1. 5 Resolutions to Build Your Professional Brand
Pat Baxter
SQL Saturday Tampa
January 23, 2010
Who are you? By the Who playing as people enter
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2. Agenda Why do brands matter? Professional branding: Who are you?
What can a brand do for you?
What are the 5 Resolutions to build my professional brand?
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3. What is a brand?
“…the intangible sum of a product's attributes: name, packaging, price, history, reputation, how it's advertised”
A promise that will be consistently delivered to consumers.
A level of satisfaction, credibility, and quality.
A way for consumers to choose in a crowded and complex marketplace by standing for certain benefits and value.
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4. What is Professional Branding?
Differentiates individuals 
Articulates a unique value proposition
Leverages a consistent message and image
Achieves a specific goal  
Term believed to have first appeared in 1997 issue of Fast Company Magazine, in an article Tom Peters, who wrote, "We are CEOs of our own companies… to be head marketer for the brand called You." 
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5. The Swiss Army Knife of Marketing “Strategic Simpleton”
“In order to survive and thrive in the digital world, you have to choose a topic and master it.” –Dan Schawbel
The Swiss Army Knife of Marketing
“Strategic Simpleton”
“The common sense guy”
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6. 5 Resolutions to Build Your Professional Brand
Construct & communicate your Value Proposition.
Get reconnected with colleagues, classmates, mentors, professors.
Become active and known in your field. Who needs to know about you?
Influence up, down, across functions.
Step in, especially when others step out. What need are you best positioned to fill?
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7. 1.Construct & communicate your Value Proposition.
What do you stand for?
What makes you stand out?
What makes you compelling?
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8. Example: Value Proposition
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9. 2. Get reconnected with colleagues, classmates, mentors, professors.
Review your social network lists. You never know who you know.
Create opportunity for reciprocity.
Get attendee lists for events & programs
Join the alumni association.
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10. 3. Become active and known in your field.
Given your value proposition:
Who needs to know about you?
Who needs to talk about you?
Where do they gather?
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11. 4. Influence up, down, and across functions.
“The Psychology of Influence”
Offer help, experience, viewpoint, or opinion in that order.
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12. 5. Step in, especially when others step out.
What need are you best positioned to fill?
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13. Resources
Me. 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success ,Dan Schwabel, Kaplan, 2009
How to Wow, Frances Cole Jones, 2008
Never Eat Lunch Alone, Keith Ferrazzi, 2007
Stand Out by Building Your Brand, W. Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, 2007
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14. Questions?
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