New Year, New You? UAB Dean Says Being Genuine Should Be at Heart of Personal Brand

Personal branding affects more than employment — it affects our educational, financial and social prospects as well. The start of the new year is a great opportunity to begin cultivating a personal brand because a strong, healthy personal brand improves how we view ourselves and how others perceive us. These perceptions can become our reality and shape our lived experiences.

The core of a strong personal brand

At its core, a strong personal brand requires demonstrated competence and character, says John Hansen, Ph.D., associate dean for Research, Academic and Faculty Affairs at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Collat School of Business.

“There is no substitute for integrity,” said Hansen, professor in the Department of Marketing, Industrial Distribution and Economics. “If others question whether you will act with integrity consistently, they will distance themselves from you, as they should.”

People want to interact with people they believe to be genuine. Coming across as insincere will prove to be a major hindrance when it comes to building relationships, which is “one of the most important things we do,” according to Hansen, who coaches business students on personal branding.

Being disingenuous, meaning lacking sincerity, is a common branding mistake.

“Most people are capable of distinguishing those who have true substance from those who have no basis for their claims,” Hansen said. “If people see someone as insincere, they will be less apt to trust them and less willing to enter relationships with them.”

Another common mistake is attempting to market oneself without providing documented results to support promotional attempts.

“Without documentation, marketing claims seem hollow words,” Hansen said. “Others will question the validity of your claims if you do not have results to back them up.”

Building a strong personal brand

Hansen offers the following tips as building blocks for an improved personal brand:

• Consistency: The key to a strong personal brand is consistency — consistency among words, actions and values. If people see one as unpredictable as it relates to the foundational elements of the personal brand, they will question one’s authenticity and the values one claims to represent.
• Competent communication: Communication is important because questioning and listening play a critical role in understanding what is important to others. The best communicators can build strong personal relationships because they focus on the things most important to others. Whether one is looking to make a business connection or develop a friendship outside of work, communication is critical.
• Identifying one’s unique value proposition: This means identifying what makes one unique. This can be done by utilizing networks and mentors to seek feedback on the value one brings to the organization/relationship.
• Self-reflection: Starting a new year is a great time to assess how personal perceptions align with those held by others and addressing any disconnect between the two to magnify personal brand.
• Storytelling: After identifying the unique value one brings to the table through feedback and self-reflection, it is critical to be able to tell a story of “why you?” To be more confident in telling one’s story, write it out to organize thoughts and flesh out details.

Finally, to strengthen one’s personal brand, it is important to be perceived as a thought leader in one’s field. This can be done by becoming an expert on a topic by engaging in self-learning to maintain status as a thought leader, not solely relying on others for knowledge.

Once the expertise is built, “identify the channels to communicate information on the topic(s),” Hansen said. “For example, many thought leaders now reach large audiences through podcasts, blogs, videos, etc.”