Everything is in the name  

Step out of the woodwork, get a good brand name and a good reputation to help you network better

By Michael Lum

Calvin Klein, Body Shop, YSL, Ferrari — these are brand names known the world over.

How do you become a household name? Can you brand yourself? Why does one person succeed while another fail? How can you make your clients remember you?

You can brand yourself, and the principles of branding a product or service can be applied here.

Use your name

The second sweetest sound in the world is your name, the first being the ringing of the cash register. If your name is short, easy to pronounce and recall, you have an advantage. Some people even choose to have designer names — which are unique and easy to remember.

How do you get people to remember you and contact you? One way is to invest in a set of name cards. Get your name cards professionally designed and printed. Instant printers often do not measure up. Money spent in quality name cards is well worth it. People will take a second look at your card if it is well-designed. A badly-printed or badly-designed card only reflects your values and standards. Be innovative in your card design.

Be known for your work

What skills and services do you want others to recognise you for? Be passionate and focused in your area. In this age of changing technology, you have to be a specialist, not a generalist.

You can be a Jack of all trades, if you insist, but be a specialist in one. Attend seminars in your chosen area and if possible, secure professional certification.

Have a website

Over the last five decades, there have been significant technological developments. In the 1950s, television ruled our lives and in the ’60s, the mainframe computer was the most talked about business asset. The personal computer was a toy everyone had to have in the ’80s and the ’90s saw the start of Internet and its incursion in daily lives.

With the Internet being so pervasive, you can set up a dedicated website to promote your name, strengths, experiences and your services. Let the whole world know what wonderful works you have done, both professionally and socially. It is easy and convenient for prospective employers and clients to check your website.

The most valuable domain is .com. If it is not available, try .net, .org, .biz, or .info. If you can use your name as your domain name, you get extra mileage.

Post your photographs, job experiences, family, educational background, special skills, personal strengths and your leisure activities on the Web.

You may feel awkward at first, but over time, you will get used to seeing yourself and your personal information posted on the site.

Net-webbing

You may be the best person in the industry. But if no one knows you, you will not get the business or the job. It is not how good you are but rather, how visible you are. Who knows you is more important than who you know. Start net-webbing, or networking as it is better known. Attend talks, workshops, meetings, product launches and exhibitions. Learn to create positive impressions with your dressing, body language and even the way you talk. Smile, make eye contact, shake hands, communicate and give your name cards, but do not be too pushy or intrusive. Remember, people form their first impressions of you in the first eight seconds.

Be visible

Nothing is more powerful and impactful than media exposure in magazines, newspapers, television and radio, especially if you are in a business that requires such exposure. Get yourself acquainted with the media. Learn the art of writing press releases. Engage the services of a good public relations consultant if your company needs to be seen to be performing well.

Build on your ideas

Victor Hugo once wrote, “Nothing, not even the armies of the night, can stop an idea whose time has come.” Often, the winner is the person who acts in his field first. The person with a better idea may not be the winner.

In 1994, two undergraduates at Stanford University — Jerry Yang and David Filo - founded Yahoo! an Internet search engine. In just five years, Yahoo! was worth US$114 billion (S$186.69 billion). They acted on their idea and they profited from it.

Carpe diem — sieze the day. Don’t wait, worry and wring your hands for fear of missing the details. Timing is not everything but surely, it is one of the most critical things.