it all.


The formula is simple: Find a differentiating focus + Strong credential + PR Promotional Campaign.


More on the “magic†formula in forthcoming columns.
