Debora Lyra has already taken control of her career. Like most women in the pageant world, they use this platform for visibility and connections to move to the next level.

For Debora, her exposure to the brand concept was new. Once gaining an understanding she was able to compartmentalize those elements that help create her brand.

Branding is about learning to communicate who you are and what you know to others. It’s about awareness and knowing that you have equipped yourself with tools that help give you confidence. And, it is confidence that translates into success…this is what branding is really all about!

We started Debora’s training with her gaining a great understanding of how her behaviors and values impacts her communication with others. She then learned about how her coloring and clothing style helped position her for press, meetings and day-to-day activities.

Debora was an excellent student when working on her platform skills. She learned how to utilize her body language more effectively while learning how to answer questions while on stage and to audiences. Each day Deborah excelled at her new found knowledge.

Debora is now able to compete in the Miss Universe 2010 pageant. After working with Debora, I know she is a VERY strong candidate, with the title of Top Model Of The World and now Miss Brazil, her work and abilities speak for themselves.

Congratulations Debora Lyra!!!!

Recently, while speaking at a conference in South Africa, I went down to the local strip-mall. (Think twenty picnic-tables filled with trinkets and clothes manned by a host of Africans screaming to get your attention.) Seeing a really cool carving, I walked over, picked it up and was immediately told how many SA Rand this work of art would cost.

“What is the significance of the three women?”
“What do you mean?”
“Who are they?”
“Three African women.”
(Hesitating)“Let me ask you a question: do you get a lot of tourists here? Many American tourists?”
“Yes!”
“If you want to sell more, then you need to wrap these women in African lore. Americans don’t buy trinkets … they buy experiences … memories. (Why else do your parents still have that cheap pink Flamingo they purchased while on their honeymoon in Miami?) Do you understand what I am saying?
“Yes.” (Spoken as he was shaking his head “No.”)

Years and years ago, Toyota realized that it had to build a reputation for offering reliable, quality built cars. So the carmaker spent millions on advertising “quality.”

Then, in a stroke of genius, it began running the now famous ad, “Toyota, O what Feeling!” the ad culminating with a satisfied customer jumping into the air—in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n. Slam Dunk. All competitors, both foreign and domestic, were left standing there with their shorts around their ankles.

Buying a Toyota was an experience—an intense feeling of joy and satisfaction. In the minds of millions of viewers, their product was, from then on, anchored into positive feelings. Of course, had the cars been nothing more than beer cans, the ad would have failed. However, it was the promised “feeling” that turned the corner and made Toyota the worldwide giant that we know today.

Seducing Your Audience
In his book, Selling Dreams: How to Make Any Product Irresistible, author Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni (President and CEO of Ferrari North America) likens marketers to dream weavers or, in his words, “dreamketer.”

The role of the dreamketer is to seduce, to entice the customer into intense desire for the company’s creation. Seduction is much more than simply convincing: It is not about helping formulate a rational decision, but rather about provoking emotional locomotion. The craft of selling dreams, much like the seducers, requires continual surprise through a poetical transformation of reality into a romance that takes people into a dream state.”

“To succeed, dreamketers have to touch the customer’s dreams. They must ensure that the product or service is emotionally charged, by creating a design worthy of the company’s original taste.

They must construct a theatrical setting around the product or service, a home, an ambiance where objects of excellence are transformed into unforgettable experiences. They must assign a name to that setting: a credible and exciting brand that pulls the customers in and builds their expectations. They must relay a seductive message that confuses poetry with reality, truth with romance. Finally, they must find the customers worth seducing.”

Every person reading this is in sales. Whether seeking to convince someone to buy your idea or product, influence your employer, win over the love of your life, or persuade your children that you do know where their present behavior is going to lead them, you are selling something. And those individuals that most effectively provoke “emotional locomotion” are going to close the sale.

Most people think that selling their product (idea, knowledge, service) is accomplished solely through recitation of facts. (Teachers and religious leaders are often the worst offenders, here.) However, the individual that constructs a theatrical setting, creates an unforgettable ambiance, and converts facts into poetry, will be far and away the more effective and successful communicator.

I realize that some of my readers will be uncomfortable with Longinotti-Buitoni’s use of the word “seduce.” This is because the word is usually used pejoratively. However, think of a time in your past when you wanted to attract the attention of a potential Significant Other.

You dressed in a certain fashion, you carefully chose words that would help win the individual’s attention and affection, you spoke these words with an intentional tonality and timbre, and you took great pains to see to it that the ambiance was exactly what you needed to accomplish your intention. Now – subtract all sexual connotations from these specific acts and you will have some understanding as to what it means to “seduce” your audience.

Think of a communication context where you wish to be far more effective. Rather than solely considering how to change people’s thinking, if you will expand your focus to include the whole person — captivating as many of your audience’s five senses as possible (Visual-Auditory-Kinesthetic-Olfactory-Gustatory) — your effectiveness will increase exponentially.

Are you “eating” your money when you dine out to entertain a client, or, is your money well spent giving your company a great return on their investment?

With today’s tight budgets, dining or entertaining clients while staying within your budget is more critical than ever.   I have 3 simple rules to help ensure that you can justify the expense to your company.

Rule 1

Have a purpose and a strategy.
Know why you are having the meeting, and yes, whether you are eating out or entertaining, remember  it is a meeting.  Having a purpose and a strategy will ensure that your goals and objectives are met.  Ignoring these two elements is sure to eat your money up fast without achieving the desired result.

Have a briefing with your team to establish the technique of your approach.  But more importantly, have    a debriefing following the event.  This ensures that   you stay on target and help others understand their responsibility in the process.

Rule 2

It is not social.
The second reason why people do not get a great return on their investment is that they end up socializing instead of doing business.  The next time you are spending your company’s money ask yourself if you actually do more socializing than business.  A way to ensure that this does not happen to your meeting is    to repeat Rule 1.

Rule 3

Create your own menu.
To make the most out of your money, put your menu  on a budget.  In other words, scale down the menu     at a restaurant.  Design your own menu from the establishment’s offerings and this goes for wines as well.  Select low to medium range cost items.

Here are some tips to help you keep in alignment with your purpose and objectives of the meal (meeting).

1.  Prepare.  Ensure you take care of all the details as they are what define distinction.  For example, give your business card to the maitre d’ to ensure you get the check.  When the server presents you with the check, you will come off as being in control.  Remember, if you invite,    you pay!

2.  Control the meal without being aggressive.  If your client gets off track, get them back on.  Take responses to the questions back to help you resolve what you came to accomplish.

3.  Know the etiquettes and protocols of dining.  If you do     not know who orders the wine, who tastes it, when to begin eating or drinking, or how to place your utensils when resting during the meal, then I suggest brushing up on these skills.  This is particularly true for the X, Y, and    Z generations, where most do not know the importance   of these skills.

Whether you are trying to create new relationships, maintain existing ones or close a deal, off-site events are an excellent way to get the job done.  And implementing these suggestions will give you confidence that you are doing the best you can do.  And that confidence trans-  lates into success.

At meetings, are you treated with the same regard as your colleagues? Or are you treated like the stepchild of the organization. If so, it may not be entirely the fault of others or the reputation of the HR industry. It could, in fact, be your own actions that are keeping you out-of-the-loop.

The HR community has gone to great lengths building a reputation and changing perceptions. It has been a long and comprehensive process, yet an extremely effective one. However, HR professionals still strive to raise-the-bar on how their HR department is looked upon, or even closer to home, how they as an HR professional are perceived.

To help HR professionals accomplish this, HR professionals need to ensure their Professional Presence matches their title and profession. You have the knowledge and expertise of being an HR professional, but do you know how to communicate who you are and what you know to others?

Throughout my 22 years of working in the arena of professional development I have seen people not promoted simply because they did not dress, act or communicate appropriately. An organization is not going to take the risk.

I am not suggesting that your appearance and personality need to be a certain way to be successful. I am saying that if you follow a few professional guidelines, it can help close the gap between where you are and where you want to be in your career in a more timely fashion.

A great starting point in developing a Professional Presence is understanding first how others perceive you at first impact so that you know how to position yourself in any business situation. It’s called Perception IDentity™.

This program identifies how others see you at first sight; either authoritative or approachable. This perception is formed without knowledge or experience and is based soley on your physical characteristics and the overall tone of your body language. We call this identity your Perception ID™.

Once you identify your Perception ID™ the key is to learn how to strategically position that perception in important business situations. To help you position your Perception ID™ you need to incorporate the 4 Principles from “The Parker Factor”.

THE PARKER FACTOR

Principle 1:  Desired Perception
To determine a “desired perception”, consider the following elements from Image Positioning™ to create a scenario that will help in your particular situation.

Consider the dynamics of the situation. What do you want the outcome to be?  What is the relationship between you and the other participants? A situation may require an initial impact of an authoritative presence. We call this your “desired perception”. The next step of “The Parker Factor” is to determine how much of an authoritative presence you need to project in order to obtain your outcome.

Principle 2:  Percentage Impact
How much of an impact of your “desired perception” do you need to project? This is called “percentage impact”.

To position yourself as more authoritative, the question is, how authoritative do you need to be? This is based on a percentage scale.

The CPR of Image Positioning™ should always be considered when determining “percentage impact”. This percentage should range between 50-100%.

Principle 3:  Modification Quota
The next step is to determine how much to modify your Perception ID™ in order to reach the “desired perception” of an authoritative presence at 90%.

Assume that your Perception ID™ is 30% authoritative. To determine your “modification quota,” subtract your authoritative traits (30%) from your “percentage impact” (90%), giving you a “modification quota” of 60%. (90-30=60).

The key is to determine which impression-management-tactics™ to draw from in order to project an initial impact of authority.

Principle 4:  Impression-Management-Tactics™
To reach your “modification quota” of 60%, you must know which Channels of Communication are available to make your initial impact more authoritative. Options include Appearance and Body Language.

These Communication Channels are made up of many elements. When incorporating one of these elements to communicate a “desired perception” we refer to it as an im-tactic™.

It is not what you say, but how you say it that matters. Use a positive tone. You can “say” that you really like the idea of a new initiative, but using a sarcastic tone tells others how you “really” feel. People do not like being around “negative” people. You can disagree without being condescending. Instead, mention that while you are not sure if the initiative is effective for your group, you feel that other items might need to be resolved first, such as XYZ. Do this with a positive tone, reducing the risk of offending others.

Other than face-to-face communication the telephone has become the most popular vehicle for communication, with texting running a close second.

The telephone used to be a simple piece of equipment with which to talk with neighbors or to stay in touch with long distance relatives. Not any more! Today, the phone is used to stay in touch with coworkers across the hall as well as with clients around the world.

With this massive growth in phone use, etiquette and protocol standards are required if professionals are to maximize communication with others, while simultaneously reinforcing their established brand.

The e-generation, (those who grew up in the technology age) may find it a bit surprising that there are actual rules of etiquette and protocol to follow when using a phone. Because they grew up with a phone attached to their ear, they may not be aware that how the manner in which they interact on the phone can impact how both internal and external customers perceive them professionally.

I have listed 5 Key Points to help you create a standardized way of using the phone and its system capabilities to help maintain your established image (your company’s image too) in the marketplace.

Point 1: Answer the Phone With A Sense Of Caring
When answering the phone it should be done with enthusiasm and a sense of helpfulness. In face-to-face communication, 55% of how you communicate your attitude is with your body, 38% is with your voice tone, and 7% is with the words you actually speak; however, what about when you are using the telephone and there is no body language to “read”? Your tone says it all!

When answering the phone it is best to use a greeting using a pleasant response to allow the caller a comfortable way for continuing the conversation. For example:

1. “Good Morning, this is Tom Smith, how may I help you?”
2. “Hello, this is Tom, how may I help you?”

If you can, avoid an answering of just “Tom Smith”. It sounds too abrupt. Your greeting should be adjusted to the time of day. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening are more formal than just a simple hello.

Point 2: Listen, Listen, Listen, And Listen!
When answering a call for others or yourself, listen. Give the other person time to state the purpose of his or her call. Do not rush them or cut them off. It would be rude and inconsiderate. I do not care if you are a Sr. VP, being rude is unacceptable in business. Now if your business is to be rude, then by all means, be rude.

We are all busy these days, and it seems there is never a good time to talk. If it is not a good time to talk, then do not answer your phone! If you are expecting a call from someone, and you cannot talk at that time, simply let the caller know. You might say, “I am sorry, Jane, I am waiting for a conference call, may I call you back at 2 o’clock? (Be sure to use the word “may” NOT “can”.) We know you can, but asking the other person what time is good for them shows respect.”

Point 3: Tag, You’re It! Maximize Voicemail And Time!
Voicemail is part of doing business.  When leaving a voicemail, consider the following:

1. Get to the point.
2. Always leave your name and a phone number.
3. When making calls in the car, turn off your radio!!
4. When canceling appointments on the same day, be sure to call and let the person know.

Point 4: Outgoing Message: too abrupt, too long, or just right?
The biggest mistake upper management makes when creating an outgoing message on their voicemail is to have their assistant leave it for them. Doing this does not make one very accessible wither to internal or to external customers.

It can sound arrogant, especially if the tone is of the same nature.  I recommend making your own message. If you have someone else leave an outgoing message, remember to have him or her  use a tone friendly and inviting. Have you listened to your out- going message lately? How does it make you sound?

Point 5: Respect Culture Differences
If you receive a call from someone who speaks a different language, be patient. Often when a caller falters or speaks slowly, it is not because they do not know what they want. Perhaps they are having trouble with the translation into English. Be patient. Be aware of diversity and show respect for others. Let’s give them an “A” for trying. After all, how many languages do you speak?

We all use the telephone more than ever. For most of us, your first time “meeting” someone is on the phone. This first encounter is just as important as if you were face-to-face. Meeting a client for the first time, you put your best face forward. You should do the same when meeting them on the phone for the first time. Happy dialing!

For those of you who have never heard of Color Analysis, it is a system that helps determine the best colors for your wardrobe, accessories, hair, and makeup.

Color is the core element in building a personal or professional image. In face, today more than ever, from top executives to celebrities, people are realizing how critical color is in the branding process.

Color is not only used to build one’s wardrobe. Many are now starting to realize that color is one of the most powerful communication tools to help market and brand themselves. For example, color can create a more authoritative or approachable look, as well as a more formal feel. It all depends on how one wishes to position him or herself.

Aside from the psychological impact of color, there are many advantages in knowing which colors best harmonize with one’s skin, hair, and eye color. Just to mention a few:

Saves Time and Money
You can reduce your shopping time by 50% and your mistakes by 100%. For example, once you know your wardrobe color boundaries, you can simply walk to the rack of clothing and scan for your colors. If they are not there then move on… you just saved time.  Not to mention making a purchase that is not a good investment.

You should always look for the sale items first, but don’t let price determine the purchase. Look to see if the garment is in your color palette range. If it is, then ensure that the style is right. Then there is the consideration of fit. But that is another whole article. But just considering color and style, if they work, then purchase the sale item.

As you shop, be aware of fashion color trends. They are important in helping one ensure that his or her image is current. The key is to know how to interpret from your palette. For example, if gray is “in”, are you better in a dove gray (warm undertones) or a charcoal gray (cool undertones)? A particular Wardrobe Color Palette makes this determination.

Builds Self-Confidence
Wearing the right colors is important, but by itself, is not going to make you successful. Knowing you are doing all the right “things” creates confidence, and it is that confidence that translates into success.

You will also be equipped with knowledge of color analysis when you venture to make purchases for any items for your wardrobe. It will not be easy for salespeople to sell you something that is not right for you. You will know with certainty whether or not garment is a good investment.

Color Concept
Below are the 4 Wardrobe Color Palettes that I have created to help teach you how to wear colors more effectively, while at the same time saving time and money. Review each palette and see if you can determine which palette belongs to you.

FIRE
Color Concept: Think warm, clear, and bright colors.  Think of a wood fire, how the flames are predominately bright yellow and red and almost transparent. Yes, there are some blue flames as well, but that is how nature mixes warm and cool colors; however, the predominant concept is warm.

EARTH
Color Concept: Think deep, rich, warm tones from the earth, such as clay. This palette is great in that it contains bright colors like that of the leaves when the fall season first begins. But it also has muted tones, reminiscent of when those same fall leaves have lost their vibrancy.

AIR
Color Concept: Think blue, cool, gray, and dusty. Imagine the mountains in the horizon and how the haze blends the sky and moutains as one. You can see the distinction, but they “blend” together. This palette has a soft richness to it.

WATER
Color Concept: Vivid, sharp contrast between light and dark. Water is clear and crisp, like that of the colors that make up this palette. Think of a pool of clear, blue water.  You can see right through its clear consistency. Or consider the Caribbean’s clear ocean water, with a consistency almost like glass.

First, the hot fad for men began with the slick-back look sported by the Fonz. Then, the full-bodied hair worn in confidence by the news anchors gained popularity. Next, the term “metro-sexual” was coined allowing men to admit (at least most men) that they’re in tune with taking care of their appearance from their suits, shoes, nails (polished or buffed to shine) and facials…

facials???

Even though some men are into being pampered, they are still torn between being a “manly man” and having cucumbers over their eyes. So what’s the new rage? The wives and girlfriends of these men are now seeking out barber shops that offer those signature shaves… several hot towels, straight razor shaves, and finally a calming/skin toning mask followed by a cold towel! They want their men to experience this form of pampering because it relaxes their mood and the after effect gives their men radiance and confidence.

Now where did I learn this you may ask? I had been hearing about hot shaves for quite some time from friends and associates alike either when they went on vacation or visited an older barber that still had a steady hand who applied the mask with the Old Italian style like you would see on the movie “The Godfather” minus the “Sweeny Todd” ending of course.

I was lucky enough to have a barber who had just joined our team at CHUVA group give me a shave using hot towels and straight blades. He also provided education on my skin, explaining issues I had and why. It was phenomenal!

“So let me get this straight,” I asked the barber, “they won’t get a facial but they will go see a stranger with a blade that rivals any knife wielding infomercial?”

Smiling, he explained that most of his clients were from the immediate Buckhead area that would come in as a getaway from the office just to enjoy the down time.  They loved the facial massages, hot towels and essential oils. It’s their one hour massage therapy, better yet their facial as the re-hydrating mask and toner worked wonders for them. By no means, he warned, was this a substitute for a genuine facial as no extractions were done along with no analyzing of the t-zone etc.

They would come in and learn how to shave because they have just been shaving up down and in every direction to catch the ever elusive “baby’s bottom” feel and this has been the way of men for years. “You would be surprised of some of the things my clients explained to be the norm.” He said shaking his head. There’s a generation gap who were never taught how to shave… looking up at dad in admiration but by the time you get of age when your yellow fur falls out and those dark hairs under your chin starts to stick out, you’re out of the house going a thousand miles a minute. So to no surprise, 5 – 10 years later you’re at the light with an electric razor ripping your skin to shreds saying, “I hope there’s not a line at Starbucks because I need to be on time for my 9am.” The new facial for men???

So I learned the craft and perfected my technique enough to guarantee satisfaction. After the first or second visit men generally book a standing appointment. The wives or girlfriends will buy a series of appointments because they like how the man looks and feels. They typically stand as the sounding board for the men. Guys don’t go to the bar and say “run your fingers through my hair, feel the body, and feel the silkiness. No… but they’ll talk to their ladies and or their friends about the “shave experience” and that’s how the message gets out.

Don’t Let the TV Makeover Rage Sabotage Your Career! It’s more than fashion…it’s about image!

The makeover reality shows are all the rage and I welcome them for one simple reason: they are raising the awareness of developing and/or updating one’s image. But as you watch these shows keep this thought in mind or else you can be led down a path of destruction!

You can incorporate fashion into image but you cannot incorporate image into fashion.

What this means is that you should consider the fashion trends to stay update, but you cannot let fashion dictate the professional image you are trying to convey. If you do the latter then you risk building your image on a foundation of sand instead of cement.

Most of the makeover shows and commercials were designed and created for certain audiences in mind such as a particular age group, demographics, and social classes. It is important for you to understand which of these groups you fit into when you are thinking about making changes to your professional image to incorporate what you just saw on televsion.

First and foremost before making any changes you need to know that your overall Professional Image should communicate who you are and what you know to others in business. It is not about covering up who you are; it is about finding out what works for you and why so that you have a foundation to build on and parameters to work with.

I personally do not have any problems from people identifying with “personalities.” I believe in “role models” and the positive influence one might have one others. What troubles me is when individuals do not have a clear understanding of who they are and use clothing or makeup to avoid their true selves.

Often times I hear comments such as, “How wonderful that looks on you!” The question is, WHY  does it look wonderful?  Start to notice as you watch the various shows which commentator is able to explain and justify, not simply just making a show. These are the shows that you can learn more from. Remember, it’s not just entertainment, it’s educational as well.

Whether you are watching a makeover television show, seeking advice from your hairstylist, a sales consultant at a department store, or even your boss, ask yourself four questions before you make the decision to implement any changes that can jeopardize your career.

1.  Do the recommendations on the makeover shows work for you scientifically?

2.  Do the clothes fit your clothing style profile?

3.  How do I incorporate the latest fashion trends into a look or image that is right for me?

4.  Will I be able to maintain the changes?

THE POINT:
As you watch the makeover shows, remember that no matter what you see on television or hear from others, it is very important for you to consider yourself first. Shows are for entertainment purposes and although they can be very educational, you have to be aware of what works for you and what does not. The one thing to keep in mind is that “Consistency Is Key.” When dressing for any business situation be sure that your Professional Image is consistent with your position, company’s products/services, working environment, and meets the expectations of your customers without losing your own sense of identity.

The meaning of your communication… is the response you get.  While doing your best to persuade a potential client to purchase your product, out of the blue and for no apparent reason, he becomes angry with you. What do you do?

As you are seeking to express your love to your significant other, he or she interrupts you with a question about an item on their grocery list. What do you say?

After what you believe to be a kick-butt presentation that will certainly go a long way toward helping individuals to be wiser in their future choices of behavior, these same individuals go out and behave as they always have. What now?

For some people, in such cases as the above, the tendency is to place blame on the audience.

“You need to ask your doctor to up your meds.”

“You are so hardhearted.”

“Humans are so foolish/sinful/brain dead.”

“Well, yeah, Wilson, I was clear. I used monosyllabic words. I augmented my presentation with PowerPoint/music/meaningful illustrations. The failure to realize my intended outcome is on him/her/them.”

Maybe so… but what if…

What if you took a different approach to those circumstances where you see that you are not leading your audience in the desired direction? What if you presupposed that whatever it is your audience is hearing you say … Is What You Are Saying.  What if you—if we—took responsibility for the effects of our communication? I am not speaking of “moral responsibility” here but about a communication strategy.

“While I did not intend to make this guy angry, something I did or said set him off.”

“I obviously am not connecting as I intend.”

“Clearly, I wasn’t clear!”

What is more important to you: your strategy or your goals? If Being Right about your strategy is more important to you than the goal of your communication, I suggest you need to rethink your priorities.

When I take responsibility for not realizing the intent of my communication, I maintain freedom and power. However, if I make the failure to realize my intentions about the audience, I am now stuck and powerless to make the difference I wanted to make.

As long as I maintain responsibility for achieving the intention of my communication, I will remain flexible. “This didn’t work, I need to take a different tact, adopt a new strategy.” As soon as I place the responsibility on my audience to hear and respond as I intend and they do not do as I wish, it is over.

You tried. He/she/they didn’t get it. The End. But what if …

If the recitation of facts didn’t achieve your outcome, what about telling a carefully constructed story?

If saying “I love you” doesn’t communicate as you intended, what if you demonstrate your love? Novel idea, I know … just saying. (“I did that. It didn’t work.” Then design other ways, ways that communicate to them!)

If extolling the rewards of behaving in such-and-such a manner and piling on examples of disastrous consequences if your audience doesn’t heed your words fails to achieve your outcome, what about a skit—a theatrical performance by actors—which puts flesh and bones to your message?

Are there times when it is about them? Are there circumstances where I need to drop it, let it go, move on? Sure. Yet, before you do this, I suggest you ask yourself how critical is it that you achieve your desired outcomes. Moreover, even if you think you have done everything you know to do, what if you took a position that says, “Okay, I need to let it go, for now,” trusting that in the future you will design a more efficacious strategy?

In today’s business world, empowering young women to take control of their own career has never been more critical. Many successful women have already paved the road allowing the next generation to understand that the sky is the limit in this infinite universe.  Personal branding is more than performance. It is also about visibility; one’s reputation and self-marketing efforts.

If the younger generation of women learned early on that they are a “brand” and how to package and market that brand effectively, only then will they be way ahead of the game. Our experience is that young women need to understand that skill sets are not the sole reason for success. It’s their visibility and image that contribute to the “brand” they create as they move forward in their profession. As well as their image; one that reflects their job, company and meeting customer expectations can be challenging without losing their own sense of identity.

On the corporate side, especially those female leaders who have the ability to shift the culture environment, it is critical that they invest early in the development of such young talent.  And entrepreneurs have to be more aware and disciplined to take the initiative to invest in them.

Many feel that calling a person a “brand” is not very personal.  That is because they hear the word as a product and associate it with an impersonal item such as a car or a soft drink, but the concept is the same. Like any product, you have to package its benefits, skills and abilities and market it correctly.

Companies package products everyday for the marketplace and a person’s talents are no different. In business, a company pays for the service of its employee. They are paying for that person’s talent to get the job done. If female professionals were given the opportunity to develop skills and package themselves accordingly, they could become more in control of their career and marketability of their own brand.

One of the best examples of personal branding is Oprah.  Like her or not, when you hear the name Oprah, many pictures come to your mind, creating an image of who and what she is all about. You tell me one person who would not want to be associated with the Oprah brand. Why? Because it makes money, and brings awareness to serious issues.

Also notice that I only had to say Oprah’s first name and you knew who I was writing about. I wonder what others visualize about you when they hear your name within your business environment. In other words, how do they “see” your brand?

As young women climb the corporate ladder, the focus of success changes from performance to visibility and image. There is no definite time-frame for this shift as it depends on the individual, job, company and many other factors, but it eventually happens.

Planning early for this shift puts upcoming professional women way ahead of the game; helping taking them to the next level of reaching her success potential; enhancing her “brand” as she moves forward.

Most recently, we at CHUVA worked with Deborah Lyra, who holds the title as Top Model of The World 2010. As a 19 year old young woman, Deborah has already taken control of her career. Like most women in the pageant world, they use this platform for visibility and connections to move to the next level.

For Deborah, her exposure to the brand concept was new. Once gaining an understanding she was able to compartmentalize those elements that help create her brand.

Like many of our clients, it is important to learn how behaviors and values affect your communication with others. In addition, learning how to manage body language to convey your messages more clearly you enable you to create a self-brand, which ultimately affects your “branding efforts”.  In addition, knowing how to package yourself is critical in the personal branding process.

Branding is about learning to communicate who you are and what you know to others. It’s about awareness and knowing that you have equipped yourself with tools that help give you confidence.  And, it is confidence that translates into success…this is what branding is really all about!