In a world, where you can choose to do business and work with ANYONE, why should they pick you? EVERY salesperson and every job hunter must formulate a dynamic value proposition that answers this very question. If your answer is anywhere close to “because you’re passionate, hardworking and because of X experience”…then your voicemails and applications are most likely being discarded with the rest of the status quo. How can we distinguish ourselves from every other person out there? 
This week we had the pleasure of having Chris Brogan on The WORD so I’ve got Batman… I mean branding on the mind. Chris has quite a success story, an everyman’s success story, at least every passionate, hardworking, and “people person”‘s story. Chris was a pioneer for #PersonalBranding in 1998, back when blogging was known as “journaling.” It took him 8 years to get his first 100 readers, but they were authentic followers because he consistently wrote, through the silence, with his effortless charm. Look at him now: a top branding and marketing expert, sought-after professional speaker and consultant. This level of success clearly did not happen overnight but my goal today is to give you a jumpstart.
“I’ll never need a another job again in my life. I’ll never find myself changing my profile status to ‘really hoping to work with some motivated people.’ That’s because I spend all my time loving on other people; I’m pretty sure I’ll get that back when I need it.” – Chris Brogan
Sounds like Chris is actually living the dream, doesn’t it? Maybe you don’t want to take your branding to that level but letting the world know more about who you are on the life end of the balance, may in turn make them more inclined to want to work with you. Salespeople: The time is now. Start building your online brand now because telling an authentic story about your world takes time. Plus, let’s face it; people instinctually want what they can’t have. Here’s another gem from The WORD:
“What’s the sexiest thing you can wear to the bar when you’re trying to meet girls? A Ring! The least available person, the one who’s already got what they’re looking for, is who we want to talk to!”
Take advantage of that! Job Hunters: The good news is that you have the time; treat your job hunt like a serious 9-5. The better news is that it doesn’t have to be 9-5. Of course, make your calls during business hours but it’s so beneficial if you take the time to take care of yourself too. For once, you’re not chained to “the man”. Make time to workout, cook, GO OUTSIDE, nurture your relationships…especially with yourself. Figure out who you want to attract and then do what you do best: sell and market… yourself! 
Kevin Daum wrote a spot-on article for Inc. that details how to figure out what your brand should look like. My intention is to target how to quickly build a personal brand. Bear in mind, an effective brand is an authentic brand so you will need to continue to be visible and engage your audience – potential clients, hiring managers, like-minded people you can learn from. Here are 3 critical but easy steps to the beginning of your beautiful brand: Create a Personal Website www.WhyShouldIHire[YOU].com or www.[YourName].com. Tell a story about who you are, paint a picture and DON’T just rent your branding real estate, OWN it! About.me is not a personal website. You need to own your content. Here are some examples of the best of the best in 2015 but to start, you may want to keep it simple. Feature a 1-2 minute video message, describing what it is that you do best. Include a button to link to the #1 place to find you on social and a brief description of what people need to know about the real you. Most importantly, include a next actionable step…but you already knew that, didn’t you, sales badass? Be a Community Leader Find out where your influencers and market are talking and show up. Listen and ENGAGE. Blow up comment sections, be active on quora and other community forums, banter back and forth on twitter etc. There are so many intelligent and beneficial conversations going on every day; chime in! Chris Brogan got the chance book deal that led him to a New York Times Bestseller by getting noticed and liked by his influencers online first. Network Your Little Heart Out The more active you are in your online communities, the more allies and friends you’ll make. If you see the opportunity for a collaboration, introduce others. Give to get. That is the magic bullet to social; the more you give, the more you get. Find people who love to sell, talk to them, learn from them and you’ll be each other’s wellsprings of information and passion for sales. Your online networking experience doesn’t have to be as flat as posting, following and favoriting. Live video streams like Google Hangouts and Meerkat are a more stimulating option. And never underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned face-to-face. A $ales Guy was originally introduced to Chris through Anthony Iannarino, but we were able to really hit it off and solidify his guest appearance on The WORD at a Social Media Meetup in Denver. I said it before and I’ll say it again. These 3 steps are intended to be a mere jump start to building your personal brand. Chris kept writing for 8 years and his fanbase was very slow to follow. Be consistent and be vocal and you too will have a vast professional and by osmosis, personal network. 
Check out the Full Episode: Personal Branding in Sales, Brand Yourself, Fool!, Feat. Chris Brogan. Also find a full archive of past shows and a schedule of upcoming guests!