Have you ever had all friends recommending you the same book?
–“Oh, you should read this book. It’s about building a cathedral”. -my brother told me.
A few days later while having coffee with a friend, she said: “I was reading this book and you kept coming to mind. You need to read it!”.
They were referring to Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth.
Yeah, I love books.
I belong to a couple of book clubs, and I’m starting my own focused on biz topics, too.
But reading this book?
It felt like work to me.
I remember thinking: “Sorry folks, there is a reason why I left my career as an Architect. And it’s this: Buildings are boring to me”.
However… this got me thinking.
And made me realize I had a serious problem with my personal brand.
What do you want to be known for?
Being intentional about how want to be perceived is key.
You want people to think of you when they -or someone they know- need your services. Not to be remembered as someone who does what you stopped doing years ago!
Having all of my friends think of me as an Architect wasn’t a complete disaster.
But if potential clients were thinking the same … my business could be in serious trouble.
So, what’s the solution?
Charo’s Ideas in Action
You want to be known for the type of work you do now -not what you used to be doing 20 years ago.
In order to be seen as the expert in your area of expertise you need to:
- Be crystal clear about what you do,
- Create a brand that communicates exactly that and
- Share it everywhere.
So, how do you find what you want to be known for?
The answer lays in the intersection of these questions:
- What are you good at?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What problems can you solve for others?
- How is your solution unique and different?
Then craft a message that communicates exactly that. Don’t overcomplicate things. Be clear and simple.
Then go out there and spread the word about your work. Make sure you let everybody – including your friends and family- know about what you do.
Now I’m known as the Sci-fi geek among my friends… and let me tell you, I get book recommendations I truly enjoy!
What about you? Is some past role still defining how people perceive you?
Please let me know in the comments below.