In the Extract Phase, the first step in successful personal branding, you unearth your unique promise of value—your brand. This unearthing process takes time and requires you to think hard about who you are and what makes you unique. This is the most important phase in the branding process because it reveals the core around which you will build your brand.
You uncover your authentic brand by identifying:
- Your vision and purpose
- Your unique strengths and differentiation
- What others think about you
- Your values and passions
- The competitive landscape
- Your target audience
> get the e-book that provides you with exercises to help you uncover your personal brand.
Before you can clearly describe your personal brand, you need to look at the big picture. In the Extract Phase, you paint the big picture of your brand. You start with your vision and purpose.
Your vision is external. It is the essence of what you see possible for the world. Your purpose is internal. It is the role you play in supporting that vision.
__________
We must be the change we wish to see in the world. /Gandhi
__________
Additionally, your personal Brand needs to be tied to your goals. Your goals give your brand direction. You are almost twice as likely to accomplish something if you write it down. So documenting and regularly reviewing your goals is critical to building a winning brand.
__________
Know what you want. Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. /Washington Irving
__________
In the Reach 1-2-3 Success! Personal Branding Process, we work through a series of interviews, exercises, surveys and projective techniques. These help us to develop a clear understanding of your promise of value and ways we can position that uniqueness so that it is relevant and compelling to your target audience.
Resources to help you with the uncovering your unique promise of value:
Output from the Extract Phase includes your brand definition and personal brand profile. Once complete, we can develop a plan to express your brand to those who will be instrumental in expanding your success. We do this in the Express Phase.