Can you identify what your ‘commonsense solutions’ are?
As I was catching up on my news last night, I caught some of an interview with Sarah Palin. While the 30 minute segment covered a range of topics, one thing in particular stood out to me:
“Commonsense solutions.”
Regardless of what the interview leader ask, somehow the former governor managed to slip that phrase, commonsense solutions, into her response. This struck me so fiercely, not because I am either for or against Ms. Palin, but because it was an absolutely perfect example of conscious and successful personal branding.
We have talked about personal branding here before, as it is one of the most vital things anyone can do to not only improve their business success but also consciously affect how others perceive them. Part of personal branding is about selecting keywords and keyword phrases (just like in SEO) that signify what you are setting out to do and what you represent.
Returning to our example for a minute, if someone asked Sarah Palin what she represented or strove for, she has a perfect soundbite answer: commonsense solutions. If I were to ask you after the interview what her platform or goals are, you would easily pick up on “commonsense solutions” as the answer.
This is not accidental. She (and her team of handlers, PR reps, and managers), spent considerable time honing in on keywords they want to be affiliated with her among neutral onlookers and supporters (enemies have other ideas as to what keywords they would affiliate with her!).
The truth is you can’t control what people thing of you – that isn’t what personal branding is about. What it is about is actively delivering a message for people to pick up on about you and your business instead of passively letting someone else brand you for you.
Personal branding is a tool that can help drawn in potential clients, bolster current clients, frazzle competitors, and give you a boost of support. However, when you don’t consciously emit personal branding keywords, everyone else will just create them for you. You become passive in your attempts at branding, and therefore are at the mercy of the at times fickle and uninformed perceptions of those outside yourself.
My version of “commonsense solutions” is “actionable personal development” – this is a keyword I try to drop as often as is naturally possible when it comes to explaining and promoting my brand. Other keywords include authenticity, success, productivity, and of course “the life uncommon.”
What are your versions of “commonsense solutions?” What personal branding keywords are you actively trying to get affiliated with your business and yourself?
Here’s to your Uncommon Life,
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I have never liked the term “personal branding,” it’s so superficial. What happened to the concept of “character?”
Just a thought.
Hi Walter – thanks for commenting! Interesting point…I like it! I see character and your “brand” as being unique yet overlapping elements – you character is who you are while your brand is how you consciously present yourself/skills to the world. I would love to hear more about your thoughts on character versus personal brand, though!