How to Sell Yourself with Cindy McGovern
Cindy McGovern is the founder of Orange Leaf Consulting and author of the new book\xa0Sell Yourself, which helps people create authentic personal brands that they can live day in and day out. We discussed how to do this work and how it intersects with organizational brands this week on the On Brand podcast.\n\nAbout Dr. Cindy McGovern\nDr. Cindy McGovern\xa0is the founder of Orange Leaf Consulting, which helps organizations, entrepreneurs, and individuals create dynamic and robust sales processes. Before launching her business, McGovern was a college professor of communication as well as a successful sales professional. She has worked with hundreds of organizations of all sizes and specialties across the globe and is now one of the most sought-after business and sales authorities.\n\xa0\nEpisode Highlights\n\u201cPersonal branding IS challenging,\u201d Cindy clarified early on. \u201cIt\u2019s holding up a mirror. A personal brand represents who you are, how you behave, what you say, how you react to others and how they react to you. A personal brand is how you present yourself to the world.\u201d\nWhat are the three critical components in creating a successful personal brand?\n\n\nCreate. If you don\u2019t devote some time and thought to creating a personal brand, or if you think you don\u2019t need one, then the people you interact with will create one for you. They might not create the same one you would like to have. So it is crucial to deliberately create a brand that is authentic and that you will be able to live day in and day out.\n\n\nLive. Simply creating a brand will not help you at all unless you live it consistently. If your brand is \u201cnice,\u201d be nice\u2014all the time. If it\u2019s \u201cprofessional,\u201d don\u2019t let your professional guard down\u2014ever, at least in public.\n\n\nSell. If you create an authentic personal brand and live it like it\u2019s who you are, it will be easy to sell others on believing you can live up to your brand. Selling your brand is the same as selling yourself. But it takes some planning, effort, and a conscious choice to rely on your brand to sell yourself.\n\nCindy shared further detail about each during the show.\nHow do personal brands connect with organizational brands? These two should work well together but it can be a challenging conversation. \u201cAt the end of the day, the organization is stronger for it if everyone brings their best selves to work,\u201d Cindy notes.\nWhat brand has made Cindy smile recently? Are you ready for something shocking? Cindy smiled recently from an experience with an airline. And it was a good smile too! Learn what United did to make Cindy smile this week on the show.\nTo learn more, check out Cindy's website and her book Sell Yourself.\nAs We Wrap \u2026\n\n\nListen and subscribe\xa0at\xa0Apple Podcasts,\xa0Spotify,\xa0Amazon/Audible,\xa0Google Play,\xa0Stitcher,\xa0TuneIn,\xa0iHeart,\xa0YouTube, and\xa0RSS.\n\n\nRate and review the show\u2014If you like what you\u2019re hearing, be sure to head over to\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0and click the 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review to help others find the show.\n\n\nDid you hear something you liked on this episode or another?\xa0Do you have a question you\u2019d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.\n\n\nOn Brand is a part of the\xa0Marketing Podcast Network.\n\n\nUntil next week, I\u2019ll see you on the Internet!\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices