The other day I overheard some people speaking about me. I was both surprised and grateful for what they had to say.
A few days later I spoke with some colleagues about someone we had just met, and we were deciding whether to do business with him. The outcome was that we will not be dealing with him in the future. This was much more because of our impression of him as a person rather than the offer on the table.
“Your Brand is What People Say About You When You’re Not in the Room” Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.
What is the reputation that arises from how people report on their interactions with you?
What impression do you leave by how you act, what you say, and what can be found online about you?
What decisions do people make about you when you are not in the room?
You really DO need to know who you are when you are not there.
People develop an avatar in their mind that represents you, who they think you are, and how they expect you to behave. In a sense, that avatar is your brand to them. When they think of you, they think of that avatar which is a mere shadow, and possibly a distorted shadow, of who you are.
If you behave as they expect given their avatar version of you, they congratulate themselves on their ability to read people. If you don’t, they will accuse you of being inauthentic because you are not conforming to your brand promise in their mind.
Think about what that means to you, and to them, and to your relationships.
You really DO need to know who you are when you are not there.
My best wishes, Paul
