Personal Branding - How To Put Others To Work For You

I spent most of this weekend at an industry association golf tournament for construction business owners and people that sell to the industry. It was an excellent time, and I was fortunate to have been invited by my cousin, who works in that industry. I was fortunate, however, because of my cousin's thoughtfulness, which was absolutely no accident. Herein lies the point.

Because I have taken the time to inform my cousin of not only what I do, but how I generate business, as well as the fact that I really enjoy golfing, when he was faced with the circumstance of needing to fill an open position in the tournament, he thought of me. He knew that I would appreciate the opportunity to go to this event and spend some time meeting new people, networking, and prospecting. He knew this because I had planted the idea in his mind. He simply accessed it when the opportunity arose. This is what personal branding is all about.

When you have the opportunity to tell others what you do, and for whom you do it, you're creating awareness among your community of influence. Then, once awareness has been created by initially telling others, keep in contact with them on a regular basis. Be sure to take an interest in what they're doing, but be sure also to let them know what you've been up to, with regard to your business and your market. You need to remind people, because it is not nearly as important to them as it is to you.

So, take a little time to specifically identify your target market, or those with whom you'd most like to do business. Then, be sure to tell others about it, planting seeds for referrals or opportunities to network at events that they invite you to.

This event was a huge success for me. I gathered a lot of business cards, told many people about what it is that I do, gave out a lot of business cards, and had an enjoyable time golfing with people that I'd otherwise have never known. All because I told my cousin what I do, how I do it, and what kind of people I'd like to meet.

Go on now, and share the good news.

Happy Selling.