How To Leverage Your Name
It doesn’t matter what you do for a living, you are representing yourself at all times. Large organizations have strict branding guidelines and you should too. In the above definition, the keyword is “distinctive.” When you think about your personal brand you want to focus on what makes you stand out and what makes you unique. But one of the most important things to do in building your personal brand is to remember that your name is leverage and when people hear your name they will associate images and emotions based on their perception of your name.
So how can you create your own personal brand that gets attention and makes people not just want to talk with you, but do business together? Here are a few tips to leverage your name and create a “distinctive” personal brand.
How to Leverage Your Name
Your name is your brand. It stands for who you are, what you believe in, how you are perceived, and what people can expect from you. Everyone needs to know your name. It is your call sign in audio, video, and written format. Here are a few ways to leverage your name:
• Always introduce yourself to people first using your full name, no matter how casual the interaction. If you’re getting a coffee and the barista has on a name tag, call them by name and introduce yourself, connect with them by asking how their day was, or speak about something that can set the tone for the interaction. Then proceed to order. Everyone around you will hear your name and because you are showing genuine interest in the person it can create a positive emotional image for others witnessing the interaction.
• Introduce yourself to a minimum of 10 people a day! No matter what you are doing there are always opportunities to introduce yourself to others. So whether you are standing in line, sitting on a bus, waiting to cross the street, or waiting for an airplane to board take the opportunity to make organic connections with others.
• Create attention-grabbing signatures for emails. Be sure to set all email accounts with a signature that highlights your name and links to social media sites, your website, and any other important online sources.
• Master the art of the introduction! For your name to have an impact, you must master the art of the introduction and have a power pitch that tells people who you are, what problems you can solve, and how solving those problems will change their life or business. The right power pitch will allow you to leverage your name at any given moment creating new organic opportunities from everyday interactions.
In today’s overly saturated digital era, brand messages are streaming across devices, and standing out in the noise is a challenge. If you want to make sure you grab attention you need to acknowledge the power of your name and personal brand to leverage it to your advantage. While the above tips are fundamental business networking skills, they are highly overlooked in today’s business and personal interactions.
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