Every company wants a strong personal brand. Whether you are working as a solo sales dynamo or as a member of a colossal corporation, chances are that you are already a part of the company brand.
So how do you build on it and make it strong?
Any company can create a brand by choosing a few select colors, a name, and a product or service. That’s all it takes. In order to be considered well-branded, however, requires a bit more commitment and effort.
Strong brands should exhibit exactly three things: authority, expertise, and trust. Each of these three key components relates seamlessly to the others. They are needed to create a brand that consumers know, love and, most importantly, recommend.
Authority
Brand authority is a somewhat ambiguous term. This is because authority encompasses both expertise and trust. In fact, it is impossible to build authority without them. It is a well-balanced combination of the two that encourages consumers to place your brand’s knowledge above that of other brands.
Authority is not something you can create on your own. You must earn it. And you go about doing that by focusing on demonstrating relevant expertise and building consumer trust in your brand.
Expertise
Expertise is perhaps the easier component when building a strong personal brand. That is because it’s the only component you have complete control over.
Positioning yourself as a knowledgeable expert on your product or service shows you have done your due diligence before offering your service.
Studies conducted by Dr. Marshall Fisher of the Wharton School of Business indicate that expert advice is a top driver of sales. If your consumers believe you to be an expert, and if your brand has actively engaged in educating potential clientele about your field of expertise as it pertains to your product or service, then they are likely to trust your recommendations when it comes time to make decisions that affect your bottom dollar.
Trust
Like authority, trust cannot be demanded or bought, but it can be earned. You can build trust in your brand by remaining accessible, consistent, honest, reliable, and valuable. Showing your potential clients helpful, consistent messaging over extended periods of time is a good way to start earning the trust required to build a strong personal brand.
Although each of these three components can be measured on its own it is best to think of them as a cohesive group, as you will need to master all of them to be considered well-branded.
Aaron Sansoni is a best-selling author, international speaker, investor, and recent nominee for Australian of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year.
