Personal Branding Instructor Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface ..............................................................................................................................................7 What is Courseware? ................................................................................................................................ 7 How Do I Customize My Course? .............................................................................................................. 7 Materials Required ................................................................................................................................... 9 Maximizing Your Training Power .............................................................................................................. 9 Module One: Getting Started ........................................................................................................... 11 Housekeeping Items................................................................................................................................ 11 The Parking Lot ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Workshop Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 12 Module Two: Defining Yourself (I) .................................................................................................... 13 If You Don’t, They Will ............................................................................................................................ 13 Brand Mantra ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Be Real .................................................................................................................................................... 15 SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 17 Module Two: Review Questions.............................................................................................................. 18 Module Three: Defining Yourself (II) ................................................................................................. 21 Pillars ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Passions .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Define Your Strengths ............................................................................................................................. 23 The Three Cs............................................................................................................................................ 24 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 25 Module Three: Review Questions ........................................................................................................... 26
Module Four: Controlling and Developing Your Image ...................................................................... 30 Clear and Defined ................................................................................................................................... 30 Consistent Image .................................................................................................................................... 31 It Takes a Commitment........................................................................................................................... 32 Live It Every Day ...................................................................................................................................... 32 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 33 Module Four: Review Questions ............................................................................................................. 35 Module Five: Personal and Professional Influences ........................................................................... 38 Corporate and Personal Integration ....................................................................................................... 38 They Will Influence Each Other ............................................................................................................... 39 Be a Professional .................................................................................................................................... 40 Build Rapport .......................................................................................................................................... 41 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 42 Module Five: Review Questions .............................................................................................................. 43 Module Six: Sharpening Your Brand.................................................................................................. 46 Blogging .................................................................................................................................................. 46 Authenticity Is Key .................................................................................................................................. 47 Transparency .......................................................................................................................................... 48 Networking ............................................................................................................................................. 49 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 50 Module Six: Review Questions ................................................................................................................ 51 Module Seven: Appearance Matters................................................................................................. 54 First Impressions ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Rise Out of the Crowd ............................................................................................................................. 55 True Reflection ........................................................................................................................................ 56 Dress for Success..................................................................................................................................... 57
Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 58 Module Seven: Review Questions ........................................................................................................... 59 Module Eight: Social Media (I) .......................................................................................................... 62 Needs Constant Monitoring.................................................................................................................... 62 Security ................................................................................................................................................... 63 Have an Objective ................................................................................................................................... 64 Promote .................................................................................................................................................. 65 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 66 Module Eight: Review Questions ............................................................................................................ 67 Module Nine: Social Media (II) ......................................................................................................... 70 It’s a Tool ................................................................................................................................................ 70 Content is King ........................................................................................................................................ 71 Have a Gimmick ...................................................................................................................................... 72 Don’t Ignore Any Mentions ..................................................................................................................... 73 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 74 Module Nine: Review Questions ............................................................................................................. 75 Module Ten: Brand Management During a Crisis............................................................................... 78 Caught in a Bad Spot?............................................................................................................................. 78 Never Burn a Bridge ................................................................................................................................ 79 Information ............................................................................................................................................. 80 Monitor and Respond ............................................................................................................................. 81 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 82 Module Ten: Review Questions .............................................................................................................. 83 Module Eleven: Branding Personality Traits ...................................................................................... 86 Identify Your Unique Values ................................................................................................................... 86 Be Bold .................................................................................................................................................... 87
Think Outside the Box ............................................................................................................................. 88 Fail. Learn. Repeat. ................................................................................................................................. 89 Case Study............................................................................................................................................... 90 Module Eleven: Review Questions .......................................................................................................... 91 Module Twelve: Wrapping Up .......................................................................................................... 94 Words from the Wise .............................................................................................................................. 94 Review of Parking Lot ............................................................................................................................. 94 Lessons Learned ...................................................................................................................................... 95 Completion of Action Plans and Evaluations .......................................................................................... 95
Visibility creates opportunities. Dan Schawbel Preface What is Courseware? Welcome to Courseware.com, a completely new training experience! Our courseware packages offer you top-quality training materials that are customizable, user-friendly, educational, and fun. We provide your materials, materials for the student, PowerPoint slides, and a take-home reference sheet for the student. You simply need to prepare and train! Best of all, our courseware packages are created in Microsoft Office and can be opened using any version of Word and PowerPoint. (Most other word processing and presentation programs support these formats, too.) This means that you can customize the content, add your logo, change the color scheme, and easily print and e-mail training materials.
How Do I Customize My Course? Customizing your course is easy. To edit text, just click and type as you would with any document. This is particularly convenient if you want to add customized statistics for your region, special examples for your participants’ industry, or additional information. You can, of course, also use all of your word processor’s other features, including text formatting and editing tools (such as cutting and pasting). To remove modules, simply select the text and press Delete on your keyboard. Then, navigate to the Table of Contents, right-click, and click Update Field. You may see a dialog box; if so, click “Update entire table” and press OK.
(You will also want to perform this step if you add modules or move them around.)
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If you want to change the way text looks, you can format any piece of text any way you want. However, to make it easy, we have used styles so that you can update all the text at once. If you are using Word 97 to 2003, start by clicking the Format menu followed by Styles and Formatting. In Word 2007 and 2010 under the Home tab, right-click on your chosen style and click Modify. That will then produce the Modify Style options window where you can set your preferred style options. For example, if we wanted to change our Heading 1 style, used for Module Titles, this is what we would do:
Now, we can change our formatting and it will apply to all the headings in the document. For more information on making Word work for you, please refer to Word 2007 or 2010 Essentials by Courseware.com.
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Materials Required All of our courses use flip chart paper and markers extensively. (If you prefer, you can use a whiteboard or chalkboard instead.) We recommend that each participant have a copy of the Training Manual, and that you review each module before training to ensure you have any special materials required. Worksheets and handouts are included within a separate activities folder and can be reproduced and used where indicated. If you would like to save paper, these worksheets are easily transferrable to a flip chart paper format, instead of having individual worksheets. We recommend these additional materials for all workshops:
Laptop with projector, for PowerPoint slides
Quick Reference Sheets for students to take home
Timer or watch (separate from your laptop)
Masking tape
Blank paper
Maximizing Your Training Power We have just one more thing for you before you get started. Our company is built for trainers, by trainers, so we thought we would share some of our tips with you, to help you create an engaging, unforgettable experience for your participants.
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Make it customized. By tailoring each course to your participants, you will find that your results will increase a thousand-fold. o
Use examples, case studies, and stories that are relevant to the group.
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Identify whether your participants are strangers or whether they work together. Tailor your approach appropriately.
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Different people learn in different ways, so use different types of activities to balance it all out. (For example, some people learn by reading, while others learn by talking about it, while still others need a hands-on approach. For more information, we suggest Experiential Learning by David Kolb.)
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Make it fun and interactive. Most people do not enjoy sitting and listening to someone else talk for hours at a time. Make use of the tips in this book and your own experience to keep your participants engaged. Mix up the activities to include individual work, small group work, large group discussions, and mini-lectures.
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Make it relevant. Participants are much more receptive to learning if they understand why they are learning it and how they can apply it in their daily lives. Most importantly, they want to know how it will benefit them and make their lives easier. Take every opportunity to tie what you are teaching back to real life.
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Keep an open mind. Many trainers find that they learn something each time they teach a workshop. If you go into a training session with that attitude, you will find that there can be an amazing two-way flow of information between the trainer and trainees. Enjoy it, learn from it, and make the most of it in your workshops.
And now, time for the training!
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A personal brand is your promise to the marketplace and the world. Tom Peters Module One: Getting Started In the information age, personal branding is necessary for the success of any company or individual. Failing to manage personal branding can lead to misinformation about you or your company becoming public. Taking control of your public image is no longer an option. Identifying and using the tools that affect personal branding correctly will ensure that the public sees the image that you want them to see. A positive brand is necessary for success.
Housekeeping Items Take a few moments to cover basic housekeeping items.
If you need an opening or a way to introduce the participants to each other, utilize the Icebreakers folder to begin or between breaks during the day.
Let participants know where they can find washrooms, break facilities, and fire exits.
Ask participants to turn off their cell phones or at least turn them to vibrate. If they must take a call, request that they do it outside.
Take this time to encourage the group to ask questions and make this an interactive workshop.
Write the words Respect, Confidentiality, and Practice on a piece of flip chart paper and tape it to the wall. Explain to participants that in order to get the most out of this workshop, we must all work together, listen to each other, explore new ideas, and make mistakes. After all, that’s how we learn!
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The Parking Lot Explain the concept of The Parking Lot to participants.
The Parking Lot is a visible place where you will “park” ideas that arise which are not on the agenda, may be off topic, or are better addressed outside of the program.
At the end of the session, we will review parked ideas and follow up, or make suggestions for your own investigation when you are back at work.
Suggestions for the trainer: 1. If you are working with a large group of participants, you may wish to nominate a recorder to park items as you are facilitating. 2. It’s a good idea to note the name of the contributor along with the parked item. 3. Items noted on the parking lot can be useful to you later as you plan future training sessions.
Workshop Objectives Research has consistently demonstrated that when clear goals are associated with learning, it occurs more easily and rapidly. With that in mind, let’s review our goals for today. At the end of this workshop, participants should be able to:
Define your image.
Control your image.
Understand how to sharpen your brand.
Use social media appropriately.
Manage your brand in a crisis.
Develop a professional appearance.
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Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. George Bernhard Shaw
Module Two: Defining Yourself (I) You are in control of your personal brand if you choose to be. When establishing your brand, it is essential that you define yourself. Remember that perception is reality, so it is essential that you carefully cultivate your image. When you take the time to define yourself and present this definition to the public, your will reap the benefits that come with taking control of your personal branding.
If You Don’t, They Will It is easy to underestimate the importance of personal branding and avoid actively participating in your brand. The truth, however, is that branding occurs whether you participate in it or not. If you do not take the time to brand yourself, the market will brand you, and it may not do it favorably. Customers can bring negative attention to a company or individual, and attention can easily escalate to the court of public opinion. For example, the video “United Breaks Guitars” brought negative attention to the United Airlines brand. Without personal branding and active intervention, the damage to the brand name could have been beyond repair. Taking control of personal branding is necessary to manage your public reputation.
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce the importance of participating in personal branding. If You Don’t, They Will
Topic Summary Discuss how to the market affects brands.
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Materials Required
Flipchart/board and marker
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss situations where the market has influenced brands. What is the result of ignoring personal branding? Make a list of the consequences of personal branding.
Stories to Share
Share any personal or relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
Why would someone not pay attention to personal branding?
Brand Mantra Brand mantras are short, but they are powerful. This short phrase or statement may only be three to five words, but these words define your brand. A mantra must explore the brand’s points of difference or how the brand is unique along with what the company represents. For example take a look at, Nike’s “Authentic Athletic Performance.” In order to create a brand mantra, you must first identify what sets your brand apart and list your points of difference. Once the points of difference are identified, you must create a mantra that is simple, communicates, and inspires.
Simple: The mantra should be short and to the point. Communicate: The mantra should define the purpose of the brand and what is unique about it. Inspire: The mantra should be significant.
When creating a mantra, you should begin with a word bank of points of difference and your purpose and mission.
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce Brand Mantra Brand Mantra
Topic Summary Explore brand mantras. Materials Required
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01-Mantra
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the worksheet individually. Share your answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share any personal relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What is a brand mantra?
Be Real People are attracted to genuine people. The key to personal branding is to make it personal. Communicating dry facts will not impress most people. Your brand must have personality. Develop a persona that attracts people. Share ideas, implement humor, and make connections with people. Having an online presence makes sharing your persona much easier. When you are developing your persona, remember to be real. You are under no obligation to share personal details about yourself, but everything that you do share must be genuine. Never make up facts, statistics, or tell lies. Fact checking has become easier than ever, and lies will do nothing to improve your brand’s reputation.
Estimated Time
7 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce the concept of being real. It’s a Moving Target
Topic Summary Discuss the purpose of being real. Materials Required
Flipchart/board and marker
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
As a group, discuss branding and persona. Make a list of ideas on the flipchart/board that help brands become real. Draw from examples in popular culture.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
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Review Questions
What is the key to personal branding?
SWOT Analysis In defining yourself, it is helpful to perform a SWOT analysis. By identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, you will be able to define your brand and understand what you have to offer. You will also identify areas that need improvement.
Strengths: Strengths are internal characteristics that create a competitive advantage. For example, accounting skills would be a strength.
Weaknesses: Internal weaknesses that need to be improved. Disorganization would be an example of a weakness.
Opportunities: Opportunities are external. There are always opportunities for you to take advantage in the marketplace. Education would be an example of an opportunity.
Threats: External threats cannot be controlled, but they may be addressed in your opportunities. Competition with a more relevant skill set is a threat.
A SWOT analysis will be unique to each person or business. Taking a moment to honestly assess your situation will allow you to complete a personal SWOT analysis.
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce the SWOT analysis. Practice
Topic Summary Practice creating a SWOT analysis. Materials Required
02-SWOT
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the worksheet individually. Share your answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
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Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What does a SWOT analysis identify?
Case Study Sean created a new startup business. At first, everything seemed to be going well, and sales were 20% higher than he originally projected. Unfortunately, a dissatisfied customer began making life miserable. The customer had demanded a refund, but Sean refused because there was nothing wrong with the product. Soon, he found comments online that he had poor customer service, warning people away from his product. Sean was sure that the problem would go away on its own, but his sales fell 30% the next month.
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Topic Objective
Outline the Defining Yourself (I) case study. Case study
Topic Summary Discuss the importance of taking control of a brand’s reputation. Materials Required
None
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss the outcome of the case study. What should Sean have done differently?
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
Why was the customer unhappy?
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Module Two: Review Questions 1. How will you be branded if you do not brand yourself? a) b) c) d)
By your work By the market By the law You will not be branded
You need to brand yourself. The market will brand you if you do not. 2. What is necessary to manage a public reputation? a) b) c) d)
Monitoring Market Mantra Personal branding
It is important to manage your public reputation. Personal branding helps manage a public reputation. 3. How many words is a mantra? a) b) c) d)
3 to 5 1 to 3 5 to 7 It does not matter
Brand mantras are brief. They are only 3 to 5 words. 4. What do you Not need to consider in a brand mantra? a) b) c) d)
Simple Communicate Strength Inspire
Strength is not necessary when establishing a mantra. The other answers need to be considered.
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5. What attracts people? a) b) c) d)
Brands Persona Authenticity Lies
People are attracted to authenticity. This is why communication needs to be honest. 6. What has become easier? a) b) c) d)
Strength Fact checking Opportunity Threat
Fact checking has become easier to do. Lies are easier to discover. 7. What is a positive internal influence? a) b) c) d)
Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat
Strengths and weaknesses are internal characteristics. The other answers are external characteristics. 8. What is a negative external influence? a) b) c) d)
Strength Weakness Opportunity Threat
Opportunities and threats are external characteristics. The other answers are internal characteristics.
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9. How far were sales above projection at first? a) b) c) d)
20% 10% 25% 30%
The sales were originally 20% above expectations. This fell after a customer was ignored. 10. How far did sales fall after a negative online comment? a) b) c) d)
20% 10% 25% 30%
Sales fell 30%. They were originally 20% above projections, which brings the sales down to 10% below projections.
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When you brand yourself properly, the competition becomes irrelevant. Dan Schwabel
Module Three: Defining Yourself (II) In order to define yourself, you need to know yourself. Identifying your core values, passions, and strengths will help you realize what you need to communicate in your brand. Once you understand what you have to offer, it will be possible to create a brand image that is both honest and positive. Defining yourself will allow others to see you clearly.
Pillars In branding, your pillars are your main values. They are the attributes that help define your identity. In order to identify your pillars, you must ask yourself what you stand for and what your core values are. Your pillars are not what you have to offer; they explain how you offer what you have. For example, you may offer years of sales experience, but your pillar could be offering an honest and authentic sales experience. Remember that there are no correct or incorrect pillars; they simply need to reflect your core values. Ask yourself what you stand for and make a list of ideas. Then, choose the main values and link them to what your brand has to offer. It is best to begin branding with one or two pillars. You can always expand in the future.
Estimated Time
8 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce pillars in branding. Pillars
Topic Summary Practice identifying pillars. Materials Required
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03-Pillars
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the worksheet individually. Share your answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What are pillars in branding?
Passions Your brand should reflect your passions. Ask yourself the following questions to identify your passions:
What do you care about? What drives you? What do you consider your passions?
Remember to list all of your passions, not just the ones that are obviously related to work. If the only passion you communicate is the desire to increase sales, you appear boring and work obsessed. People know that there is more to you than your work. Your brand needs to personalize you to other people, so a passion for art, family, or the environment could only contribute to your brand. You are bound to attract people with similar passions. You can also find ways to incorporate your passions into your work.
Estimated Time
8 minutes
Topic Objective
Explore the importance of defining passions. Passions
Topic Summary Consider real world citizenship. Materials Required
04-Passions
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Complete the worksheet individually. Share your answers with the rest of the class.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
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Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What questions help identify your passions?
Define Your Strengths Branding requires you to identify your strengths, which you already visited in your SWOT analysis. Your strengths, however, are essential in your branding, so it is important that you do not overlook any of them. It is easy to overlook personal strengths by focusing on desired attributes. Making this mistake can be disastrous and keep you from realizing your potential. Remember to consider your natural talent when finding your personal strengths. What comes easily to you? What do you do better than other people? Also, consider aspects of your character that are natural strengths. For example, self-control, trustworthiness, and intelligence are all strengths that define you and your brand.
Estimated Time
8 minutes
Topic Objective
Examine how different strengths shape brands. Define Your Strengths
Topic Summary Consider your strengths. Materials Required
Flipchart/board and marker
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
As a group, share natural attributes and talents that are appealing in a brand. List these on the flipchart/board.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
Where have you already identified strengths?
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The Three Cs When establishing your brand, you must remember the three Cs: Clarity, Consistency, and Constancy. Whether you are creating a personal or business brand, you will find the three Cs extremely useful. Clarity: Your brand needs to be clear about what you do and do not represent. Are you a risk-taker or do you represent stability? Are you creative or analytical? If there is any ambiguity in your branding, you will confuse people and cause disappointment. Consistency: Once you have clearly established your brand identity, it is important that you remain consistent. Consistency requires that you present yourself in the same light each time you communicate your brand. This consistency needs to be in your stated values and made visible in your actions. Constancy: Your brand requires constancy, meaning that it is visibly dependable. Once you define your brand, commit to it.
Estimated Time
8 minutes
Topic Objective
Introduce the three Cs. The Three Cs
Topic Summary Consider the three Cs. Materials Required
Flipchart/board and marker
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Have everyone take a minute to consider the three Cs. Ask the class experiences where violating the three Cs made them lose respect for a brand. What actions violate the three Cs? List these on the board/flipchart.
Stories to Share
Share any personal, relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
What are the three Cs?
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Case Study Ashley was given an exercise at work to help her define her strengths. Every time that she thought of a strength, she thought again and decided that it really wasn’t. Nothing that she considered a strength was related to her job description. Additionally, she thought about all of the traits that successful people at work had that she lacked. By the end of the exercise, Ashley was convinced that she had no strengths. She lied on the answers by choosing strengths that she would like to have rather than the ones that she actually possessed.
Estimated Time
5 minutes
Topic Objective
Outline the Defining Yourself (II) case study. Case Study
Topic Summary Discuss why Ashley had problems identifying her strengths. Materials Required
None
Planning Checklist
None
Recommended Activity
Discuss the outcome of the case study. What would have helped Ashley identify her strengths honestly?
Stories to Share
Share any personal relevant stories.
Delivery Tips
Encourage everyone to participate.
Review Questions
Why did Ashley believe that her strengths were not strengths?
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Module Three: Review Questions 1. What is useful for establishing pillars? a) b) c) d)
Discussion Passions Brainstorming Nothing
Pillars are core values. Brainstorming helps identify pillars. 2. What do pillars reflect? a) b) c) d)
Core values Consistency Interest Brand
Pillars need to reflect core values. They are essential for a brand. 3. What should your brand reflect? a) b) c) d)
Nothing Passions Interests Strengths
Your brand needs to reflect your passions. First, you need to identify your passions. 4. What is true of passions in your brand? a) b) c) d)
They should only be work related You should not express them They should be professional They should include all passions
All of your passions need to be included in your brand. Do not limit them to work related passions.
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5. What should you consider when identifying strengths? a) b) c) d)
Weakness Natural talent Mistakes All of the above
Strengths are essential to branding. Natural talent should not be overlooked when identifying strengths. 6. Focusing on which of the following will distract from your strengths. a) b) c) d)
Nothing Passion Interests Desired attributes
Questionable activity puts a computer at risk. Logging onto questionable websites increases the risk of a virus. 7. What needs to be clear in your brand? a) b) c) d)
What you do and do not represent What you represent What you do not represent Everything
Clarity is part of the three Cs. Your brand needs to be clear about what it does and does not represent. 8. What makes the brand visibly dependable? a) b) c) d)
Consistency Clarity Constancy Nothing
Constancy makes the brand visibly dependable. Clarity and consistency are the other 3 Cs.
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9. Why was Ashley evaluating her strengths? a) b) c) d)
Work exercise Personal growth Curiosity No reason
Ashley was evaluating her strengths for and exercise at work. She was not naturally curious. 10. How did Ashley answer the questions on her exercise? a) b) c) d)
She told the truth She copied someone else’s answers She lied She did not
Ashley answered the questions. She lied.
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