Paul Copcutt, founder of Square Peg Solution and Canada’s leading personal branding consultant, believes it is essential in today’s competitive marketplace to differentiate yourself by branding your unique qualities.
Paul Copcutt, President, SquarePeg Solutions
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To describe the concept of a brand, Copcutt asks the audience what words come to mind when mentioning Tim Hortons and Starbucks. Words such as ‘hockey’ and ‘hometown’ are associated with Tim Hortons, whereas ‘strong’ and ‘American’ are used for Starbucks. Copcutt illustrates how people connect emotions or feelings around brands, and notes that this connection is similar with people.
The concept of Personal Branding was introduced in 1997 by Tom Peters in an issue of Fast Company magazine. The idea, however, has really taken hold over the past 3 to 4 years as a process for people to manage their careers. During the course of his presentation, Copcutt often refers to the “New World of Work”, where in North America, the average employment term in one company is 7 years, and the average position lasts approximately 3 to 4 years.
The theory of “Ethonomics” is now taking hold among many in the workforce who are under 30 years of age. A good salary, benefits and prospects for the future are no longer enough. These people want to know they are making a difference in the world and want to feel connected to what they are doing.
According to Copcutt, the foundation for personal branding is one’s vision, purpose, values and passions. He has identified a 3-step process to develop each of our unique brands:
1) Extract: Understand who you are from both an internal and external perspective. Then recognize and appreciate the key strengths that you offer.
Copcutt explores the importance of focusing on strengths, and references the book, “Now Discover Your Strengths” by Buckingham and Clifton. In it, the authors learned that during performance reviews, 2 minutes may be given towards one’s successes, while 58 minutes is spent on areas for improvement. The book questions why employers focus on one’s weaknesses when one can only bring them to a point of mediocrity.Instead, why not focus on one’s strengths to take these skills a step further?
2) Express: Once you have identified your strengths, you need to express yourself and communicate effectively. It is critical to recognize:
• Who is your target audience?
• What are the behaviours of this audience?
• Where can you reach these people?
• How can you encourage people to listen to you?
3) Exude: “Living your brand every day impacts peoples’ perceptions of you”. Copcutt illustrates how various aspects of your life have an immense impact on your brand:
a) Your image– people draw immediate conclusions based on how you present yourself.
b) How you communicate– if connecting with people is an element of your brand, then calling people versus e-mailing them is more impressive.
c) Your office – if your brand is about organization, does your office reflect this?
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A good resume is no longer enough to set you apart. A “branded bio” and “brag sheet” are essential to help you stand apart from the competition.
• The branded bio, written in the 3rd person, speaks to your skills, experience and abilities. These bio’s should be developed in varying lengths: a short paragraph, a mid-sized bio and a full version (to be connected to your online LinkedIn profile).
• The brag sheet incorporates your top 5 strengths and demonstrates how you used each one in a specific situation with a measurable outcome.
With these two documents, a prospective employer can better understand who you really are and what strengths you bring to the table.
Beyond promoting yourself on paper, it is essential to raise your online profile. Copcutt poses a question to the audience: “Do you exist on Google?” “Google,” he continues, “is more than a search engine. It is a reputation management system.” He shares the following tips to build your on-line brand:
• Post a comment on a blog or initiate your own blog
• LinkedIn profile: include your strengths, target audience and what you can uniquely offer
• Marketingprofs.com is an online forum that awards points for contributing answer and opinions to posted questions.
Anytime you post information on the internet, it helps to build your professional profile.
In closing, Copcutt emphasizes the importance of “standing out in ways beyond your qualifications.” It is important to recognize that the “world of work” is transforming. It is essential to promote your own personal brand to remain competitive and successfully manage your career.
The following books were recommended by Paul Copcutt:
• “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
• “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
• “Career Warfare” by David D’Alessandro
(For Paul's full list of web links and further reading in PDF format, see the bottom of this page.)
Related Links
1. http://www.linkedin.com LinkedIn, an interconnected network of experienced professionals, allows one to find, be introduced to, and collaborate with, qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals.
2. http://www.marketingprofs.com A source for online marketing resources, marketing articles, online seminars, case studies, conferences and events for marketing professionals.
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About the OPMA Meetings Editor: Ben Carino is a former medical editor who now works on the business and advertising side of the medical publishing industry with Pulsus Group Inc. He can be reached at 905-829-4770 ext 139 or b.carino@pulsus.com
About the Writer: Marla Weingarten brings 15 years of Sales and Marketing experience, and an extensive understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, to her role as principle of M. Weingarten Consulting. She can be reached at 416-854-8881 or marla.weingarten@sympatico.ca