What is unique about you? How do you stand apart from the crowd? The answer to these questions will help you zero in on your point of differentiation. When I speak of differentiation, most people’s eyes glaze over.
We take our strengths for granted and just assume everyone else does what we do, to the same level of proficiency. But the reality is our unique combination of strengths is what differentiates us.
What makes you unique is what you do, when you do what you do. Say again? When you do what you do are the responsibilities or expectations of you in your job. But that’s not what I’m referring to. I’m talking about how you go about your job, or what you do when you do that job. That is, what is your approach or style when you do your job?
Let’s look at this in another way. In my Power up Your Personal Brand workshops I show pictures of famous people and ask the participants to call-out the words that come to mind when they see this person. Let’s try this here. Take Abraham Lincoln. What are words or phrases that come to mind when you think of Abe Lincoln? Things I hear include; “Honest Abe”, determined, courageous, high integrity, for the people. And while I might hear “he was the 16th President”, that’s rarely the first thing people will say. These traits are what make Abe Lincoln unique from all other Presidents.
I was leading a workshop of marketing research analysts and I asked them what they thought set them apart from the other analysts. While they all do the same job, their approach or style is uniquely different. One of the analysts zeroed in on his differentiation. He told me “I’m someone who knows how to marry the research data with the business need.” He was able to understand the business levers and how to drive business results through the research he provided. He was the most in-demand analyst in his company. People requested his council over all the other analysts. That’s standing out in the crowd.
What I hope you are beginning to notice from these two examples is in a successful branding campaign, you must identify those unique qualities or traits that set you apart from the crowd. In Praise for Purple Cow, an article published in Fast Company by the author Seth Godin, he was quoted as saying; “…In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.” To Seth’s point, we tend to do our jobs, work really hard and hope people notice us. That’s the same as being invisible. But what it takes to have a solid brand is standing out in the crowd and demonstrating your unique value.
As part of my 7 Tips to Power up Your Brand, I’ve discussed gaining clarity on the traits your company places value on and matching those to your brand attributes. It’s important to ensure you are positioning yourself in at least one of these key areas, the area that is uniquely different about you. Instead of being invisible, look for opportunities to stand-up and stand-out! In an earlier step I suggested you complete a SWOT analysis. In the Opportunities section you should have listed proactive measures you can take to put your strengths to work. This could include volunteering for things. These may be things other’s may not want to do or haven’t thought to do. Let people know what your point of differentiation is and you may be surprised to find out how many people will seek you, and only you, out for this expertise.
Sage Alliance, a Leadership Performance Company, provides coaching, teambuilding and assessments, workshops and speaking on topics including; leadership development, empowering teams, communications, lasting impressions, personal branding and building a coaching culture for executives and high-potentials – for both team and individual leaders.
Contact us today to discover how your organization can get the most through improved productivity, efficiency and direct impact to your bottom line, while leaders gain powerful insight, crystallize opportunities for growth and fine tune their strengths, enabling them to make the greatest impact. You can contact Shelley Hammell directly at shammell@thesagealliance.com.