Your Daily Interactions Make or Break Your Brand Yes, manners manner, especially as you establish yourself as a professional.
By Jim Joseph
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The following is the seventh article in the series, "Living Your Personal Brand," in which marketing master Jim Joseph discusses practical ways to build your brand daily and use it to advance your personal and professional lives.
How we interact with people on a day-to-day basis does in fact determine their perceptions of us, as well as their reactions. This is true on the personal side as well as professional.
Related: If You Want That Customer, Mind Your Manners
So whether you operate as a brand or just a regular "ole person, there are a few things you should be mindful of as you progress through any given day, every single day.
Be timely. There's nothing worse than someone who is always late, and trust me, once people figure you out, they start to work around you or worse yet work you out. Be on time for meetings and gatherings, and you'll find yourself not only a welcome attendee but a leader as well.
Stay crisp and clear. Some say "think before you speak." I agree, with one tweak: know what you are trying to accomplish before you speak (or post). Every statement you make should have a goal. Stay focused on that goal when you communicate and you will have a much greater chance of success, especially on social media.
Check your demeanor. Attitude carries a lot of weight, both positively and negatively. Make sure you keep a positive attitude in your interactions, especially those online, and you're more likely to get a positive response. While a short-term blast of snark might feel like some harmless fun in the moment, it's likely to damage your reputation as a positive force at work or with your friends. Personally, I'd check your snark at the door unless that's what you want your brand to be all about.
Related: Don't Be Remembered for Forgetting Your Manners
People are sensitive. We live in a multi-cultural, poly-ethnic world where we interact with people from various points of views, ethnicities, values and heritages. Not a single one of them is wrong. In fact, all of them are right. Watch what you say as much as how you say it to avoid offending others. It's not about being politically correct -- it's about being considerate and human. It'll make you a much more worldly person as a result.
Keep your promises. Or as others have said, "say what you do, do what you say." When you commit to doing something, do it well and on time. Consistency is key here, because there's nothing more unnerving than a person who doesn't deliver on what they've promised. When they miss the boat most of the time, it goes from being unnerving to annoying.
Now in my book (wink), this will help you further your personal brand. But regardless of how you think about it, it will make you a more likeable, dependable, trustworthy person -- attributes that will surely make you more successful both personally and professionally.
Isn't that the goal of any brand?
Bingo, made you look.
