I am a performer, a director, and a coach but I am not a writer; words don't come naturally to me. Instead, when somebody is asking me to describe in a few words who I am, my first reaction is to freeze. All of a sudden, my brain can seem like a desert with no thoughts or ideas. Not a nice thing in a world in which we rely on words - even more so in the online world.
In the Personal Brand Process, a lot of emphasis (rightfully so) is put on your online presence and content creation on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, blogs, websites - all written words. Fortunately, if you search the web, there are tips and tricks that can help you with writing your bio for Linkedin or a short message (140 character limit) for Twitter. Still, I find it a challenge to stay close to the source of what I want to express - my passion.
But ask me to express what I want to say with an image, and my thoughts start flowing immediately. Millions of images come up and then words follow quickly.
I was reading an article in Forbes by Glenn Llopis (3 ways to most effectively communicate your personal brand), in which he talks about the necessity of simplifying what you want to say, efficiently messaging, and keeping your thoughts and words crystal clear in every word and sentence. He also mentions that you should be able to translate every written message into an image or photo.
This got me thinking. It was written for people like me! We need to start by envisaging an image and by describing this image, then we can create our written content.
It is the same with presentation skills. A very effective tool for people who tend to freeze up and lose their spontaneity in a presentation - be it one on one or in front of a bigger audience - is to ask them to present themselves by showing an object that in their opinion represents who they are.
Let me explain: In a workshop that I gave in the Netherlands, I worked with a somewhat shy woman who wanted to learn to be more expressive and influential in the presentations she had to give at work. She had trouble expressing herself, couldn't find the right words when put on the spot and would mumble her way through a presentation.
When I asked her to present herself by showing an object that represents her, she brought a running shoe. When she started to speak, we were all entranced. She described how on the outside she might not look very exciting or special, but if you would look closer, you would see that it was a shoe that gave good support and was designed to walk or run long distances. She explained that she loved being there for others, supporting them in their development and how she was a hard worker, not resting until the job was done. The velcro, she explained, stood for efficiency, something that she craves in her personal and professional life. She started to describe herself through that shoe and we understood. She wasn't struggling to find the right words anymore. Instead, she spoke much more clearly, with expression and simplicity and gave a very well organised speech on who she was. Her “freeze” was unlocked because we found the key to unlock her words.
And this is why I love our Personal Branz logo so much, it is an image that represents what we stand for. We work from the inside out - from your source, your everlasting and energising strengths. And once you have defined those strengths, they will permeate everything that you do and will leave a lasting effect on the world around you. They will lead you in the direction you really want to go.
We don't just paint a nice varnish on to make you look better. We help you uncover your best self and help you to make this your strongest point - the foundation from which you operate in your personal and your professional life. When connected to your source, you will be able to deal better with the everyday challenges and obstacles.
So the next time you have to prepare for a presentation, meeting or job interview or have to write your bio or a blog, find an image that represents what you want to bring across and you’ll soon find your words start to flow…. It really helps!
