Personal Branding

A couple of weeks ago, we had a guest workshop at the New Zealand School of Music on personal branding. As musicians, when we're done studying we're going to have to figure out how to get work, be it gigs, teaching, or getting people to come to our recitals and performances. This not only applies to classical musicians, singers, jazz and rock bands, but also to people outside the music field who work under more independent conditions like writers, actors, and business owners.

The idea is that everyone has their own unique perspective on what they do, so no two people, even though they have a lot in common and may do the same thing, (like playing the viola) have the same things to offer. What you've got to do to have an edge over competition is play to your strengths as well as highlight what is different and special about you - what sets you apart from the crowd. As Personal Branz (the company who came and held the workshop) says on their Facebook page, it "moves you from being insecure to indispensable" when you have found your niche, and are offering to fulfill a need the way that only you can do best.

Handouts from the lecture

We first explored what our strengths were by finding three words that define ourselves. Then we expanded on that by defining what we do and what we aspire to do. The way to get people's attention right from the start is to tell people about the results of what you do. Their example was that if someone asks an author of children's books, "What do you do?" and the author responded with, "I stimulate the minds of children to help them learn and enjoy reading" it is much more interesting and specific than saying "I'm a writer." It will also lead to further questions, like "how do you stimulate the minds of children?" which then leads you to further explanation, and potential business connections.

So, instead of saying "I'm a musician" or "I'm in a band", we should say things like "I'm part of a virtuosic violists movement, encouraging the performance of beautiful and difficult music and showing people it's possible to go beyond expectations and do difficult things" or "we expose New Zealand roots music to the wider public, as it's a great and valuable genre that needs more recognition".

Seems a little strange and even a bit over the top when you're trying to say things like that straight away in a real conversation, but you can see how it would get real results, as opposed to giving generic answers people have heard time and time again and aren't really interested in.
Definitely something to think about!

The lecture from Personal Branz was actually partly the inspiration for me to start this blog, as a space for me to use my writing strengths together with my passion for music and communicate my own personal brand. You can check them out on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/PersonalBranz