What is your brand? And I’m not talking about favorite brand of shoes, leather bags, or fragrance. As a professional, what personal brand do people know you by?
“Personal Branding
Branding, according to Scott Bedbury, is the sum total of everything a company does, including the good, the bad and even the off strategy, that creates a context or an identity in a consumer’s mind. Personal branding is therefore the creation of an asset that pertains to a particular person or individual, including but not limited to the body, clothing, appearance and knowledge contained within, leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable. This ultimately means that a brand is not a product but a promise and mark of trust
The most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart; if people believe they share values with a company, they stay loyal to its brand. Brands tell us or make us imagine how good or bad products are even if we have never used them before! Why do you prefer British Airways, KLM, Air France, etc. to any other airline when travelling? If you were to buy a car, why would you go for a Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Toyota or Honda, even when you have never driven one? Have you ever thought of why you seem to prefer a particular product or service to any other? As a customer, once you like a brand, you are bound to come back for repeated services or products because the quality of the service or product is part of your mental image of the brand. Branding allows you to make purchases in confidence while wasting less time on product selection.
As a Secretary, Legal Secretary, Legal PA, Legal Assistant, Executive Assistant or whatever your title, what is your personal brand? Each time your boss looks at you, what is it that goes on in his or her mind? What does he or she see? Do you project excellence, confidence and distinction? This is the reason some Secretaries are being tempted to look for substitute titles, but don’t you ever make the mistake of ignoring the fact that you are neither defined by your job title nor confined by your job description. Strong brands are not built in a day. It takes conscious effort, self-discipline and painstaking discharge of your duties for positioning, communication and operations to take place – these are the three key brand management principles. Positioning means determining what you really want your promise to be, communication is creating expectation in the customer’s mind of what your promise is and operations is delivering on the promise. As Secretaries, the organisations we work for are our consumers. What promise are you making to your organisation in terms of contributing to its growth within the scope of your job functions? How well are you doing your job? How is the organisation or employer taking your contribution? What impression have you been giving your employer about yourself and your noble profession? When observing you as a young Secretary, is your boss already seeing you as a potential PA? Is he already seeing some excellent qualities in you that qualify you for higher responsibilities? What impressions are you creating in the minds of the people you come in touch with on a daily basis?
Regardless of age or the position or business we might be in, we all need to appreciate the importance of branding, since we all have the chance to learn, improve and build up our skills to become a brand worthy of remark.
Just recently, a colleague of mine had issues with his boss that almost led to his sacking. When a senior member of staff intervened on his behalf, his boss was screaming at the top of his voice, “I am frustrated because my Secretary is not like the Efolis of this world!” I wasn’t there to witness the scenario, but a third party later made reference to it. Frankly speaking, I don’t really know what the Executive in question saw in me! But, one thing I know is this: if you are a trained Secretary, your life sparkles with something that makes you think! It might even be common sense, but quite unfortunately, common sense is not common.
I want to challenge Secretaries from all walks of life to see this as a clarion call to a personal rebranding process that will usher professional excellence, confidence and distinction into our noble profession. Once we get it right, not only will we be admired, but our noble profession will also be deservedly respected.
See you at the top!”
Contact me if your office need legal training. Have a wonderful day!