Brand Attraction: How “Attractive” Is Your Brand?

• personal charm:

• the action or power of drawing forth a response :

• a force acting mutually between particles of matter, tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation:

• something that attracts or is intended to attract people by appealing to their desires and tastes 

Personal charm may sound fluffy and crazy, but not really. I’m not asking you to go to charm school.  Think of all the people you like, and have, as your colleagues.  How many of them would you say you found “charming” and drew you to them?

The definition even includes a scientific component involving particles and matter.  Why? Because there is true science to the law of having a brand that attracts.  When your brand has attraction, it’s as if there is a certain undeniable “force” pulling others to you and keeping them mesmerized by you.  And I’m talking about in the business setting.

I remember when I went from being a lawyer to running a personal branding company.  That was over eight years ago.  I was in utter shock at how people would flock to listen to what I had to say. ME! The same person who as a lawyer drew nowhere near that many followers and fans.  Over time, I learned it really was this “force” that made my brand work.

The last part of the definition is about appealing to peoples’ desires and tastes.  If this wasn’t true, the products industry, including Coke, Starbucks and Zappos, would be bankrupt.  Effective personal brands understand that we are emotional beings and operate by being emotionally drawn to other people and their brands. This attraction happens by knowing what I like (my tastes) and what I want (my desires).

I remember my days of practicing law. I never ever consciously focused on anything other than being a good securities lawyer.  If you would have told me to work on my brand, focus on emotions and being more emotionally attractive, I would have thought you were crazy.  Back then, there was no focus on these concepts, sadly.

What was true, though, was that I naturally operated this way.  I liked my clients and colleagues and enjoyed interacting outside of the substantive work. Operating this way as a lawyer got me seen, heard and promoted regularly.

I realize the hard part here- as professionals, we do our substantive work and believe that is all that it takes to be seen and heard as a great brand.  After all, we’re professionals with thriving careers.  We are not experts on how to win over others with our charm.

Nothing is further from the truth.  I think in order to gauge our attractiveness as a brand, we need to take the entire definition above into account.

Stop and think for yourself- how could your brand have more attraction power:

• How “charming” are you? Where can you do better? If you have no idea, be self-aware of how your brand goes over.
• Does your brand have power to elicit a positive response from others? How can you be better? Consider each and every meeting a practice ground.
• Are you irresistible and draw people in? What’s one thing you can do to be different in this regard? Remember, slow and steady wins the game.
• Are you aware of others desires and tastes? Do you take others into account at work? If not, how can you be better?