[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #131: Personal Branding Starts on the Inside

It’s a crazy, competitive world. So, in order to succeed, people are always looking for a competitive advantage. Developing a strong personal brand is a part of that process. Unfortunately, many people think that personal branding is only about working on things like their resume, social media, online reputation, and appearance.

Think about that.

All of those things are external, but personal branding is also internal. It has lot to do with what’s going on inside of you. Only focusing on the external is like a baker only focusing on the icing.

What about the cake?

What about what’s inside?

What about your character?

Get your SELF together first and everything else will begin to fall in place because personal branding starts on the inside.

What’s in your life tends to be a projection of what’s in you.

Million-Dollar Question:
What does your personal brand look like
on the inside?

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ACTIONS STEPS AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget #60: Present Yourself In High Definition

High Definition (HD) videos and images are clearer, sharper, and more vivid than normal videos and images so, they’re worth a premium.

The same thing goes for high-definition people—exceptional individuals who have an accurate internal definition of who they are, what they bring to the table, where they are going, and how they plan to get there. This helps them to come across as clearer, sharper, and more vivid the than competition. They’re worth a premium because they present themselves in high definition.

If you are coming across fuzzy, start with your self-definition. Who are you? What’s most important to you in life? What do you want to do? Once you have clear answers to those questions, create a plan and learn how to articulate your plan. Then you’ll be able to come across in HD.

Million-Dollar Question:
Are you determined to take the necessary steps to present yourself in high-definition?

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ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION GUIDE FOR DUNCAN NUGGET #60

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #56: Point Of Differentiation

*Yawn*

After interviewing a dozen students for a job in the restaurant that I was managing, that was all I could do—yawn. They all gave similar answers:

“I’m a hard worker…

“I’m a fast learner…”

Boring.

Many professionals, entrepreneurs, and students are pushing the same old stuff. Where’s the differentiation? Put some salt and pepper on it. Season it up.

For example, one guy asked me, “What’s the hardest thing to make on your menu.”

“Well…there’s this souffle…”

He interrupted, “If I go back there and make it, will you hire me?”

“Yes.”

He did. I hired him.

Here’s another example:

When Vitamin Water first hit the market, they didn’t put it on the aisle with juice or soft drinks. It was on the aisle with water. It was the only colorful drink on the aisle. Brilliant. That’s differentiation.

Million-Dollar Question:
In today’s competitive market, what’s your point of differentiation?

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ACTION STEPS/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[ACTIVITY] Q & A: The Benefits Of Individuality

What are the benefits of being an individual, as opposed to someone who just wants to be like everyone else?  -Jennifer M., graduate student

NOTE: Be sure to check out the activity at the end of the article.

Asserting your individuality or promoting your personal brand will increase your sense of significance, as well as your perceived value in the marketplace, but asserting your individuality in the wrong way could be perceived as arrogance. Not good. There’s the short version of your answer. I could leave it at that but…that wouldn’t be much fun, would it?

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget® #211: The Deciding Factor

Exxon Mobile Corporation conducted a study that shows that price isn’t always the main deciding factor for choosing a gas station. It’s other things like cleanliness, brightness, and safety.

That’s interesting because it shows that…

When someone makes a decision about you and what you have to offer, many times the deciding factor isn’t what you think it is.

I’ve seen plenty of people get tripped up over this. If you are a parent, educator, or mentor whether or not someone heeds your advice is seldom based on common sense. The deciding factors are things like trust, respect, and authenticity.

When you’re in an interview, seldom are your GPA and technical knowledge the deciding factors. It’s often a matter of soft skills like leadership, communication, teamwork, and decision making.

Million-Dollar Question:
When making a choice about you
and what you have to offer,
what will be the deciding factor?

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ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[ACTIVITY] Introduce Yourself The Easy Way: Your Personal Brand Statement

“So, tell me a little bit about yourself. What do you do?”

Have you ever had to respond to a statement or question like that? I’ve asked thousands of young people that question and the typical response I get starts off like this:

“Uhhhh…well…I uhhh…”

Not cool.

In interviews and networking situations, you will be expected to respond to questions about who you are and what you do. A personal brand statement—a brief summary about you—is a professional way to introduce yourself. If you create one and practice it, you can avoid being caught off guard.

Here are three simple steps for creating your personal brand statement:

How To Tell Your Story In Professional Settings

Over the last ten years or so, personal branding has become one of the “new”, hot and sexy topics in the world of personal development. (It’s one of my most requested topics.)

As people scurry all over the place looking for a competitive advantage in a crowded market place, personal branding experts and advice have been popping up everywhere.

Deliver value. Promote your uniqueness. Be consistent and authentic. Get yourname.com. Get a blog. Develop an online presence and please don’t post anything stupid online. Do those things and you’ll be able to develop a strong personal brand.

Is that really all there is to it? Eh..not quite. There’s something missing.