Personal Branding For Today's Young African

 

Personal branding is about managing the impression and perception that people have of you. As human beings we often base our decisions on visuals. The phrase ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ exists because that is how we are; we look and judge.

The first element of your personal brand is your image; how you dress and present yourself. The way that you consistently appear affects how people perceive you. This makes it imperative that we dress the way we want to be treated. The second element is your character. We refer to people based on what we see in them, whether it be positive or negative. You probably know people that are given labels such as ‘the late comer’ or ‘the rude lady’. People describe us using the behaviors that we display. To build a positive brand, you need to always aim to have positive encounters with people. Your speech is the final element. The manner of speaking that we employ daily reflects who we are and informs what people think of us. We describe people as proud, shy or arrogant due to how they speak about themselves and about others.

The most effective way to position yourself locally and globally is through online branding especially via social media. Given that there are 2.7 billion people on Facebook, 1 billion on Instagram and 740 million on LinkedIn, your reach can extend well beyond people within your country. The audience is available but what will get you noticed is being strategic, consistent with your content and excellent in your presentation. Social media features mainly text and pictures, the people we follow are either those that look amazing in their pictures or people that have a sound grasp on a topic. This understanding is the foundation of winning social media personalities. If you want to stand out, don’t undervalue the need for always posting clear, quality pictures of yourself. Couple that your positive appearance with communicating your unique value and you will gain both a following and opportunities in your field.

                                                          Social media is a key positioning tool

The internet has truly brought the world closer together. A great example of how social media can propel brands onto a global stage is in the case of Kenya’s Elsa Majimbo. Her hilarious videos landed her on CNN and other American platforms. She stood out because of her humor and very down to earth style. In the same manner, the success of your personal brand is hinged on your uniqueness. The foundation of your brand are the qualities, skills and experiences that set you apart. Take time to audit yourself, unearth your outstanding traits and work on your packaging; image, character and speech. Once you have your value and packaging sorted out, the world awaits.

Why wont they like my picture?

Have you ever posted what you thought was a great a picture of you only to have just 3 likes after 2 hours? Then not getting a lot of likes made you question the picture? 

Social media is a great tool for business, keeping in touch with friends and for getting news out there. It also presents quite a conundrum when it comes to issues of self image, self worth and esteem. As a Personal Branding Consultant one of the first points that I address with my clients is the need to have a healthy self image before working on their outfit or external image. 

I recently had a chat with Mental Health Expert and Independent Therapist Ms Shanel Nayang Monyere-Nikolic. A great point she made was "Remember not to let external validation go too far or else you give people around you permission to determine your worth and value. In such cases, find out the insecurities holding you back and work from the ground up to build your identity. Even when you practice such internal validation, beware not to give in to confirmation bias."

She went on further to say " What’s astounding is that when your wrong opinions are repeated a sufficient number of times, then your mind will reinforce a feedback loop. You’ll be more confident that what you believe is indeed true."

In closing our discussion, Shanel noted that "It's normal to seek some outside validation, but have confidence in yourself and accept your own identity. Have that balance of knowing yourself, but being open to others.

Coffee with Mr. Suave

This week I caught up with the ever stylish Thobo Kerekang; co founder of Keno Custom Suits. He also doubles as a corporate attorney with experience spanning just over 9 years. As a Personal Branding Consultant, I enjoy following stellar brands in Botswana. I love suits and so Thobo's clean and suave look is hard to miss. 

Keno Custom Suits has become quite the gold standard in the tailored suits space. 

I was curious to know how he built his brand and so I asked him a few questions. 

1. What 3 words would you use to describe your personal brand?

As a person who does not like being limited/ confined this is a challenge, but I would say “Classy, Elegant Visionary” 

2. What values guide you as an individual? 

I will not list them, but worth noting is that I am a driven individual. Experience has taught me to obtain inspiration in different circumstances, both good and bad. 

3. I have never seen a bad picture of you, is that by design or chance?

I do have some bad pictures. I just make myself appealing even when it’s a bad picture, lol. But I try to always make them look real good. It's not by chance. I am a slave to detail, if it wasn't for the good pictures chances are we would not be having this conversation. 

4. What do you want to be the first thought that comes to mind when someone hears the name Thobo Kerekang?

-  Ambition in human form. The man who does not believe in limits. 

5. You used to be known as a recording artist some years back. How did you manage to transition your brand from "the rapper" to the more corporate brand you have today?

To me it’s all about identifying your niche and then a game of consistency. There is always a market for whatever you are offering, you just need to be patient and smart enough to package your offering to the right people.

That's how my time with Thobo went. It's worth noting that the Keno brand just released "Elevate", their first perfume. It falls under the Keno Scents branch and is scheduled to hit markets this July. 

The audience is ready for you

The fear of public speaking is said to rank as high as the fear of death. We interact with people everyday yet when we are asked to speak in front of people we get nervous. Why is that? It's mostly because of the thought of all that undivided attention that will be on us. All those eyes judging how we are dressed, our every move and the audience listening to how we speak. Having been at it for a while, I found a couple of things that help:

1. Dress up

"If you look good, you feel good" is an eternal truth. One joke I read talked about a person hanging around in a mall because they felt not everyone had gotten a chance to see how they were so well dressed. When you wear an outfit that you know suits you well, your confidence gets a boost. In turn your posture displays boldness and it reflects in your voice as well. Make sure you pick an outfit that looks great but is also comfortable to walk around in.

2. Theme

Understand the theme of the event. Is it formal or social? Is there a recommended dress code? Any theme colours? Last thing you want is to arrive at a formal event in a t shirt or to a relaxed gig in a 3 piece suit. You will feel out of place and that will affect your focus along with the delivery of your presentation. 

3. Time

Try get to the event ahead of the starting time. This will allow you to see the stage you will be speaking from, test the microphone out if possible and get used to the room. Last thing you want to do is arrive late as that will unnerve you and build up anxiety ahead of your presentation. 

4. Body language

Our body language communicates more than our words do. Maintain a bold body posture, avoid fidgeting but don't keep your hands on your pocket. If your body sends out signals that indicate that you are unsure of yourself that will affect the level of attention your audience will give you. Boldness commands respect while being timid is met with boredom. Think of the talk as a conversation, use your hands as you normally would.

Whether you are an employee, a business owner or student, you will likely at some point be asked to make a presentation. Let that moment find you ready.

Hello! Can you hear me now?

Working from home has put an abrupt end to face to face meetings. Zoom & Skype calls are the order of the day. There is a level of etiquette that applies to these conference calls. Lack of adherence to some basics may result in you being deemed unprofessional and this will do some harm to your personal brand. Here are a few points to take note of during these calls:

1. Internet connection

The title of this piece is inspired by what often happens during a call when someone has a bad connection. Their audio is fuzzy, they get randomly cut from the call and then they come charging back while a colleague is still speaking. While people may sympathize with the technical challenges the person is facing, it is advisable to highlight any connection challenges at the start of the meeting. The participants of the call will likely be a bit more understanding & accommodating.

                                                                 

2. Appearance

First point is to dress appropriately, you may be dressed casual but make sure your clothes are smudge free, clean & ironed. Then ensure that your background is well kept and orderly. This includes your table as well, put away anything that does not need to feature in the video.

3. Sound quality 

Whatever room you are using, ensure there is no background noise such as a fan, TV or kids playing. Go a step further and have your cell phone on silent. This will allow the audience on the call to hear you clearly and give you their full attention. Last thing you need is a colleague throwing you off by saying “Sorry, there is some shuffling sound that comes in as you speak”. Once you have shared your comments, take care to mute your mic when it is not your turn. There are few things as embarrassing as being told “Tim, please mute your mic. Your typing is causing a disturbance. Thanks.”

Be intentional about how you are perceived, your behaviour feeds directly into your personal brand.

Try cleaning your mirror

What if I told you that there are two versions of you? There is the 'you' that the world sees and the 'you' that you see. This is because the way we view ourselves differs from the way other people see us. We either see ourselves based on our skills, strengths and talents or from a view point based on our doubts, weaknesses and fears.

You likely know someone that is talented in a certain area and everyone can see it except the person. They will usually undermine their work or point to someone better than them. Their view of themselves is negative and their speech tends to be in a debasing tone. Put in another way, they have a negative self-image.

                                            We don't always see ourselves as others see us.

What is a self-image? 

Self-image is essentially how you view and describe yourself. It is the foundation of your external image; your personal brand. You can't portray something to the outside world that you don't first see in yourself. Put inversely, our personal brands stem from what we think of ourselves. It is hard to dress in a way that doesn’t match your level of confidence and self-worth, the first step to building a personal brand is alignment to ‘the self’.

What goes into your self-image?

Our environment is a key factor that influences how we view ourselves. If you grew up in a place of poverty, it's easy to associate yourself as someone worth growing up in such an area. For you to be raised in a household that struggles and then grow up to live a well off life takes a positive self-image. The world is filled with examples of millionaires that grew up in tough times, with parents that barely had enough money to meet their needs. These are people that decided that they are capable of creating wealth; they saw themselves as having potential despite their environment. 

Another factor is what you are told by those around you growing up. This can be people your age or those older than you. People can say words that either build you up or make you insecure. What often happens is that over time we accept what is continuously said about us.

A third element is the way we talk to ourselves; it is a result of both the environment that we were raised in and the people around us. We either constantly beat ourselves up or encourage ourselves. A key point is appreciating the difference between failing to achieve something and being a failure, one is an act whereas the other is a trait. Therefore, we need to be aware of and manage what we way talk to ourselves about...ourselves. 

How do you fix your self-image? 

You start by recognizing what your current self-image is. A great way to do this is to sit down and write all the negative things you think of about yourself, along with all your doubts. Then dissect the root of each one of these, trace them back to where they started. These likely exist due to past failures, others people's experience or what you grew up being told by those around you.

Sieve out all that is baseless and you will start to see your reflection a bit clearer.

Which way is north?

Cars have GPS systems that essentially act as digital maps. If you don’t have a

map or a GPS system, you will have to rely on people’s directions to help you get to your destination. This is not the most reliable approach as a person can unknowingly lead you astray and so it’s vital that you have a map. Similarly with your personal brand, you need to be in charge of which route it takes. You do this in a number of ways.

DRESS SENSE

 You probably know someone that is a sharp dresser and is regarded by everyone as fashionable. That person has built an image which dictates how people describe them. In the same vein, it’s possible to build a negative image based on how you dress. You need to decide on a dress sense and be consistent about it. When I was a young professional and wanted to be taken more seriously at my workplace I started wearing suits daily. I met resistance at first but ultimately the approach earned me respect and changed people’s views of me. 

YOUR SPEECH 

Beyond how we look, people judge us based on how we speak. This is in the words we say and how we say them.  If you are a timid person, you don’t have to tell people as they will pick it up from how you talk about yourself. A person that believes in themselves will always talk positively about their abilities and potential. The way you talk about yourself is a reflection of your self-image. So as you form that brand ensure that you not only walk the walk but you talk the talk as well. 

SOCIAL MEDIA ETIQUTTE 

The internet is a great place for sharing information and following people that interest you. We get to put up our thoughts through statuses, tweets and pictures. It’s all fun and games until what you post has a ripple effect outside of social media. An example of this is earlier this year when Kevin Hart lost out on presenting the Academy Awards due to a 2011 tweet that was deemed discriminatory. Similarly you can damage your personal brand through the type of posts you share on social media. People look at what you post and form an opinion of you. It’s completely on you to control what the world thinks of you. Let your posts be guided by the personal brand you wish to build. 

BEHAVIOURS 

Every professional sportsman is endorsed by a well-known brand. On the basis of the level of recognition & popularity that the athlete has amassed, the companies are willing to attach their own names to the athlete’s. This on the premise of the value of their personal brand, which goes beyond being great at sports as it includes how they carry themselves in public. A few years ago Tiger Woods’ personal affairs received a lot of negative press and led to the loss of some endorsement deals. In your own life you may lose out on valuable relationships on the basis of your conduct. 

A personal brand is your GPS in life, it will make sure you form intentional, consistent and value adding habits. Make time to reflect and map one out.