Leveraging your Signature Talents
Identifying your signature talents is crucial for two reasons. First, these talents help define who you are professionally, boost your credibility, confidence, and uniqueness. They are the value you provide to your company or client. Second, if you identify your signature talents you can leverage them when you want to transition into a new role, company or industry.
Signature talents are more than specialized skills. They are advanced skills that, when combined with your experiences, knowledge and talents, are as unique and distinctive as your own signature.
For example, after spending a few years out in the field, many sales people develop their own unique style of selling. It’s a style that is difficult to teach to others. They may use common selling strategies and tactics, but combined with their personality, experiences, and knowledge they have created their own unique signature talent of selling.
Another example is that when I graduated college, I love writing and knew I either wanted to be a television news writer or write radio and TV commercials. After several years in radio, television, and advertising, I honed my writing skills and developed my own writing style. Writing is one of my signature talents. My employers can always hire someone else, but that person wouldn’t have my same signature style.
So, what are your signature talents? In which skills or areas of expertise do you stand out from your colleagues or peers?
What does your personal style say about your personal brand?
Your Personal Brand includes your personal style and the way you present yourself to others. It includes the way you speak, your dialect and your language. It’s the way you dress, your jewelry, hairstyle and shoes.
I learned a lesson about personal branding early in my career when I had just graduated college and interviewed for a copywriter position at a large Phoenix advertising agency. From 100 applicants I made it down to the final two. The other finalist had four years of ad agency experience as a copywriter. My only experience was a six-month college internship at Ping Golf Clubs. But, I had a portfolio of creative ideas, a confident attitude and new black suit that screamed, “I’m a professional with style!”
Although I wasn’t surprised they chose to hire the other candidate, I was surprised to learn the reason. The partner who interviewed me said it was a close call between the other candidate and me, but he shared with me how unimpressed he was by my rather “cheap” portfolio case. Even though it was filled with fresh and creative ideas, my new, plastic, $14.99 portfolio case broadcasted to the world that I placed little value on my work.
That was a big lesson I learned and one that I’ve never forgotten. The way you present yourself and act around others shapes your personal brand and the way others perceive you.
I invite you to share your own experiences where someone’s personal brand influenced your (good or bad).
Benefits of a Powerful Personal Brand
Building a powerful personal brand takes time, discipline and commitment. But the benefits are enormous and they include:
- Being in high demand with your clients, senior managers and potential employers.
- More opportunities and more control over your career.
- Achieving a career rich in purpose, meaning and immense personal satisfaction.
Personal brands are as unique as individuals themselves. The key to having a career that provides you with meaning and purpose starts with understanding your own unique personal brand and what it is communicating to others.
Share examples of how you have built your personal brand by leaving a comment below.
Everyone Has a Personal Brand
Everyone has a personal brand. Everyone. And the power, or strength of one’s personal brand is determined by their consumers, fans, clients or employer. LeBron James doesn’t determine the strength of his own brand – his fans and customers do. Oprah doesn’t determine the strength of her personal brand – her viewers, listeners and magazine subscribers do.
Now, think about yourself and your own career. Do you know what value you provide to your clients or company? Do you know how to deliver that value in such a way that it creates an emotional connection with your employer or clients and they feel loyal to you? Do you now the strength of your personal brand? By doing some introspection and self discovery you will be able to answer these questions as well as create a career that give you meaning and personal satisfaction.
The Value of a Brand
The art of branding is so critical to success that companies spend millions, even billions of dollars on it. The reason for doing this is simple: branding drives sales. Having a powerful and unique image can translate into billions of sales dollars. So much money is spent on developing a strong and sustainable brand, there is a formula for determining the value of a brand. Every year, Business Week publishes its Top 100 Global Brands showing estimated values in terms of dollars. The list below shows the top 10 brands for 2009.
| 2009 Rank | Company | Brand Value in $ (Millions) |
| 1 | Coca-Cola | 68,734 |
| 2 | IBM | 60,211 |
| 3 | Microsoft | 56,647 |
| 4 | GE | 47,777 |
| 5 | Nokia | 34,864 |
| 6 | McDonald’s | 32,275 |
| 7 | 31,980 | |
| 8 | Toyota | 31,330 |
| 9 | Intel | 30,636 |
| 10 | Disney | 28,447 |
Now, let me ask you, if you can form an emotional connection to a car or a soft drink, then do you think you can form an emotional connection to a person? Of course you can!
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