Never has it been so important to present yourself to your employers, colleagues and clients as somebody special and worth investing time in.
The final quarter of last year saw another dip in national construction output and with the prediction being that the economy is expected to move sideways for the first quarter of this year - it spells tough market conditions and limited project availability for most of us. [Double Dip Recession?]
If you are a graduate looking for your next placmement, a self-employed freelancer or an Engineering business owner seeking to increase both the quality and and quantity of your client base - you have lots of work to do, and it starts with Personal Branding.
Q. Why is it important to market yourself as an Engineer?A. Simple, most of us engineering types are initailly thought of as 'safety first', non-practical, nerdy and introverted. Differentiating yourself from the crowd, and making use of rare opportunities to show off your unique personality and skills are key. Be the exception.
"First impressions are the most lasting, and they both open and close doors."
Q. How do we even begin to market ourselves?
A. The first stage is to understand what it is that you are working with. Ask your friends, family, colleagues and clients to be frank with you. Have them tell you what it is that you impress upon them, their lives or their businesses. You may not fall in love with their initial comments, but take heart from those willing to take the time to help you out. As it is obvious that they are interested in continuing a relationship with you.
"Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things" - Winston Churchill.
Q. When do we begin to market ourselves?
A. Now. Take the positives from what you already learned about your personality or 'personal
brand' and amplify those sentiments using a 60 second pitch [elevator pitch], and online tools - such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and blogging etc. Practice and apply consistently your key personal selling points, and this will in time begin to form the pillar of why your clients decide to do business with you, rather than than your competitors. Give them a reason to come back rather than relying upon selling cheaper or quicker design. Every Engineer can provide that at some point in their careers.
"When networking, nothing is more essential than having a prepared 60 second pitch"
This has been [60 seconds].
Engine[er]
![Starting up an Engine[er]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_48ubt0myJl9Kc2av_Yix8HwEpZTit9DLMrmiRI2LjDYLbqNtxNz6VTsBNTgpDxOGErtF-SRLInkC-wRWFeM-LRL0N0VvpgtHxCBKGnpQ1CZBb5-wXP76Y-of8pZkYpAOR7iTm1OOE6c/s435/newblog.jpg)
Great post Glen. Very valid points.
ReplyDeletePersonal branding is so important for both the good and bad financial times to set yourself apart from the flock.
I tell this to everyone who will listen including students - including my own kids - and professionals alike. Some do it, but many don't
An important thing to note also is that you cannot generate a personal brand overnight - I takes time and effort to build up a following and respect from others. Once you do have it though it is a powerfull tool in your armoury.
It has taken me a couple of years to get my brand to where it is using all of the major tools available including Twitter/LinkedIn, Blog etc and it is only now that I am seeing the benefits.
http://about.me/noynek
Thanks for the comments Andy. You are correct - time is a factor here, and I still have a long way to go.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I am managing to generate business by pounding the pavement and meeting people.
Honing networking skills.
Would be good to talk about this in more detail once I understand more about personal branding.
I also spend a certain amount of my Breakfasts trying to persuade people that my company is the greatest thing since sliced bread - or I suppose it being breakfast Toast. Some of them seem to work better than others and as a Structural Engineer I'm never certain of the direct relevance of some of them. Indirectly I'm sure I get something, contacts of contacts etc. But it is often not possible to sell to the room.
ReplyDeleteI'm particularly thinking of the big, general, slightly Americanised ones here!! If you mend computers or print letterheads or sell flowers every one in that room is likely to need your services. As a Structural Engineer I can tell them how wonderful I am 'til I'm blue in the face but if they don't need a structural engineer they don't need one!
Paul
Thanks Paul, great point. I have found that it is all about personality. One expects that we can do our job effectively... so the rest of it is jut about gaining their trust.
DeleteI love it ans look at it as, I want more work, my network can help me if they choose to - so how can I help them to help me.
It seems to work very well :)
Sorry Paul, that last comment for full of grammatical errors... lets do it again.
DeleteThanks Paul, a great point. I have found that it is all about personality. One expects that we can do our job effectively...so the rest of it is just about gaining their trust.
I love it, and look at the problem as this; I want more work, my network can help me if they choose to - so how can I help them to help me.
It seems to work very well :)
Paul,
DeleteYou should NEVER sell to the room, thats the first rule of networking. Networking is about meeting people, fostering relationships, and letting people know what you do and why you are different from everyone else who does that job. however, never try to sell yourself to the people you are speaking to. It's a fine line but it's important to get it right and clear in your head. I do lots and lots of networking. You could try the Business Balls website as a first port of call or the BNI website.
Two points - neither terribly exciting.
ReplyDeleteFirstly my favourite marketing quote can't remember who said it "No one wants a 1/4inch drill what they really want is a 1/4inch hole!"
Secondly as a watcher of people networking events can be quite amusing - one group has rule that there has to be a referal (okay up to a point), that particular group also has a florist who would get a couple of hundred quid's worth of work in "flowers for wife/girlfriend/mother/father" from all the people who hadn't any referals but needed to keep their statistics up!!
Slightly "offtopic" but it always amuses me!!
Paul
That's a cool quote Paul. I heard it before. Similar to selling the sizzle rather than selling the sausage.
DeleteI'm guessing that you are referring to the BNI?
The referral networking which you mentioned benefits from recording statistics and making members calculable. Also if a florists get a couple of hundred pounds worth of business each week from a networking group - then that's pretty cool. Everyone is benefiting :-)
I have found that being part of a highly charged referral network - it really hones your skills and helps with networking else where too.
Also it is not all about selling your services to the room... it is about communicating to your network effectively enough so that you can gain business from their friends, colleagues and family.
Speaking as an Engineer - the challenge of priming non-construction professionals with enough of an idea about engineering so that they can refer you... is pretty enjoyable.
What do you think?