Did you know you already had a personal brand?
Many will think the fact that they have never consciously made an effort toward building a brand means that they don’t have one, but that is far from reality.
You have a personal brand, if it’s no more than someone thinking “oh, that’s the guy from across the street”. They may not know you but they have a perception of you that they have formed.
This becomes a brand that you have no control over, often developed from a shallow set of visual encounters because there is nothing else from which they can form an opinion.
It’s funny how a series of distant images of a person develop into a perception and a brand of that person, who has no idea what people think about them. The way you are perceived by others evolves as people get to really know you but initially we all seem to come up with some limited opinion about people we encounter.
I remember a story from my corporate life days after having worked on this new project for a couple of months; I did a presentation in the auditorium. It turned out to be my coming out party for that job and yes, I was nervous as hell leading up to that event. Somehow I lived through it. 
Afterward there were refreshments and general chatter about the topic I had presented and a small group approached, all of which were from the Public Affairs office. They all thanked me and were happy to finally meet. Then one of them said they could now start calling me by my real name. Huh? As it turned out, in that particular office area, I was known as the “fly tie guy”, a reference to the neckties that I wore daily.
We all had a big laugh about it and went on to become good friends.
My point is this, people will always build a brand for you, without your permission and without knowing very much about you. They will go with what little they know or have seen and develop a means of identifying you.
So is there anything you can do about this?
Yes, there is one thing that you can do about it.
Have Them See You For Who You Are
In the business world perception is huge, but you can control what those perceptions are. Let people know that you have specialized skills and that you are good at what you do, not in a boastful manner, but in a way that may help them.
You may then become known as the go-to person for your particular skill. You see and hear examples of this all the time.
You need some graphs done in PowerPoint? “Check with Davina on that, she’s the whiz when it comes to doing them”.
You’re talking to a friend and find out that they are shopping for someone to install a patio for their home. “My brother used Bob’s Stone Works and their patio turned out fantastic, you have to see it”.
Two things occurred in the examples above. 1, the individuals demonstrated their skills and delivered what the are known for and 2, word of mouth advertising (cheapest and most effective) kicked in.
This is why it is so important for you to control the perceptions of you. These perceptions, good or bad, can spread like a wildfire.
The Business Environment
There is no place more important than the business environment to control the perception of you and your brand. You want to define yourself before others define you. Build your own brand and remain in control.
A great personal brand can be your ticket to financial freedom and independence. It can be the difference between working for a corporation and working for yourself.
Your brand will always be built by others; you just need to guide the conversation by delivering what you claim you can and stay consistent. Remaining true to your values and beliefs while building your brand and your business will always bring a level of consistency.
Recognize the fact that people are always going to talk, so give them something to talk about that works in your favor.
Targeting Clients
When your personal brand establishes you as a specialist and clearly communicates what you represent, you will find yourself surrounded by the type of potential clients that can catapult your business onto the next level of success.
When you control the perceptions and the brand it is clear to see what you represent. If this is unclear in any way, people will draw their own conclusions, which is not what you want to occur.
Think of the brick and mortar shop on Main Street with the sign in the window that says “Shoe Repair”. They have targeted their customers and sorted them out before they walk through the door. The owner of this shop knows he has a sale when you arrive and the expectations are already set for both parties.
Conclusion
Get ahead of the perception game and drive the conversations that will take place by putting your brand out there from the beginning. Specialize in something and avoid being a generalist trying to cover too many things at once.
When you let others know what to expect, they will help you build your brand, leaving you to simply deliver the goods.
Stay Productive!
18 Responses to The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others
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" @Chris_Frailey No problem, Chris. Great weekend to you as well. :-) " — JimiJones
One of the problems you have as a blogger – as in any other walk of life – is that once you hit that publish button you can relinquish all control of how some people see you. You might try hard and build a brand image, but how do you stop people getting the wrong end of the stick, the wrong perception of what you are trying to portray? It’s a real high wire walk.
.-= Kevin Tea´s last blog ..Reader Feedback: Monica Provides Update On iCloud’s Progress =-.
True, there will always be some who see you differently than intended, the thing is to remain consistent in what you are representing. Most people will understand your brand while the few that don’t, well…
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
One of the problems you have as a blogger – as in any other walk of life – is that once you hit that publish button you can relinquish all control of how some people see you. You might try hard and build a brand image, but how do you stop people getting the wrong end of the stick, the wrong perception of what you are trying to portray? It’s a real high wire walk.
.-= Kevin Tea´s last blog ..Reader Feedback: Monica Provides Update On iCloud’s Progress =-.
True, there will always be some who see you differently than intended, the thing is to remain consistent in what you are representing. Most people will understand your brand while the few that don’t, well…
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Jimi, if you read my bio anywhere I always mention that I want to learn, to teach and to connect. When it comes to you, I am always learning. Sure I pass on a tip or two but I know why they called you “The Fly” anything guy. You are taking me to school and you’re such a great teacher that I’m always left feeling like I need to read your post a second time to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Teach on!
.-= Ileane´s last blog ..A Growing List of Top Google Buzz Tips =-.
Jimi, if you read my bio anywhere I always mention that I want to learn, to teach and to connect. When it comes to you, I am always learning. Sure I pass on a tip or two but I know why they called you “The Fly” anything guy. You are taking me to school and you’re such a great teacher that I’m always left feeling like I need to read your post a second time to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
Teach on!
.-= Ileane´s last blog ..A Growing List of Top Google Buzz Tips =-.
Hey Ileane!
Thanks for the kind words, friend. I’m happy there is some take-away for you after visiting.
I’ve always enjoyed learning and sharing with others, which only serves to make me learn more.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Hey Ileane!
Thanks for the kind words, friend. I’m happy there is some take-away for you after visiting.
I’ve always enjoyed learning and sharing with others, which only serves to make me learn more.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Each time you post, I learn more and more. Like Ileane, I learn so much from you and can hardly wait to read your posts. I look forward to them.
I’m walking away with doing one thing good and being the specialist in that area. I can’t be all things (generalist), too much to keep up with. Truly a good learning nugget, Mr. Jimi!
.-= Evelyn´s last blog ..Dr. Aris LaTham, 34 Years of Sunfired Food =-.
Hi Evelyn.
Thank you for your kind words and I am happy that you look forward to these posts.
One of the benefits of sharing knowledge on the internet is that we all learn from one another. Nobody knows it all and everyone is good at something. I have learned things from others like you and Ileane as well. The internet is really a great learning experience all around.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Each time you post, I learn more and more. Like Ileane, I learn so much from you and can hardly wait to read your posts. I look forward to them.
I’m walking away with doing one thing good and being the specialist in that area. I can’t be all things (generalist), too much to keep up with. Truly a good learning nugget, Mr. Jimi!
.-= Evelyn´s last blog ..Dr. Aris LaTham, 34 Years of Sunfired Food =-.
Hi Evelyn.
Thank you for your kind words and I am happy that you look forward to these posts.
One of the benefits of sharing knowledge on the internet is that we all learn from one another. Nobody knows it all and everyone is good at something. I have learned things from others like you and Ileane as well. The internet is really a great learning experience all around.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Wow, what an awesome post. I really understand branding now. Yes, people do form perceptions of you with getting to know you.
But reading this one blog post has made me realize it even more. Now I understand why I need to be aware of what I say and do even more.
Thanks Jim for your knowledge and expertise.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Sugar is Poison-Period! =-.
Hello and welcome,Michelle!
I am glad that this post helped you realize the importance of branding, particularly in the business environment. Branding is not a difficult topic, but one that we should hae a better awareness of.
Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you here again.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Wow, what an awesome post. I really understand branding now. Yes, people do form perceptions of you with getting to know you.
But reading this one blog post has made me realize it even more. Now I understand why I need to be aware of what I say and do even more.
Thanks Jim for your knowledge and expertise.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Sugar is Poison-Period! =-.
Hello and welcome,Michelle!
I am glad that this post helped you realize the importance of branding, particularly in the business environment. Branding is not a difficult topic, but one that we should hae a better awareness of.
Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you here again.
.-= Jimi Jones´s last blog ..The Perception Game – How Your Brand Can Be Created by Others =-.
Hi Jimi,
Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News, wrote a book back in the early 80s called, You Are the Message.
Although your story reminds me more of Dress for Success,
the idea of Personal Branding is foundational to good business.
There was a really fun book from the 70s called, Winning Thru Intimidation, where the “tortoise” learned that his income was directly proportionate to the image he projected to his clients.
But I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes that comes in many forms–this variation from George Burns, “The secret of acting is sincerity. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
As I remember George, he had great branding
Rick
Hey Rick!
LOL – That George Burns was quite a character with a boatload of those zingers. They don’t make em like that anymore.
Roger Ailes has been known to live by that quote of his as well.
When it comes to our brands, everyone has an opinion. Let’s just hope it’s a favorable one.
Thanks for visiting!