Just in time for Christmas: A Man's Guide to Personal Branding (new post)
If I would have written this post sooner, it would have made a fantastic Christmas list.
Disclaimer:
This post is written for men. If it offends you or makes you feel a little shame - then good. Shame is a great motivator. Ladies - please give me your insights and additional rules on this topic. Oh - and please forward to the men in your life
Here's the deal ...
Most of us aren't George Clooney or Ashton Kutcher. Most of us are just trying to work with what we've got. But that doesn't give any of us an excuse to suck. Assuming you want to be accountable for your own brand, your goal should be to be your version of the best.
With that in mind, here is my definitive guide to personal branding for men:
- Have some style: Dressing nice doesn't make you a Nancy-boy. Dressing nice means you give a crap about your appearance. This means that you aren't afraid to stand out a little bit. Wear some pink. Buy some cool shoes. Get clothes that fit. Find your own style. In a breakfast spread, no one should be the oatmeal.
- Buy a nose-hair trimmer: This summarizes the entire first impressions/personal grooming category. In this category includes: trimming your eye-brows, checking your nose and eyes for boogers, checking your teeth after you eat, make sure your fly isn't open ... you get the picture.
- Join Toastmasters: Fear of public speaking isn't a fear - it's an excuse. At least learn how to string together some clear thoughts in a smooth, affable way. Your personal brand depends on your ability to communicate clearly, concisely ... at any given moment. If you don't know how to do this, the best thing you could ever do is join Toastmasters. Real men don't use tele-prompters.
- Get Published: Most of us are experts on something. So prove it. Write a book. Start a blog. Shoot some videos. Stop acting like your knowledge belongs to someone else and start using it to grow your brand.
- Become a Renaissance Man: Knowing a little bit about everything comes in handy. It means you can be interesting in any conversation. We men spend a lot of time in the bathroom, so get one of those bathroom books full of trivia.
- Don't be Nice: Nice is not a brand. Nice is wimpy and weak. Jerk beats nice EVERY time. But jerks are ... well, jerks. Instead, be kind. Kindness is bold and pro-active. People don't remember nice - they remember kind.
- Get in shape: I've been varying degrees of fat for about 20 years. Thanks to my own commitment and the help of others, I'm in the best shape of my life. I still have long way to go, but I have noticed the impact of losing weight on my brand. First, people notice - and getting noticed is part of branding. Bigger than that (pun intended) is that it shows that you are taking yourself seriously.
- Get real with people: Purge your vocabulary of cliches. Start telling people what you really think. Stop worrying about what other people think. Be a good listener. Be honest every time. These are all elements of "getting real".
- Be a COIN: A COIN is a Center of Influence. This means getting to know people with the attitude of "how can I help you?" - not "what can I sell you?" By constantly looking out for the interests of others, you become an influencer. This means you are not just a trusted advisor, but a true friend.
- Think Public v Private NOT Business v Personal: This rule is really a summary of all of the other 9 rules. The concept of compartmentalization (of separating work and personal) was already becoming a dated concept - then social media came along and made everything personal. So be prepared to live a transparent life on-line and off-line. Stop letting your job or technical skills define you and start letting YOU define you.
I would challenge that no one is born a conformist. Conformity is learned - probably in school. It is reinforced by cubicle farms and dress codes. Conformity is really just fear; a fall-back position for men that don't have the confidence to be themselves. So start there.
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