Managing Your Image

Whatever you do, you leave an impression. We send out signals all the time, and it’s like walking through fresh snow. Our brand is based on the experience people have with us. Every action, every word, every element of our appearance is noted, recorded, and judged by the people we meet.

We have a choice. We can either leave the brand-building process to chance, hoping that people will understand the message we express, or we can take charge and CONSCIOUSLY and DELIBERATELY craft the message we want to send.

Your ability to gain influence with others is dependent on how they see you, whether they judge you to be trustworthy, whether they think you really know what you’re talking about, or whether you can manage the tasks you claim you can. Either we choose to develop our own brand… or our brand is decided for us.

In 1976, Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins coined the term “meme” (rhymes with cream), which he defined as a basic unit of cultural transmission that passes from one mind to another and instantly communicates an entire idea. For example: the skull-and-crossbones symbol on a bottle is a meme that conveys “poison, dangerous.” Other well-known memes are the hitchhiker’s thumb, the white flag of surrender, and the Red Cross.

Memes, with their power to communicate a complete thought in a flash have the potential to revolutionize your personal marketing and brand. Memes are more effective than logos because they do more than just identify a company identity… logos don’t tell others what their business actually does. By contrast, a well-conceived meme can cut through the branding clutter and instantly inform your clients, your prospects, and complete strangers just met exactly who you are.