NeoCon is just days away. So let’s talk about personal brand.

You may be asking… ‘what is personal brand’. Think of it as what people say about you after they meet you. What do you stand for? What would your friends say is most memorable about you?  What do you want to be remembered for this NeoCon?

Do you want to be the guy who wore cool socks and responded with ‘I’m fantastic and feeling astonishingly glorious,’ when asked ‘how are you?’.  Or do you want to be the guy that wore a black suit, blue tie and was addicted to his cell phone?

Now, those are very different extremes, but… let’s take a second to reflect. When you meet someone for the first time you have 7 seconds to make a first impression.

SEVEN SECONDS.

That’s it! So how to make those 7 seconds count. How do you get this audience to buy into you. To get you and want to know more?

1. BE AUTHENTIC – we are living in a world where we want REAL. We want to see real faces, real hair, real emotion, we want to know more about YOU and what makes you amazing. We’re all human – we desire to connect. Don’t be afraid to talk about your family, have photos of your kids, your dog… whatever your passion may be. Embrace it, be open and don’t think twice about it. And remember to smile!
2. PUT DOWN THE PHONE – I think we are all over the feeling an electronic device is more important than a living, breathing human. Be mindful about your cell use. Remember you are at this show to connect with others. Use the cell sparingly and be mindful each time you pick up your phone… do you really need to check your email? Does that text need an immediate reply? If you find yourself needing discipline, make a promise to check it each hour, or at certain times throughout the day. But schedule them with yourself and keep the appointment!
3. BE KIND – Spark up conversations with others. Ask them about themselves or pay them a compliment and truly engage before attacking them with a sale. Remember, people buy from people they like and people they trust. Building the relationship is more important than trying to shove product selling down their throat.
4. HAVE SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU STAND OUT – Maybe you wear something bold, or maybe you dress down. Maybe you have an awesome business card that stands out from he rest. Think about what you plan to wear, can you step up your game? How about wearing that dress with a great pattern and color vs the standard black dress. For men, maybe you wear a purple tie vs your traditional red tie. Maybe you choose to sport chucks instead of your traditional dress shoe. Think about what you plan to wear and think about what you want to be remembered for and align the two.
5. MEMORABLE HANGOUT – Buyers and vendors value experiences. Book dinner at great restaurant that gives your clients a cool new and different experience. Maybe you take them to one of the great pizza houses in Chicago and experience deep dish pie the Chicago way. There’s the Chicago-dog too… or perhaps you skip traditional dinner and take your guests out for dessert.

MAKE THOSE SEVEN SECONDS WORK FOR YOU.

What do you want people to think about you after they have met you?

At the end of the day – put yourself in the shoes of your audience. Think about what you would like to see, who you would like to talk to and what would make you think someone was being genuine with you in a first-time meeting. Just being mindful of this and asking yourself these questions will help you stay present and truly engage with your audiences.

Let’s start a conversation! Comment and let us know how you plan to make the best first impression at NeoCon.