Salamon Rules of Personal Branding: Rule # 2 — Create The Product

Personal Branding seems to have a lot of opponents, that is, people who don’t get the concept in its entirety.  Many folks I’ve spoken with think Personal Branding is all about self-promotion.  It isn’t.  Personal Branding is about branding yourself like a good company or product would be marketed.  Make the product good as hell.  Have something to offer the consumer and always improve it.  When Personal Branding is explained like that, I usually get nods in agreement.  

How do you create the product?  How do you self-develop and market what you can you contribute? Everyone has a unique set of talents.  Yes–I know, you’ve already heard that one.  People talk about talents, but what do they really mean?  

When I talk about your unique talents, I am talking about those which are created when your habits, natural abilities, and experience converge into focus.  My younger brother, Jacob Salamon, is a very talented designer.  His main habit is that he’s anal retentive.  When we lived together he despised the fact that I didn’t squeeze the toothpaste to the top of the bottle.  If I took the hand towel off the rack and didn’t put it back….well, you get the picture.  Jacob has a natural ability of having everything in his life fit his picture of design.  He knows how he wants his world to look which is why he is a designer.  What makes him talented is the fact that he uses his design skills every single day.  He has created countless logos, brochures, and websites, including my own. 

You can only market your talents once you have a product or something to contribute.  Sam Decker, a fantastic marketer, and CMO of Bazaarvoice, is a perfect example.  He markets himself as “The World’s Cheapest Marketer”.  One of his main talents is resourcefulness.  He can make people talk without having to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars.  The point is that he first has to prove himself as a successful marketer, before he can claim to be a successful “cheap marketer”. 

As an exercise for yourself, try figure out your talents.  What are your habits & natural abilities?  How have you used them to be successful now and in the past?  Now how can you market them under one package? In short, focus on two things:  Self-Development and Mass Communication.

Quick Tip: Send Me A Reminder

When someone requests a favor from you, ask them to send you a  reminder via email.  It’s small but powerful.  You will be less likely to forget their request and you will also be able to respond to them when you’ve completed their favor.   Having it in writing makes the favor seems larger than if it had been strictly verbal.   You also always get a Thank-You. 

Salamon Rules of Personal Branding: Rule # 1 — Mass Communicate

What do all great branders have in common?  From Michael Jordan to Martha Stewart, great branders are able to showcase their talents to mass amounts of people at a time.  Building your name brand one person at a time is possible, but it takes much longer than doing it through television, print, or the internet. 

What ways can you leverage your name today?

Don’t Worry About Selling

I’ve been on vacation in New York City the last few days.  It’s great to get away from the hustle of everyday life to help remember why I am going after the things I am.  Vacation helps me rekindle my passions, find what I would truly do if I was retired, and helps me recharge.   I love going into a new city without work or bills on my mind.  I focus on myself, the people around me, and the make-up of a city.  I love New York for the food, the culture, and the industry.  It is definitely something to admire. 

While walking down 5^th Avenue this weekend, I was approached by young man around the age of 25.   He was a rapper and wanted me to buy his CD for $20.  Something about this kid really hit me.  I mean, was I really going to spend $20 on a CD that I’ve never heard, from an unknown rapper in the middle of NYC?  He could have been the next Jay-Z, but was I really going to give him that chance?  Who would, really? 

That’s when it really struck me.  This poor kid was trying to make it BIG.  He figured, he’d sell his CDs that he worked so hard on creating for $20 a pop and then one day, he’d get a break.  An executive at a big-time record label would give him the call telling him he was the best rapper since Dre, and he had a clear ticket to stardom and millions of dollars.   Poor, poor, kid. 

Instead of selling one-offs for measly amounts of money, would it not be better to give away hundreds of these CD’s?  What would give him more exposure, selling 5 CD’s a day and maybe having 2 of them listened to, or giving his CD away to 100 people a day and having 20 people listen to it?  Without a name or proof that his CD is worth purchasing, why should people give him that chance either?  I didn’t. 

Lesson:  Creating Your Name Brand happens when people know you.  When you provide value to other people, they will come back to you, spread your name, and become evangelists.   That’s when you’ll have your shot.  

Connect With Me on LinkedIn

Recognition is one of the hardest but most important pieces of the puzzle when looking to create your own name brand, .  Andy Sernovitz, ex-CEO of the Word Of Mouth Marketing Association and author of his new book Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, blogged about an open invitation for people to connect with him on social networks LinkedIn and Facebook. 

This got me thinking.  Many people have a LinkedIn and Facebook philosophy that they should know a person before accepting them as a contact.  While I do understand their motives, I couldn’t help but question that idea, as I think it is dead wrong.  Those people will argue that they want their network to be filled with quality connections who know them and can recommend them.  But doesn’t that totally rule out the idea that by adding someone as a contact, you can make an active attempt at getting to know that person better?  In the long run, wouldn’t you have more quality connections if you actively “got to know people” rather than shun someone away because you’d never met them? 

 Connect with me.  If we are not connected on LinkedIn, add me as a connection.  Make sure to get your name out there, and most importantly, let’s get to know each other.