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personal branding

How to look, sound and behave yourself to success 

You may not be branding yourself, but I guarantee others are branding you. We all have qualities that shape and influence how the people in our lives see us and how we see ourselves. This course looks at the key components that we all have in our brand makeup, and how to create an identity to look, act and dazzle in the workplace.

In this course we will examine:

• What components make up a brand, why do certain brands cost more than others, and what attributes does a successful brand have?
• If you were a brand what brand would you be and why? exploring what we like, dislike and the science behind brand development
• personal branding, what do you think others think of you? and how would you like to be perceived?
• Image management, and the gender divide
• A step-by-step guide for conducting self analysis, creating a unique identity, defining your objectives, discovering your passions, creating a plan, putting that plan into action, and monitoring your progress
• Body language and the rules of engagement, getting the most out of networking

This course is suited for mid to senior level managers, or those identified as accelerated learners

personal branding practitioners fall between two camps, those who think how you look is everything, and the others who believe that this is a component of a much larger picture of communication. We fall into the latter camp with our personal branding workshops steering firmly towards effectively selling yourself, so don't expect any fashion tips. The core course was developed for Cass Business School MBA students who needed a course to maximise their potential at interviews and networking meetings with future employers / clients and has since been rolled out to many delegates on accelerated programs. It's a medley of the best of modern day branding thinkers like Mary Splillane, Jerry Wilson, Tom Peters coupled with over 20 years of hard, corporate pitching at many levels.

The course is designed to be run over one day, with a small number of delegates, although some clients opt to have 1-1 coaching after the course to help re-evaluate any change in behaviour needed. The course is basically geared around the core principles of discovery, brand, approach and management and the vehicle for doing so is creating the brand 'you'. Such an approach allows delegates to start an open and honest critique of themselves to understand their strengths, skills values and passions using a variety of techniques like social media, search engines and asking colleagues, family and friends.

We start by looking at business leaders on video to initiate the discussion, with examples like Branson versus Sugar to start understanding that a successful brand can manifest itself in many guises. The object here is to reinforce that the characteristics of a brand shouldn't be left to chance, and indeed are very carefully constructed. The three laws of branding, authenticity, transparency and visibility ensure that brands remain consistent over time, so getting the foundation right is key.  Delegates then get to work on their own branding plan by exploring the 4 C's of marketing, content, community, communication and consistency,  which are normally defined over 1-5 years, aligning the delegate's brand with that of the company's.

The day is broken up with a number of business scenarios, from pitching to meeting the CEO in the lift, which we discuss, re-enact and video critique in order to look at  delivery, body language, language and vocality.

Aside from the self analysis and plan, one of the key aspects delegates enjoy from this course are the practical toolkits, so whatever the occasion, be it at a networking event, presentation, meeting or simply bumping into a client in a lift, they are equipped with an arsenal of tools and techniques to engage, invite and close conversations politely and professionally.

To find out more please contact us.