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I had a wonderful coffee meeting with a fellow associate yesterday and we discussed some interesting aspects of building a small business. One of those topics centered on the idea of your reputation. We’ve all heard the line “your reputation precedes you.” And when we hear that line referencing ourselves, we hope what precedes us was a good report; however, how do people begin to see you in that positive light?
Have you ever wanted to recommend a company and couldn’t remember the name of the company, but you really remembered the person who helped you. You remember how they serviced you, the information you received from them, the smile you left with? Long before you build a business or a brand for that business, you have your own reputation. Protect it! People come to know you as being reliable, trustworthy, resourceful and ethical before they know your company. You are your brand. When word of mouth goes forth, they are speaking of you and not your company.
3 ways to build your personal brand:
- Always do what you said you were going to do, and if you absolutely can’t, be sure to communicate that. Here is where you want to under promise and over deliver. If you don’t know that you can do something, don’t promise you can. Do your research and follow up quickly. If you have to go back on a commitment, you want to do that as infrequently as possible because you can become known as a person who makes empty promises.
- Network, Network, Network. When you meet someone, send them a friend request and a nice message, or a quick e-mail and then follow up from time to time. Build those relationships. You want someone to think of you when they – or someone they know – needs your product or services.
- Be visible. Show up to events, attend meetings, and go to functions. Even if it’s not an official “networking” event, when people keep seeing your face, you will build relationships you don’t even know you need. Go to town hall meetings in your city, attend Board of Education or Defense council meetings, sit through a Department of Transportation meeting and get to know what’s going on in your city and the other areas you conduct business. These meetings are rarely attended and you will be recognized after attending more than one meeting. Additionally, you may learn of new initiatives coming in your area long before they hit public knowledge. Information such as this can prove very helpful while making important business decisions.
~JMJ