Fiddling around with my homepage copy as I do from time to time, I deleted the word ‘thoughtful’ and put it back in – several times over.
Why the hesitation? Because I know I’m thoughtful and I do like to have both feet firmly on the ground. I’m no high octane, extreme sports daredevil and funnily enough, that comes through in the way I work and communicate with people. You might even call it my personal brand.
Authentic communication is the goal
I tend to start with ‘why’ and zero in on putting strong foundations in place. I like to understand the big picture and enjoy bringing together different strands to make a story. I love bringing clarity to confused, complex issues.
So why the hesitation? Lack of confidence. Fear of committing myself to one character trait. Worried I should be more like other people – therein lies madness because great communication is about being authentic. It’s just a lot easier to talk about than do in reality.
What’s your personal brand?
So, what about you. What sets you apart from the rest of the crowd? It can be hard zeroing in on what it is, but it will be there. Look through co-worker feedback, client testimonials. Heck, you might even want to ask a supportive friend or relative to give you some honest, object feedback. Whoever you ask, I’ll put money on there being a few words and phrases that crop up time and time again.
And instead of hiding behind these words, apologising for them with a small shrug of the shoulders you should embrace them and bring them into your personal brand.
Because if you write as you rather than the person you think you ought to be, it’ll make the communicating and writing part of your life so much easier.
Thoughts?
If you want some help bringing your personal brand into your writing and communication, please get in touch. I’d love to help.
Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
Barbara Kingsolver