Donna Rachelson - Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs: Actions and insights to build Brand YOU, the foundation of your business

PERSONAL BRANDING BASICS

PART TWO

FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL BRANDING

PART Three

GETTING PRACTICAL

CONTENTS

PERSONAL BRANDING BASICS

FOUNDATIONS OF PERSONAL BRANDING

Also by Donna Rachelson

Branding & Marketing YOU

Branding & Marketing YOU Through Teams

Play to Win: What Women Can Learn from Men in Business

First published by Tracey McDonald Publishers, 2019

Suite No. 53, Private Bag X903, Bryanston, South Africa, 2021

www.traceymcdonaldpublishers.com

Copyright Donna Rachelson, 2019

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-0-6399558-2-7

e-ISBN (ePUB) 978-0-6399558-3-4

Text design and typesetting by Patricia Crain, Empressa

Cover design by Ron Olivier, incynq solutions

Digital conversion by Johan Koortzen

Printed and bound by Pinetown Printers (Pty) Ltd

I have been running a DJ school for the last ten years and every time I have a Meet & Greet Workshop with my students, I ask them to introduce themselves and to tell the group anything they would like the others to know about themselves. Over and above that, before the next student introduces themselves, they are asked to tell the group anything they remember about the person who spoke before them. Ive made two observations through this exercise:

• Students usually tell a similar story to the person who sounded the most confident.
• Most students are reticent about sharing something good about themselves and usually opt for something that might be unimportant or even demeaning.

Something else that stands out in these workshops is that students dont remember much about the person who spoke before them, or theyll remember only the things that interest them and, even then, the details are often not quite accurate.

This exercise is only a drop in the ocean in achieving personal branding, but it is nonetheless important. If we pay attention we will realise that we engage in this type of activity every time we meet people. We introduce ourselves and then go on to tell them whatever we think is most interesting about ourselves. We are always, always branding ourselves.

I always explain to my students that the reason we do this exercise is to make them aware that what they say about themselves will eventually form a perception in peoples minds about what sort of person they are. What is it that you want people to think of when they hear your name? What do you want people to associate your name with? Once youve answered these questions it is easier to come up with a strategy that will help you to communicate the right type of message about yourself consistently and in a way that will influence peoples perception of you. For me, that is personal branding.

I have been very successful in developing my personal brand and the first thing I attribute to this success is authenticity . Building and maintaining a brand that is truly who you are makes the task much easier because you are doing something you understand completely; youre not trying to replicate someone youve encountered elsewhere. Personal branding is just that its personal. Its about having faith in your brand, and being passionate and excited about it. You have to believe in your brand if youre going to be successful.

We all have a vision for our businesses but what will convince consumers to buy into our brands is if they can relate to our vision, and we communicate this vision through our personal brand. Well-planned, consistent and authentic personal branding is what will set your business apart from the others.

Our countrys entrepreneurs are working harder than ever before, and the good news is that they are creating employment for others. We need more businesses to scale and succeed, and personal branding is vital to entrepreneurial success. The more entrepreneurs know about personal branding and how to build and maintain it, the greater the advantage theyll have in the market. It is one of the most powerful tools they need to build credibility, gain consumers trust and establish a name as a leader in their field.

I am excited to see what entrepreneurs will achieve through this powerful tool by applying the lessons shared in Donnas book Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs .

I have been working in marketing for a quarter of a century now. When I put it like that, it makes me feel old! But after more than 25 years of investigating what makes brands successful and having the opportunity to work with a range of inspiring individuals, teams and companies, I feel equipped to share a few lessons. Specifically, I want to delve into branding and marketing for entrepreneurs because this is an area I am truly passionate about.

Firstly, South Africa (and any economy that wishes to grow) needs successful entrepreneurs. They are the rule-breakers, the change-makers and optimists who keep us moving forward. More than that, they create opportunity for job creation, inclusive economic growth and innovation.

Secondly, I am an entrepreneur myself. That means I have experienced some of the hard lessons personally, as well as the joy of success. Id like to help shorten the learning curve of other entrepreneurs by sharing whats worked for me and what hasnt.

Finally, because Im interested in entrepreneurship, Ive sought out career opportunities that allow me to nurture and grow entrepreneurs. I have had the privilege of being intimately involved in helping start-ups and growth-stage businesses to succeed through high-impact business development support.

As Ive worked with entrepreneurs over the years, Ive noticed that there are many resources available for new business owners covering topics like funding, business skills, leadership development and financial management. On the other hand, there is very little about personal branding and marketing.

Having sat through countless pitches, met with scores of entrepreneurs and helped run various incubator and accelerator programmes, I believe this is a massive gap.

The truth is that people buy into people before they buy into a business idea.

If you are not credible, I will not invest in your business not financially, through mentorship or even as a supplier or customer. Thats the simple truth.