Branding: Why It's Important

It’s about marketing yourself. In today’s fast paced world, it’s about telling your story, telling it succinctly and telling it so people can see the benefit to them. Your brand needs to be communicated clearly: in your resume, in your pitch and in your interviews.

You know what you’re good at. You know how you’ve gotten hired in the past and you know what people have valued about your work. If you don’t know these answers, we should have a conversation. But for those who have this part nailed, you’ve already mastered the most difficult part of self marketing: knowing your product inside and outside, backwards and forwards. You know the products’ highlights and lowlights; you know what it can and cannot do. You know what it does well and what it does less well. You know yourself. This is good—because YOU are the product!

Next, create interest in the product by creating excitement around what it does. Here’s what I mean: my computer got a virus that was reaping havoc on my life. Technology is my main form of communication with the world—I need my computer! I needed someone to fix it yesterday. I called The Geek Squad, which by the way, has great marketing and hefty prices (someone has to pay for the marketing campaigns.) They responded within 24 hrs. They arrived in a Volkswagen Beetle with “Geek Squad” logos and marketing all over it. Their technicians wear “geekie clothing”: black pants, white collared shirts with thin black ties. What, no pen protector? But here’s the best part: the technician knew his stuff, absolutely! Not only did he nail the virus in no time at all, he explained everything as he went along, showing me things my computer could do that I didn’t even know about and sharing shortcuts I still use. He was friendly, professional, knowledgeable, efficient and thorough.

OK, so let’s say I’m interviewing him for a position in my technology company. He has all the techno buzzwords; he’s taken the right computer programming courses. I ask him to tell me about himself and he says:
“I’m an experienced technician and have been with the Geek Squad for 5 years. I’ve worked on a variety of computers types and am familiar with several computing languages.” OK.

Now, here’s his co-worker interviewing for the same position. I ask him to tell me about himself and he says:
“I’ve been using computers almost as long as I’m walking! My parents started me off with an Apple when I was three. Eventually I started taking them apart so I could see how they worked. My parents relaxed a bit when they saw that I could put them back together and they would work! I’m a senior technician with the Geek Squad, great place to work by the way. I’ve learned a lot from them these past 5 years, especially around advanced programming techniques and the importance of delivering outstanding customer service.”

Which one should I hire?