Fresh Business Trends to Stay Ahead of the Curve

There’s a lot of competition out there, more than ever before. Fresh graduates, businesses moving into the area, and old pros re-entering the workforce can all strain your bottom line. How do you keep yourself and your business updated and current in the struggle to stand out? Here are three ways to stay ahead of the pack.

1) De-mystify your personal brand.

The definition of personal brand is what you are known for, what people think of you and say about you to others. It’s your expertise and how you go about transacting your business. Your brand is also how you communicate in the world visually, verbally and nonverbally.

Everyone has a brand. You can’t not have a brand. The question is, have you defined your brand intentionally and worked on it consistently? Or have you neglected your brand and let your brand define you by your weaknesses – and possibly sabotage your success?

2) Align your brand with your full potential.

In order to communicate to the world how you wish to be known, you must first define your brand with direction. Where is your career headed, where would you like to go? How do you want people to know, describe, and reference you? Once you articulate the answers to these questions, you can set about aligning all of your communication with those values. Everything that represents you, your LinkedIn profile, your business card, your appearance, voice and body language need to be in alignment in order to communicate quality, consistently.

3) Update and upgrade the elements of your professional image.

One of my tag lines is, “Your look is your logo: Be your brand.” Businesses have a logo, ­ the image we see, which is easily recognizable and refers to everything the business stands for: their area of expertise and how they are known.

You also have a logo. ­ Your image is what we see; your visual appearance plus how you sound when you speak and how your body moves, gestures, facial expressions, posture, and other subtle body language.

If your image ­ visually, verbally and nonverbally ­ is neglected or outdated, your brand may be suffering. If you would like to be known as up-to-date, cutting edge, ahead of the curve, or even just current, all the elements of your brand need to be updated. That means your appearance head to toe, your verbal communication skills and all nonverbal communication need to be intentional and updated as well.

Take an honest look in the mirror, record yourself on video and listen to yourself and watch yourself presenting. What does your image say about you? What would you like it to say? Make a list. Then roll up your sleeves and get to work.

I’m Marian Rothschild, AICI FLC, Certified Personal Image Consultant. I help savvy professionals upgrade their personal brand for increased influence and polished presence. I consult and coach the A, B, C’s of image: appearance, body language, and communication. Take a look at my service packages, then call me for a free 30 minute phone consultation: 720-933-9247.