The Networking-Test

What do They Call You? Do you know?

I'd like you to think back to the last time you were at a business mixer and this guy you used to work with introduced you to their business friend.

What did he say about you?

Was it what you wanted to hear? Or did it make you cringe and silently question that other person’s intelligence?

If the latter, then it’s time to make some changes, and to actively position yourself. Because although that might be nice, it’s not their job to figure you out. It’s yours.

Back in the day, when I was working as a journalist, we were always reminded that it was up to us to put in the work to make the reader’s experience easy. We were surprised to find out that easy to read articles are actually the hardest to write. But of course it makes sense—in order to express yourself concisely, you need to put in the thinking and distill your story down to its essential points. Then you begin your story with those.

Only after you managed to grasp your readers attention can you then add in more details and flesh everything out.

So back to you.

What is your story? What are the essential parts of you?

Spend some time digging deep and decide how you want to get introduced, and from now on consistently and confidently introduce yourself like that. People will pick it up happily, because you’re making it easy for them, and they will become your brand cheerleaders.

It’s the same with all aspects of creating your own personality based brand.

Be the metaphorical journalist so you can write your own story and don’t leave everything up to chance. Because to nobody else is your life as important as it is to you.

Decide what you want for your future, and what kind of person you need to be NOW to make it happen. Then it’s time to position yourself. And I hope you will. Because the next time I ask you what they call you, I want you to smile.