FIND YOUR TRIBE – WHERE YOU’RE SIMILAR -AND THEN DIFFERENTIATE?

I admit, it’s not so easy to do or support. Imagine this – you are a Personal Branding coach – yet you LOVE music. I’m likely already following and part of one of more music tribes – but how many Personal Branding experts live there? That’s my differentiation!

Your differentiation discovery is an opportunity to toot your own horn. Children are natural horn tooters. When kiddos are not tooting it for themselves, their parents AND grandparents are tooting horns for them. (Usually Grandma will sprinkle a little exaggeration on the tooting to express her love.)

Little Johnny won the ‘best dressed’ award at kindergarten. Ellie gave the only solo performance at the holiday show. Suzie received the highest grade on the math test. These achievements become part of their young brand.

Many of us were told emphatically and with promises of a time-out, NO MORE TOOTING. As teenagers, we are desperate to fit in and not be different in any way. As an adult looking to secure the best opportunities possible, your differences are what make you memorable. Now, it’s time to inspire your colleagues and cheerleaders to TOOT FOR YOU.

Arrogance or narcissism is indeed unappealing. Effective personal branding is an expression of genuine confidence in what makes you different from all the other people who have the same title in your company, in your tribe, in your city, or in the world. (Mars is not inhabited quite yet.)

Make a list of your daily duties. Identify the key areas where you performed above and beyond. Have you received a high-five from your boss or team? Do you arrive 30 min early each day to be coffee’d up and ready to go before others rush to their desk?

What makes you different from your peers may not even be job related. Maybe you were in military service or the Peace Corp and had a chance to travel to remote places. Maybe you were born in another country. Maybe you were a stay-at-home Mom or Dad and you’re returning to the workforce. Maybe you’re 58 looking for a job after 25 years in a big corporation.

Your differentiation is a key part of your brand strength and uniqueness. Not sure? Go ahead and ask a few people why you stand out from other employees or group members. Your network knows why you’re the same and why you’re different.

Check out what Kieran, Life Coach, DC, Kinesiologist has to say about rebranding himself from his traditional chiropractic practice.

During my teenage years, I did not know how to take care of my body, or why I would. After getting terribly ill, I met a fantastic Dr. of Chiropractic medicine who helped me begin the journey of healing my body, mind & spirit. I found the desire to study medicine which led to a thriving practice within a few years. My differentiators? Clients told me that I cared about them, was more up to date with modern healing methods, and focused not just on the symptoms, but on healing the cause of their symptoms.

When I was presented with The Branding Canvas, to be honest, I didn’t know what to make of it. On the heels of traveling the world, experiencing indigenous healing practices and intense internal reflection, I chose to shift my business from the twenty minute Chiropractic insurance model to a one hour coaching session model where I could make a deeper and more holistic impact for my clients. The Branding Canvas was step one of a rebrand of my website and my differentiation was really undefined.

I started by studying other coaching websites and listing what I did and didn’t like about these models. From there, I added a list of the testimonial feedback my clients gave that really moved me. Ultimately, my differentiation was my ability to combine life coaching with physical healing in a profound way. The canvas helped me organize my ideas into a new practice model.

Kieran is living his dream while traveling the world. I smile every time I see him fb live from some remote beach in the world.

Struggling with your differentiation? Reach out to our #AllAboutThatBrand tribe on Facebook. We’ll jump in and let you know what we see!