Civilisation depends on people's names. There would be no law, no order, unless people had identifying names. Our names are entered into Registers of Birth, Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage and Death. We are issued with documents of all kinds: licences, passports, identity cards, credit cards and so on.

We want respect for ours, and we understand the need to respect the names of others. We want them to pronounce ours correctly. We pay deference to their names by asking, "How do you pronounce your name?"
We want people to spell ours correctly and we are annoyed when they don't. We want to have a good name in society - for this is the confirmation of our individual standing and reputation.

Working for the same company for years is no longer the norm. Most companies are looking at project-based assignments, with measurable results, from the best suppliers. And to qualify for this, you need a name, an identification, and a brand! Here are some tips from William Arruda, a successful author of several books on branding.

Personal branding is essential to professional success today. Gone are the days where your value as an employee or supplier was linked to your loyalty and seniority. Today, companies are in a constant state of
reorganisation in response to the rapidly changing demands of the market. This modifies the way you behave as an employee or supplier. On a constant basis, you are working with different project teams, managers and employees. In a sense, you are functioning like your own personal corporation. And that means that you have the same need to differentiate yourself and build demand for your services among your target markets.

Just as with corporate brands, your personal brand is your promise of value. It separates you from your peers, your colleagues and your competitors. And it allows you to expand your success. Personal branding is not about building a special image for the outside world; it is about understanding your unique combination of rational and
emotional attributes - your strengths, skills, values and passions - and using these attributes to differentiate yourself and guide your career decisions.

Here are 3 Steps to successful personal branding:

Unearth Your Brand.
Give your brand context. Before you can clearly describe your personal brand, you need to look at the big picture: your vision and purpose. Your vision is external. It is the essence of what you see possible. Your purpose is internal. It is the role you play in supporting that vision. As Gandhi said, "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."

Additionally, your personal brand needs to be tied to your goals. Spend time thinking about how you would like your life to look in the future. Know yourself. A successful personal brand is authentic.

Know your competitors. How can you stand out unless you know those among whom you're standing? Who are you competing against? Your current colleagues? Others within your industry?

Know your target. To be successful, it's not enough just to have a personal brand. You need to communicate it to the right people. The key to successful personal branding is focus!

Express Yourself.
Describe the essence of your brand. Create a personal brand profile. List your brand attributes, create a brand statement and your personal brand tagline. This will help you as you develop a plan to communicate your brand.

Find the right mix. Once you know yourself, your competitors and your target, you can identify the ideal combination of communications tools that reach your audience effectively.

Mark everything you do with Your Brand. Whether you're giving a presentation, participating in a meeting or writing a report, you never have to leave your brand behind. Ask yourself how you can connect your brand to every given situation. Every meeting, project, business trip - every business meal!

Live and breathe your brand. Question everything you do, every tool you use, every article of clothing you wear. Are they consistent with your brand?

Evolve. To remain relevant to their target audiences, all strong brands evolve with the times. This could mean line extensions. It could be modifying the ways you communicate your brand (moving from a printed resume to a resume on CD). It could mean augmenting brand attributes as you continue to grow in your career.

Whatever course you take, make sure your brand continues to be authentic, differentiated and consistent.

Remember, your name is your brand
And when names are used correctly, with due honour and respect, this simple act alone wins friends and influences people to such an extent, that it generally results in increased sales and profits - so learn to
use this complimentary technique.

Tread softly when you use a person's name. For you are handling his most treasured possession. Use his name with dignity and he will be gratified. Use it with respect and you will gain his respect. Use it with love and you will be rewarded.

Take care and wherever you go, build and nurture your brand.

Winnifred Knight and Luisa Mazinter, email winn@themarketingsite.com or phone 082 575 9922

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