Your reputation is essentially your personal brand. It is how people think about you and it will profit you to develop and care for it mindfully. Your reputation is fundamentally connected to the opportunities that will be available to you.
Companies’ reputations are primarily connected to their brands. A brand is something—a name, symbol, or other feature—that distinguishes one company’s product from another. Ideally, a brand exemplifies positive characteristics that would lead a consumer to choose the branded product over the competitors’ products.
Coca-Cola is a famous brand that might be said to include connotations of quality, consistency, tradition, and Americana. Any large grocery store will stock a number of brands of cola soft drinks, but Coke will outsell all of them (excepting possibly Pepsi Cola). Coke will be the top seller even though it costs more than its rivals; its marketplace leadership is due primarily to its branding.
There Is Value in Your Reputation
In marketing, people speak of something called “brand equity” to describe the value of having a highly recognized brand name with positive associations. In your life, your brand equity is in your reputation. If you have a strong and positive reputation, people will be more inclined to want to work with you than if you’re an unknown or, worst of all, if you have a bad reputation.
Dale Carnegie said that “about 15% of one’s financial success is due to one’s technical knowledge and about 85% is due to skill in human engineering, to personality, and the ability to lead people.” Thus, while it’s necessary to you have the skills to do whatever job or activity you want to do, if you need to be chosen (hired) to do it, or if it’s a team project, then it’s even more critical that you have a good reputation as a team player with leadership qualities.
Brian Mitchell, National Football League star (Washington Redskins 1990-1999, Philadelphia Eagles 2000-2002, and New York Giants 2003), developed a sterling reputation during his 14-year professional football career. He did so by treating people courteously and respectfully. Now he’s a television and radio host and a motivational speaker. Any group would benefit from Mitchell’s inspirational presentation about the values of reputation, goal setting, and more. If you’re interested in booking Mitchell, contact him at 703.434.0734.