POSITIONING

Positioning in life can either make or mar a person. Relationships can be made and lost; opportunities can be grabbed or taken away. People have gotten hired and closed life-changing business deals just because they positioned themselves right, and this is done with the highest level of intentionality.

One of the major ways to position oneself right is through personal branding. A brand is the sum of all the perceptions and emotions about a product or service that live inside a customer’s life. In other words, a brand is a promise of value.

In life, people seek those who can add value to them personally, to their business, organization, or in any given setting. A person of value is always distinct. One major thing they exhibit is trust. In business, people buy from whom they trust. A trustworthy person is one who is competent, has the ability to deliver on the job, secondly, such a person is benevolent; this speaks about a person’s behavior, intent, kindness, and ability to be nice. Lastly, reliability; such a person is dependable beyond reasonable doubt. Trust is one of the fundamental instruments that boost personal branding.

Personal branding is the perception and emotions maintained by someone else. When a person’s brand is solid, such an individual is able to steer and direct those perceptions and emotions so that they align with one’s vision for one’s brand and goals for one’s career. With a solid personal brand, a person thinks of himself or herself as someone people can pay for.

How does a personal brand look? A personal brand: • Creates differentiation. • Helps those buying what an individual is selling to choose such a person. • Increases visibility. • Shortens the sales cycle. • Speeds up the process for people to know, like, and trust an individual. • Improves confidence. • Has the influence of social media, which has been a driver behind the recent growth of personal branding.

Many people take personal branding for granted. People always want to go with the flow, which can be very detrimental to one’s personal growth, especially when it comes to a career.

People have lost job opportunities because they positioned themselves wrongly. They feel if they just do the basics, they are good to go. No form of personal development whatsoever, and then they wonder why they haven’t been hired. Major reasons why many job seekers are still seeking for jobs are because most people do not know their career path, lack experience is another factor, poorly written CVs (people often take this for granted and are usually disqualified by the 6-second rule), not writing cover letters when applying for jobs, unrealistic salary expectations, unstable job history, not targeting applications to the role one applied for, a bad first impression, poor communication skills, and so on.

When we take personal growth and development seriously, we feel confident to step out into the world. We are sure of our onus and be able to defend it.

Position yourself rightly, and doors will open for you.

#MMBA5