Who has confidence in himself will gain the confidence of others.
~ Leib Lazarow
At the start of a typical day, a housewife contemplates Maggi and Heinz at the neighbourhood supermarket while another picks up a Dove ignoring the Heads and Shoulders beside it.
Students after school adjourn to the MacDonald's for lunch by-passing the Long John Silver on their way in deep discussion on which new phone to get, the iPhone by Apple or the Samsung Galaxy.
Yuppies after dinner, congregate at a pub pondering over a Budweiser, Heineken or Tiger flashing their Mont Blanc or Braun Buffel listening to the live band onstage who swears by the Gibson.
Yes, we all have our favourite brands when it comes to our spending habits. These preferred brands stay in a special place in our brains speeding up the process of decision making. Brands influence us by causing us to have a preconceived notion of familiarity of the item, and thereby a sense of trust and loyalty is built to the brand.
But despite all the exposure, how many of us bother about branding ourselves?
Personal branding can help in various settings, such as relationship building and career advancement. Some desirable traits include being sincere and genuine, hardworking, well-groomed and kind. These are formed by an individual's self-worth and self-confidence together with their values, perception and attitude.
Here are 5 tips you can use to start positively branding yourself to allow better opportunities to come your way.
1) Be Aware
Increase your self-awareness. Be aware of your strengths and areas of personal growth while being mindful of your weaknesses. Work on both.
2) Be Prepared
When you have a task to complete, rehearse what you need to do. This prepares you for all the different possibilities that may crop up so that you are ready to handle it with more confidence.
3) Be Optimistic
Don't let tough breaks drag you down. Visualize a positive result and focus on it.
4) Be Confident
Body language can leave a strong impression. Believe in yourself and channel that confidence into the way you walk, talk, stand and smile.
5) Keep Practising
Constant practice of tips 1 to 4 will help you improve the impression others will get from you and thereby open more doors to where you want to go.
To your branding,
~K
