By Liz Pabon www.lizpabon.com

recently, while thumbing through my old yearbooks it occurred to me that even as far back as high school, we were being branded.

Class clown, most likely to succeed, class cutey, were all brands we bestowed on those select few that made a favorable impression on us. While others, like Billy Schneider* who was named most likely to repeat senior year, was branded as someone I know he did not want to be known as.

We all posses a Personal Brand whether we realize it or not. In life, like in high school, if you don't brand yourself someone else will.

We know all too well how essential branding is to the success of any business but how often do we consider the role that branding plays when we market ourselves?

Billy Schneider was given a brand that was not of his choosing. Had he understood the principles of personal branding, he may have had a different experience.

It is our beliefs, values and our self-image that drive our personal brand. Failure to identify and cultivate these drivers affects our ability to attract interest, differentiate ourselves from our competition and promote and market ourselves effectively.

To experience the greatest success and impact in your relationships, consider these personal brand success principles...and stick to them:

1. Identify Your Unique Values:

Like any good marketing plan, you want to begin with what makes your product unique. In this case, the product is you. Remember that you are an original - there is no one else quite like you. What do you stand for? What are your beliefs? What do you value most? This can come from your heritage, history, etc. Jot down several key words or phrases that best describes your unique values.

2. List Your Key Attributes:

Identify your key strengths/talents in a few key words or phrases. This can be what others have told you are fantastic about you. Even more effective are those “secret strengths” you believe you have but are (for whatever reason) afraid to tell others just how fabulous you are. No one is reviewing this list but you so let your best flow…

3. Develop Your Personal Brand Statement:

Compare your unique values and key attributes and from those key words and phrases begin to develop your personal brand statement in 1-2 sentences. This statement represents your personal brands unique promise of value and is distinctive to you and only you.

What I mean is this…

Your brand statement is more than just your moral code, it is more than the code “tu madre” ingrained in you. Your brand statement represents what you truly wish to contribute to the world.

4. Integrate Your Brand Statement into Everything You Do:

Since your brand statement is the essence of you, incorporate it into all of your printed collateral. Make it a part of your introduction at networking and other functions. Communicate your brand statement in the way you conduct business and in your personal image.

I’ll be honest…

Once you craft your brand statement you’ll find it quite personal and intimate. And because of that, you may find it a challenge to express this fully in your business. I challenge you to step into the light and let the world “see” what’s in your heart. Businesses grow because of the business owners passion. Share yours with others and watch your business take off!

5. Watch Your Appearance:

If the visual image you project is not a direct reflection of your personal brand statement, you are doing yourself and others a disservice. Consider your personal image as the packaging of your personal brand. Remember, YOU are now the product and your packaging will either attract or detract from your product.

And while I’m at it, let go of preconceived “shoulds.” If you prefer a more informal mode of personal dress, it’s perfectly okay to also “dress” your business informally. Please don’t misunderstand me. Informal is not the same as sloppy. What is essential is to keep your message and packaging authentic to you.

6. Check Your Brand Behavior:

Packaging your brand includes not only your appearance but your conduct. Do you return phone calls and emails promptly? Do you deliver on your promises? Although it may seem obvious, being forgetful, stretching yourself so thin that you don't deliver on what you promise can negatively affect the integrity of your personal brand.

Too many women, particularly those of us brought up to believe our needs come last, suffer needlessly because they stretch themselves too thin. While your intentions may be good, know that setting proper boundaries are as integral to your brands success as any business plan.

7. Communicate Your Brand:

Studies show that our appearance represents 55% of influencing power when meeting someone for the first time, while 38% comes from tone of voice/behavior. The words we speak reflect the balance of 7%.

Although 7% may not seem high, it still has influencing power when meeting people for the first time. That’s why speaking in a manner that reflects the core of your personal brand is key. If your brand statement depicts energy and creativity, for example, then your speaking style should reflect those key elements as well.

8. Let Your Brand Take Center Stage:

One of the most effective ways to promote your brand is to speak in public. When asked, public speaking is one of the things most people are terrified of doing, followed by dying. Shake off the fear and communicate the brilliance of your personal brand by looking for opportunities to tell others what you can offer. The more people you can touch with your brand, the more valuable your brand becomes.

9. Evaluate Your Brand Regularly:

Make an appointment with yourself twice a year to re-evaluate your personal brand statement. If your unique values and key attributes have undergone changes (we are continually growing and evolving and there are times when that growth is so great it alters your brand) compare those changes with your personal brand statement and adjust as needed. By evaluating your personal brand on a regular basis, you are also confirming that you're on-track and staying true to your unique and authentic self.

10. Delight in Your Brand:

Many people will make the excuse that they don't have enough money, or time, to invest in themselves (or their brands). Here's a brand truth, no brand is successful without making an investment.

Stay interested in the success of your brand by paying attention to how your brand is being received and look for opportunities to tell others about your brand. The more comfortable you become with your brand the greater your chances are of attracting brand interest.

Be patient, Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will your brand. Building brand equity takes time so take the process a day at a time and enjoy the journey!

*Names have been changed to protect the wrongly branded.

©2008, Liz Pabon. All rights reserved.

Liz Pabon lives in Northern California with her hunky firefighter husband and four fury kids. Inspiring women to discover their best is her passion and purpose. To learn more about Liz and to receive her insights on success, visit her website and subscribe for her FREE weekly ezine, How She Does It. The rules of businesses have changed…have you?  www.LizPabon.com