Personal Branding is about Fashion

I recently presented my pitch on personal branding at two lunch time events in Sunnyvale.  On the first occasion I wore tan corduroy pants with the shirt you see above.  And more recently I wore black pants with the same shirt.   I didn't really think too much about it except that I know this is a good color on me.

I started a small buzz when people realized that the business cards I was handing out before the event matched my shirt.  I had several people remark about it to my surprise. I have been dressing up a bit lately since I shifted from being a software architect to being a business development social media evangelist who just happens to be an expert in personal branding.
We should never discount the impact color and style can make with other people.   Color and probably fashion can play an important factor in developing your personal brand.   I like a strong emotional color like orange - because if feels like me - articulate, personable, and warm.   Companies pay huge amounts of money to get their brand colors just right.  In my case my wife Jacquelyn paid a couple of hundred dollars to get my colors done so that she could shop for me.   I learned alot about how to use my eye extension colors in my tie - when going on an interview.   But to tell you the truth - I usually just select things I like - but more often than not it a good color for me too.  
When I want to make an impression about my personality I like wearing things with some color.  In contrast I love grey - but its not the best color to project my enthusiasm or my emotion. 
My wife by the way used to work for Oracle and we always remarked how many employees there wore black.   I always thought that made Oracle more intellectual than emotional.  So I guess if you dont make you living connecting with others - the neutral colors are fine.
Knowing about yourself and the colors you look good in helps promote your brand.  And in my case Ive noticed Im more confident when wearing comfortable but stylish clothing.  And you never want someone to think that your are "Out of Style" Just as its important to stay current in your profession - its important both to have a memorable style while not reminding people of the 70's.
Living at the nexus of Technology, Service, Marketing and Evangelism

The Well Branded Business Card

Ive seen many a business card in my day.  Mostly all forgetable.  When I meet someone interesting and get their card I usually invite them to join me on Linkedin as soon as I get home.  The card gets tossed into a stack of other business cards never to be retrieved again. Sometimes after a large event I have a card for someone who I cant remember.  Nothing on the card jogs my memory particularly if I havent made any notes.

Your business card needs to stand out just as your brand needs to stand out. It needs to be memorable so the reciever takes a look at it before slipping it into their pocket. Ive compiled a short list of branding business card tips.

• Use a personal image if you feel comfortable with that.  This allows the person to remember you later.  We remember faces more than specific conversations.
• Use a color on your card to make it pop.   A colored card will stand out in a sea of plain white cards.
• Some cards are noticiable because they are a different size.  Im not crazy about the tiny or the larger cards because they dont fit into my stack of cards.  But I have to admit that its memorable.
• Dont use glossy print that someone cant write on.  Often times I make notes on the card after the conversation.  A glossy card looks good but if you cant write on it - then its defeating the purpose. 
• Dont use up every single bit of space on your card - front and back - since this will leave no room to take notes.
• Use a tagline that summarizes your brand.  Mine is "simplify organize finish".  I cant tell you how many people have remarked about it.
• Include your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin urls so that they can connect with you later.
• Include the usually stuff - but think about keeping it sparse.  Name, email and phone are the basics.
• I have seen the back of a card used to great effect - listing special skills like a mini resume.  This could be effective for a job hunter - but mostly I think its overkill.
• There is nothing wrong with inexpensive business cards that you get from VistaPrint.com. But pay to have their information not printed on the back.  Dont use a generic template - I can spot them a mile away.
• My friend Scott Monfort prints high quality custom business cards for specific events. He includes his image and the name of the event.  Later a person will remember meeting Scott at the event - even months later.
• I like to see a bit of personality in a business card - just like a good brand. My friend David Paktor has a wonderfully memorable card that uses a bug caught in a trap and the words "The Bug Stops Here" - he is a great software developer.
• The design of your card should reflect what you do.  My friend Katherine Spencer is a visual designer and uses drafting-like drawings to help other connect with her and her brand.
• If you print your cards yourself at home - make sure that everything is nicely formatted and that its not obvious that its homemade.  Sometimes its worth the money to just get some printed in order to protect your brand and the impression others have of you.
• And lastly - never show up to a networking event without your cards. 

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