How To Master Personal Branding

“Lionel, what is the number 1 skill that has enabled you to make it?”

I didn’t have to think long and hard.

It’s personal branding.

How I went from nobody to somebody…

How I went from charcoal to diamond…

I owe it all to personal branding.

I always say this – I may not be the biggest, fittest or smartest. But I am the one who is able to outclass, outshine and outlast all the others.

The barriers to entry to become an entrepreneur are low. You just need about $250 to register a domain name, build your website and get it hosted. But it’s what you do after that that truly matters. Yet I have witnessed an alarmingly high exit rate. To be brutally honest, I’ve seen so many of my competitors, comrades and counterparts throw in the towel.

Why?

Because they are selling what everyone else is selling. There is no differentiating factor.

When you have no differentiating factor, you can only compete on price.

And competing on price is simply killing yourself because you will rather lose money than lose the customer.

When you keep giving discounts and promos and free stuff away just to stay in the industry, you have long exhausted your own existence. And when you see your accounts in the red, you know it is time to go.

When you sell cheap, people will associate your product or service as cheap. And cheap is easily replaceable. There are so many other cheap (or cheaper) ones out there.

I chose a different strategy from Day 1. I never competed on price (and sorry, I don’t give discounts either). Instead, I chose to build and grow my personal brand.

And that made all the difference.

So whether you are a graduating student, existing manager or executive, or aspiring entrepreneur, the number 1 skill you need to master is the art of personal branding.

We see thousands of students graduate each year – from the local universities and foreign universities. I challenge you to ask yourself this simple question – what makes you stand out from the rest of your peers? After all, everyone has that same degree (albeit the class of honours may be different) – but it’s still pretty much the same degree. If you are unable to answer this question, that means you lack a personal brand identity.

If you are currently a director, manager or executive in the corporate world, we know promotions are few but many are vying for that position. What makes you the favourite choice to get that promotion? Work performance apart, it’s how your personal brand appeals to others in the workplace. I call it the Brand Attraction Quotient.

And if you are an aspiring or current entrepreneur, the importance of having a personal brand is even more important. What is that unique offering that only you can provide to your audience? And why must others buy from you?

A personal brand is not a given. It is a never-ending journey where you start, nurture and grow it…and at times evolve and innovate it so it stays relevant to the times and people.

See you at the top!