10 Ways You Are Ruining Your Personal Brand Do you minimize the worth of your brand? If you're doing the following, you could be doing it.
By Jon Michail Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Increasing your personal brand's value in the eyes of your prospects, in-person or virtually, is the goal of brand building. Prospects will be more eager to pay more for your goods and services and more devoted to your brand, and the value of your rivals' brands will seem less valued in contrast to the more valuable your brand is regarded to be.
Unfortunately, many people (personal brands) systematically undervalue themselves without even being aware of it. And before they even understand what is happening, their brand has lost all value, and it will be tough to get it back.
Do you minimize the worth of your brand? If you're doing the following, you could be doing it.
Related: The 7 Secrets of Truly Successful Personal Brands
1. Having a poor presentation
Your audience's attention will be lost due to poor presentation flow. People will have difficulty understanding you, and rather than trying to figure out what you're saying, they will tune you out.
When a presentation has a natural flow, and the information is organized logically, it is simpler to express your argument. When your sales executives' presentation abilities are lacking, your sales proposals lose their effectiveness, and you fall short of your sales goals, affecting your revenues and brand development.
In addition, it affects repeat business, cash flows and lost opportunities when your personal brand fails to make an impressive presentation to customers and investors.
2. Poor grooming and hygiene
Qualifications, experience and skills all matter, but so is how your brand is presented. Who we are is revealed by how we look. Perceptions matter and personal brand grooming should project a professional image at work.
Therefore, we must pay close attention to how we look (visual image) and stand (body language). Style and discipline come together to make up grooming. Maintaining personal cleanliness is essential for a variety of reasons — personal, social, health, psychological or just as a matter of everyday living.
To make a good impression and get respect at work (and in life), one must maintain proper grooming and a professional look. First impressions count, and how businesses present themselves and behave impacts current and potential customers.
All brands value professional appearance and proper grooming. The absence of these may result in a negative perception and interfere with the company's reputation and brand.
Related: 5 Grooming Habits That'll Ensure You Don't Look Like a Slob at Work
3. Letting yourself get behind the times
Your competition will overtake you as soon as you stop moving forward and trying to better your goods and services. You cannot simply take it easy.
Prospects now have more options than ever, and your rivals constantly look for ways to outdo you and gain an advantage. To keep your brand valuable and relevant, you must continue innovating.
4. Being a sell-out
Ever had a favorite brand that abruptly altered its sound and shot to fame? We all detest it when it occurs, known as selling out.
Unfortunately, businesses also carry out this. They begin seeking financial gain, and to win over more clients, they alter their identities and compromise their values. You lose the trust of your devoted customers when you betray your brand interest to increase your income, which eventually destroys the value of your brand.
5. Offering too many deals
Most brands frequently lower their pricing with special discounts to attract more customers. With the advent of daily deal websites like Groupon and LivingSocial, you're starting to see this even more. When you run too many sales, buyers begin to think that your product is only worth the sale price, not the total price, since they see you selling it at such a low price.
People also do this. Never undersell your value; it will damage your reputation.
6. Social media conduct: inflammatory content
Social media networks, mainly those often targeted toward a kind of media that favors a broadcast approach, such as Twitter or Instagram, are one of the most open spaces where your behavior will be on show.
This shouldn't, at its most fundamental level, offend anyone. However, it is up to you and your organization to decide whether to individually reveal any sensitive information, such as your opinions on social or political topics.
Sharing material about divisive issues frequently runs the danger of alienating a portion of your audience. On the other hand, consumers like businesses that take a stand, which has sparked the growth of value-led branding tactics.
7. Inconsistency
Maintaining a consistent persona across your targeted social media outlets is crucial since muddled messages and a confused persona may be highly detrimental to your company.
In addition, a consistent identity across your online presence must also extend to how you act in person; otherwise, your performance at a networking event or business meeting may quickly undercut it. Tone, style, and substance are all governed by consistency.
8. Lack of professionalism
The perception of unprofessionalism might be highly detrimental to your brand.
Although various types of behavior might be considered unprofessional, general guidelines disallow excessive alcohol use, sexual or improper statements and insulting behavior.
In addition, remember that rumors can spread quickly, so inappropriate conduct in a low-stakes setting could be reported promptly to more significant individuals.
Related: How to Tell If Someone Is Manipulating You Based on Their Body Language
9. Wardrobe – your visual power
What you see is what you get when it comes to branding. That is, at least, how prospective consumers will feel. It's up to the brand to gain that type of trust. They won't have any reason to give a visually unappealing brand the benefit of the doubt. A brand's visual identity is "what you see" in branding.
First impressions are crucial and always will be, especially while developing and growing your personal brand. Whether you like it or not, your work outfit reflects who you are and how you do business.
10. Lack of direction
Consider the audience that your branding is intended to reach. Trying to please everyone is a definite way to lose a reputation. Instead, choose and stick to a specialty, then use this niche to find related content and create relevant networks in-person and on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter.
Related: 8 Ways You're Destroying Your Personal Brand Without Even Knowing It
Conclusion
Developing your brand would be a fatal blow because its worth should increase along with your career or business's growth. But unfortunately, any of these outcomes are possible.
For your insurance, you must be alert and take all necessary precautions to safeguard your personal and business brand against these potential sources of brand depreciation.
