Who and how you are shines through in your personal brand; it’s one of the key components that helps draw your ideal clients closer to you and your business.
Being bold enough to stand out and share your authentic personality helps maximise your impact. Individuals with a potent personal brand immediately conjure up thoughts and feelings within us.
For example, when I think of Alison Edgar MBE, who is known as The Entrepreneur’s Godmother, the words positivity, energy, radiance and smiling come to mind.
Alison is a communications expert, motivational speaker and author of SMASH IT!: The Art of Getting What YOU Want. She genuinely excels at being noticed and getting what she wants! I chatted to her recently on Interviews With Experts to find out where her amazing attitude stemmed from, and how she uses it to fuel her personal brand.
The first thing I wanted to find out was whether she’d always found it easy to get what she wants.
Strategy or luck?
Alison: “When I was younger I’d get really angry when things didn’t go my way. I would shout and believe that it was someone else’s fault. I had a fixed mindset! I was not the perfectly formed face or voice of positivity. I learnt so much that enhanced my techniques to help me and others get what they want.
People always say that I’m really lucky. I keep pointing out that I’ve honed my skills so that I am good at getting more of what I want. Like most people I have down days, then I remember that I am blessed to be alive.”
Authenticity is crucial to running a successful business. People want to see the real you, and this is an area where Alison is a real trailblazer.
The real you
Alison: “I would be letting me and other people down by not being the best version of myself. I know that my brand influences people. I know that when I share a post on LinkedIn it impacts people’s state of mind. They message me and tell me it helps them feel great.
I’ve learnt to be positive. ‘Growth mindset’ wasn’t a phrase I knew anything about until a few years ago. I’ve never read any personal development books which is crazy because I’ve now written one! I’ve written about how I’ve lived my life and the lessons people can learn from that.”
It’s this depth of self belief that has supported Alison’s brand to become a force of its own. She has a strong voice, strong bold colours and her words pack a punch. Because authenticity runs through all that she does she is consistent across her social media channels and in front of all people. I wanted to know more about her approach to personal branding.
Don’t fear being different
Alison: “Why would you choose to blend in when you could stand out? I’ve always had self belief and confidence. I’m not scared of putting my head above the parapet because there’s always going to be a risk that you’ll be shot down. For example, I don’t like potatoes. Most of the world loves potatoes. It’s a preference; you can please some of the people but not all of the people all of the time.”
What’s evident is that Alison is naturally and strategically forging her own path and getting noticed for it!
Pink is the new black
Alison: “I was invited to 10 Downing Street to share my thoughts on small businesses. When I looked at the invite everyone was wearing black. They all blended in. I decided that wasn’t happening on my watch! So I rushed off to get a new coat and the only colour I could find that stood out was bright pink so I went for it.
I couldn’t have branded it any better. I’m standing outside Downing Street with my business banner wearing this bright pink coat. People began to associate that colour with me so I decided to stick with it!”
Alison’s enthusiasm and passion permeates her life and career. I was curious to find out if she wished people would embrace more of her teachings and methodologies in business, especially when it comes to sales (Alison wrote Secrets of Successful Sales in 2018).
Learn how to interact
Alison: “I think they need to adopt these principles for everything, not just for business. People buy from people like them. You need to be true to your values but adapt your behaviour. If I really want to get what I want I know that demanding it just drives people away. You need to use open questions to explore.
For example, if I want to go to the pub for dinner I know that just saying that is not enough because people are tuned to say no to everything! Instead if I suggest to my husband that I watch him canoeing and then afterwards we could go for dinner it’s more likely to happen.
People get overwhelmed because they deposit too much time at work or too much time with family. They need more fun. Every single bit of my book shares methodology that will help lead you to what you want in life and in business.”
I love Alison’s dedication and insight; her no-nonsense approach and willingness to make personal development concepts more accessible to everyone that helps her brand thrive.
If there’s one valuable lesson to learn from her it’s that a personal brand has impact when it has a clear mission, and is willing to stand up (and out!) for what it believes in.
Would you love to build a strong personal brand that stands out for all the right reasons? Contact Write Business Results for a free discovery call to find out how we can help you do exactly that through creating and sharing expert content in books, blogs and podcasts.
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