Personal Branding & YOU! 4 Universal Rules to Make You a Celebrity in Your Field

Personal Branding and YOU: 4 Universal Rules to Becoming Famous in Your Field

In a world where competition is fierce, the climb to the top is arduous and challenging. Everyone in your field is reasonably smart, educated, experienced, even talented. So what? To become recognized as a leader or celebrity in your field...no matter if your area of expertise is nuclear physics, business consulting, plastic surgery, sports, politics, or landscaping...you need a strategy that attracts followers.

This is happening all around you, and you can see the results. Here are a few names: Martha Stewart, Britney Spears, Colonel Sanders, Colin Powel, Lance Armstrong, Paris Hilton, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods. Need I go on? Some of these people are extraordinarily talented; some show only a talent for getting noticed. But, it's a good bet that there are people in their fields who are just as talented, but are not as well known. What makes the difference?

Keep in mind there are degrees of celebrity which vary based on an individual's region or field. While someone might be a celebrity to some people who are interested in their area, to others they may be completely unknown. You may be interested in becoming a celebrity retail store owner in a small city, while another person may want national fame in an industry.

What these people and others who want to be seen as leaders are doing is honing their own "personal brand." They are following the

Four Universal Rules of Personal Branding.

Universal Rule #1 - Nothing is Sold Until it is Branded. Here's shorthand for understanding branding. Branding is "pre-selling." We've moved from a selling world to a buying world. Nobody wants to be sold anything, but they do want to buy. Buyers want to investigate, educate themselves and buy the product or services they think they have discovered. They want to follow the thought leadership of someone they believe they have found. The good news is, if you don't like selling, this is a perfect strategy for you because buyers show up at your door pre-sold.

Universal Rule #2- Visibility is More Important than Ability. That's a chilling thought, isn't it? But, think about it. Do you know a competitor who is incompetent but still gets business? Visibility. Visibility builds trust, and all sales are built on trust. As human beings, we have a few ways to judge people and products. One way is if we see it everywhere, we start to believe it is trustworthy. If everyone is investing with Bernie Madoff, we believe he is credible. So, if you want to be a celebrity in your field, get visible. You can't hide behind your business or avoid the public and become a celebrity.

Universal Rule #3 - What You See is What You Think You Get. Perception drives our world. In the quest to become a celebrity in your field, you must manage perception or it will manage you. So, start with the image you project. Do you exude confidence? Do you stand out in a crowd? Are you gregarious or at least have a character that is interesting? Avoid the sin of being too conservative and reserved which is perceived as mousy and insecure, which is death to celebrity. Harry Beckwith in his book You, Inc. says "People think in stereotypes. People think and buy with their eyes. They hear what they see. Watch your visual clues to trigger the right stereotypes."

Universal Rule #4 - People Trust People They Like, and are Impressed With. In the western psyche "like" and "trust" and inextricably linked. We have a difficult time trusting someone we don't like and we intrinsically trust someone we do like. Buyers always prefer to do business with a person, not a company, because we know we can trust a person we know. Logic loses out to emotion every time, and people find confidence very attractive. People buy and will pay more for the way you make them feel, so make them feel good. Everyone is looking for a guru, no matter the field. We want advice we can depend on and follow. Show people you are that person.

These are the principals behind the strategy of becoming a celebrity in your field. How you apply these principals is the subject of another article.