Use Personal Marketing to Set Yourself Apart

There are many singers, but only one Elvis Presley.  There are many dancers, but only one Fred Astaire.  There are many talk show hosts, but people still talk about Johnny Carson.  There are many time management experts, but only one David Allen.  I’ll bet that in your profession, there are many competent people who do their jobs very well.  But, I’ll also bet that there are only a few who are called by the company president or CEO to perform certain tasks over and over.  What makes these individuals stand out from the rest of us?  Why can David Allen command ticket prices for seminars that top $500 and others still have to count their pennies.  Why do some public speakers command speaking fees in the thousands of dollars, while others have to speak for nominal fees?  What propels some of us to “expert” status in the minds of others?

Besides “knowing their stuff”, which is the first and most important criterion, these “experts” (or gurus, or superstars) set themselves apart from the crowd by establishing a style, theme, presence, or concept that is immediately recognized and associated with them.  Tony Snow, the new White House Press Secretary, was a successful conservative talk show host (there’s no shortage of them these days, eh?).  Immediately upon assuming his new role, he began to set a style for himself that was not centered on his competence in his area of expertise.  His recognized theme was simply being a classy dresser, following a long line of Press Secretaries who were not.  It was simple, but people noticed.

"White House press secretary Tony Snow dresses like a man who knows he's going to be the center of attention for a couple of hours every day. That's not narcissism, it's just good manners.
It's uncertain whether he can be counted on to say a lot or a little in future press briefings, but at least he has indicated that he will try to give his audience something pleasing to look at. He will be a nuanced presence at the podium and not just a man in a Washington uniform."
— The New Bespoke Man at the White House, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/18/AR2006051802130.html?nav=rss_artsandliving)

Take a look at other well known “gurus” in various disciplines and note their styles or owned concepts (or old concepts that have been updated, given new vocabulary terms and are now considered to belong to the “guru”):

• David Allen — GTD (concept)
• Tony Robbins — Personal Power (Concept)
• Steve Jobs — Master of technological innovation and the new “Man in Black” (Concept & Style)
• Gerry Spence — Native American attorney who never lost a case (Style)
• Bill Gates — Windows Operating System; Microsoft (Product)
• Tom Clancy — Former insurace salesman, Now military expert (Area Expertise)
• Stephanie Winston — Personal and Executive Organizer (Concept)
• Phil Gordon — Poker (Concept/Strategies)
• Steve Mizerak — Billiards (Concept/Strategies)

There are those in similar fields who are better and even have more original ideas, but these individuals have achieved guru-status in their areas through personal marketing of themselves or their original or re-worked concepts.  The idea of personal marketing of their “brand” is/was a conscious decision.  David Allen once said that the idea to focus on him as a productivity expert was a deliberate decision, saying that the marketing of himself as a personality was easier than marketing the concept of GTD.  These associations between personality and concept/style were not made by accident.

There will be some who refuse to participate in any type of personal marketing.  “I’m not going to play that game,” one will hear them say.  That’s fine.  That’s their choice.  Standing apart from one’s cohorts, however, and getting noticed by those in positions of authority is a sound strategy for those who desire to climb the leadership ladders of their profession.  

Since we all desire to do well in our chosen professions, its advisable to set ourselves apart from the crowd.  That’s how we get noticed.  Besides being competent in your profession, what do you do to set yourself apart from your peers so that you get noticed?

Comments

[Mike St. Pierre]

For me, putting my "product" (in my case the ins and outs of what I do in a high school setting) out there for others to learn from keeps me on the cutting edge. If I'm thinking often, "Can I take this on the road?" - then I am working beyond my current reality without overlooking the day to day tasks of my job. Tools I use include: personal website, submission of articles to trade journals, and public speaking.

[Brock Tice]

Ever since Hurricane Katrina destroyed all of my stuff, but in particular my clothing, I wear only black shirts, khaki pants/shorts, black footwear, a black belt, and a black derby hat. I try to keep it on the nicer end, shorts and sandals excepted.

People now immediately associate this color scheme with me, to the point that others have been mistaken for me based purely on similar dress.