Saturday, November 01, 2014
 
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YPN hosts Personal Branding Seminar with guest speaker Cindy Byrd

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[November 01, 2014]  LINCOLN - Monday evening the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals Network hosted a self-improvement seminar on Personal Branding. The guest speaker for the evening was Cindy Byrd of Washington, IL. Byrd is an educator and personal image consultant who owns her own business, Image Potential.

The evening began with a mixer, including hor d'oeuvres in the lobby area of Restoration Hall at Lincoln Christian University. The group then moved into the Dowling Auditorium where Byrd gave a spirited presentation.

Byrd’s presentation entitled "The ABC’s of Personal Branding" began with a discussion of who the people in the audience knew that had made a particular impression on them. She explained the person should be someone they consider to be distinct, or someone they are drawn to, then say why. Each person was asked to write down that name, then Byrd called on a few of the respondents asking them to talk about the person they had chosen and explain what makes the chosen person special.

She then went into a discussion on the difference between brand identity and brand personality. She explained her concept saying that developing a personal brand included the ABC’s -- being authentic, being believable and being compelling. Once achieved, these ABC’s would make one distinct, which is what is wanted.

In her slideshow, she offered a definition of personal branding. “Successful personal branding is about defining and demonstrating who you are; what you stand for; and why people should care to know you, choose you, or follow you.”

She said each person should ask themselves the following questions:
Who are you/what do you stand for?
Why do people seek you out?
Why are clients (or followers) loyal to you?
How do people describe you?
Why should someone hire you?

She concluded, “If you don’t answer these questions someone else will.”

Byrd went on to say every person has a unique value. That value may be made up of competencies, personality, appearance, and differentiation. She said she would focus on differentiation, are you distinct?

She said looking at branding, brand identity is a measurement of tangible and intangible elements that make a business. Brand personality is the emotional dimension that gives life to the branding message.

Using herself as an example, she said that in her career, she was known as an intelligent, informative instructor, but the impression she was leaving with people was not necessarily good. She said she was considered to be stiff, without much personality, and not necessarily interesting as a person.

She said most comments she heard about herself were “professional, knowledgeable.” It was not a bad thing, but it did not make her memorable.

She said to be distinct, one needed to identify within themselves the things that do make them unique. She said these would be qualities that evoke an emotion within other people. Using Paul McCarthy as an example, she asked what made him stand out from other musicians. In general, the answer was his look. He left an impression on his audience with the physical component.

In her next example, she asked what made an expensive sports car more attractive than a mini-van, and the answer was, it’s based on how the car makes you feel.

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Byrd explained that both the singer and the car are capable of delivering what is expected, but what makes the two standout, is how they deliver. To create a personal brand, one needs to be personable and creative, and be conscious of how he or she present themselves.

She noted that there is also a need for consistency in personality. She said that people often send mixed messages about who they are. Inconsistent behavior she said sends mixed messages that ultimately cause distrust.

She cited as an example the Wizard of Oz, who delivered one message when behind the curtain and another when he met Dorothy face to face. In the scenario, Dorothy said he was a bad person, and he responded that he was not a bad person, he was just a bad wizard. Ultimately the Wizard was sending a mixed signal that caused him to be disliked by Dorothy.

Byrd also pointed out that many times the opinion one has of him or herself is not the same as the public opinion. She said that it is important to discover what kind of impression one is making and the best way to do that is to ask.

In the example using herself, people considered her to be knowledgeable, professional, and in many cases intimidating. She said she had to look at herself and the message she was sending out. She thought she was fun and energetic, but others didn’t see that, so she had to make changes.

In the end, she changed her hair; she changed the way she dressed, and she changed the way she presented herself to the public. She became more light-hearted and humorous, and more entertaining in the way she speaks and presents.

When she made herself over, and created her personal brand her business tripled.
 


At the end of her presentation, Byrd used a quote from Mahatma Gandhi – “Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive, because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive, because your behavior becomes your habits. Keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny.”

Following the presentation, guests returned to the lobby of Restoration Hall for a sweet snack and visited with local businesses that had set up tables related to the topic. Those who setup displays included Michael Gowin of Gowin Photography, Blades Hair and Nail Salon, Lincoln College and Lincoln Christian University.

[Nila Smith]

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