Step into my time machine! We are going to travel 5,000 years to the past. More probably than not, we will find human beings similar to us. However, one significant difference is that they’ll live in small groups and tribes of tens and hundreds. People in these groups will have each other’s backs. They’ll protect each other from wild animals, other warring tribes and poisonous mushrooms. They’ll find it easy to trust each other because their grandfathers used to hunt together or their siblings married each other. This arrangement made it easy to foster trust, belonging and security.

This is juxtaposed against the modern era, where people live in cities with millions of people and conduct business across a global market with people they have never met. But because we are still basically the same human beings, we need to foster belonging and trust with the people we conduct business with. Maybe they will not protect you from a warring tribe, but atleast it means they will not swindle you out of your money.

This begs the question, “how can I get people outside my immediate group and tribe to trust me?” Well, Personal Branding and Networking will help you go a long way!

Personal branding is a self-marketing strategy that helps people understand who you are, what type of work you do and what opportunities you are looking to cease. Conversely, networking is the process of interacting with others to exchange information and create relationships.

Why are networking and personal branding important?

1. It helps build trust with your target audience
2. It helps you and your products stand out
3. It expands your sphere of influence and opportunities

Why are your current networking and personal branding efforts failing?

1. You lack focus
2. You’re chasing fame and not value
3. You lack patience
4. You’re trying to please everyone

How can you enhance your brand?

1. Be consistent
2. Have a target audience in mind
3. Be authentic

How can you grow your network?

1. Reach out to people with a specific “ask” (Don’t just say hi)
2. Respect peoples boundaries
3. Be bold