Personal Branding Weekly and Conference Focus - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Branding Weekly and Conference Focus - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal Branding Weekly Editor’s Note: Because I was attending New Media Expo 2013 last Sunday, I didn’t have the opportunity to fully introduce you to one of our newest authors â€" Peter Sterlacci. Peter is known as “Japan’s personal branding pioneer” and is one of only 15 Master level Certified Personal Branding Strategists in the world. He is introducing a leading global personal branding methodology to companies and careerists in Japan and adapting it for the Japanese culture. In a culture where fitting-in is the norm, his mission is to pioneer a ‘cultural shift’ by helping Japanese to stand out in a global environment. His background spans over 21 years in intercultural consulting, international outreach, and global communication coaching. Because it was a full conference week in Las Vegas, I’m still catching up so I’m happy to share and read along side with you the many great posts that published this last week. Branding Your Resume So Age Is a Non-Issue by Phil Rosenberg Introducing the Promote Yourself Podcast: Episode 1 by Dan Schawbel Do You Have a Good Side? by Nance Rosen Countdown to a New Career: 5 Rebranding Tips by Heather Huhman Feeling Lucky Wins the Game by Elinor Stutz Exploding Job Offer Can Blow Up in Your Face by Skip Freeman Every Brand is a Newsroom in 2013 by Manoush Zomorodi Three Words You Should Banish from Your Vocabulary by Jeff Shuey Branding Yourself as an Intrapreneur in a Belonging Culture by Peter Sterlacci Why Employers Respect Candidates Who Negotiate by Pete Leibman I also had a chance to meet Justin Levy at the expo. We had worked together before when he was a blogger right here so it was finally nice to put a real life face with the name and blog posts I had edited when the Personal Branding Blog first started. This week you’ll have a chance to get insights on:   how to make sure your brand is telling its story; dressing your brand part and your brand ambition level; choosing and creating your own career path and success â€" we look forward to your valuable feedback and comments! Focus on the Conference As a business owner, there are countless responsibilities that you carry around with you every day. You’ve got to focus on this or that project and yet still manage to arrive at a business meeting for lunch. The tasks may vary, but they’re always keeping you busy. This is a state of affairs that we often take with us to a conference. Unfortunately, this isn’t what you want when you’re supposed to be focused on networking and learning. While your business may be important to you, that doesn’t mean that you should let it hinder the opportunities presented at a conference. Time should be invested wisely to guarantee a successful return. Since you only have so much time to spend networking, it should be done appropriately. Consider the fact that if you’re focused on work, you probably won’t be able to make the right connections or encounter the right opportunities. So unless it’s an emergency, leave those work matters for later. Top 5 Reasons Why You Need to Put Down Your Phone and Give Your Fellow Conference Attendees Your Utmost Attention   1. If you’re distracted by phone calls, emails, or even social updates, you’ll potentially miss the highlights of the event.   Because this is time invested (likely coupled with a monetary value), you want to gain the most benefit from the opportunity. If you’re talking, you won’t be able to hear what others have to say.  2. An individual who is constantly on the phone or submerged in their laptop or smartphone doesn’t project the most professional appearance.   When at the conference, consider this as your job right now. Would you permit distractions in your workplace? No, because it hinders you from doing your job effectively. 3. You don’t want to appear rude or selfish. Answering the phone during a conversation could be interpreted as a rude gesture to your networking partners. It says that their time invested here isn’t that important to you. You may even come across as selfish, diminishing your respectability. When others see that you aren’t willing to give them your full attention, especially when it’s important, they aren’t going to associate your personal brand with one that would meet their needs and desires. 4. You’re here to do a job.   It’s important that you appear completely focused on the task at hand. If you appear focused and prepared, that’s what others are going to see in your brand. As you gain their trust and respect, they’re going to be inclined to share your brand through word of mouth, improving awareness and leading to new opportunities.  5. You’re here to learn and network with new opportunities in order to grow your brand. It’s important not to forget why you’re at a conference. While operating your business may be a high priority, focusing on the task at hand is what will ultimately decide your success and brand growth. One of my New Media Expo connections, Christopher Montoya, wrote about his experience doing just this. I can only imagine the opportunity I would have missed had I had my face in my phone at the lunch line â€" where all the great networking happened to happen. Author: Maria Elena Duron, is managing editor of the Personal Branding Blog, CEO (chief engagement officer) of  buzz2bucks.com  â€"  a word of mouth marketing firm, and a professional speaker and trainer on developing social networks that work. She provides workshops, webinars, seminars and direct services that help create conversation, connection, credibility, community and commerce around your brand.   Maria Duron is co-founder  and moderator of  #brandchat   a weekly Twitter chat focused on every aspect of branding that is recognized by Mashable as one the 15 Essential Twitter Chats for Social Media Marketers.