Imagine two attractively wrapped gift boxes. Color schemes are striking. Bows are shaped well. Corners are crisp. Tape is discreet. They both look good.
Upon opening, one box contains rich, perfectly shaped truffles, each sprinkled with edible gold shavings, dusted with cocoa powder, finished with an embossed sugar motif and resting in decorative pleated cups to keep them secure. The other box contains truffles, too, but they are misshapen, crushed, covered by the white haze that forms when chocolate is stored incorrectly, and stuck to one side of the box by fillings that oozed.
Who woulda thunk? From the outside, both boxes were tempting. On the inside, only one set of contents matched the quality of its exterior. The other made a great case for bait and switch.
And so it is with personal branding. Your exterior image matters. What you put out there visually affects perception. How you present can delight others, draw them to you and increase credibility. But if your personal branding stops there, then you will ultimately disappoint. Worse yet, you might even create conditions that foster resentment…and contempt.
A tyrant who looks good in a suit is still a tyrant.
Don’t be fooled by the allure of looking good if your well tailored wardrobe and manicured features are only skin deep. Quality and desire to serve well come from within. Fine wrapping is a finishing touch that should mimic what’s underneath, not camouflage mediocrity.
The best branding starts from the inside out. Do you need help matching your inside with your outside? It matters, so let’s talk….