Would you believe it is possible to elevate your personal brand by touting someone else? It’s true. The methodology involves the lost art of edifying.
To edify is to uplift. It is the act of shining a spotlight on the talents, skills or qualities of another in a way that builds up faith and confidence in that person. It is never shallow or patronizing. Edifying must always be done in a factual, genuine and sincere manner to be effective.
Consider this example in which two parties are meeting for the first time. On one side it’s my co-author, Emily Bennington, and me, meeting with a potential new client, Trent, a director of corporate training for an insurance company. He explains that his company is seeking a vendor to conduct a full-day seminar on professionalism and teamwork for 60 first-year employees.
Straight away, I could spend time introducing myself and attempting to impress Trent with how great I am. Or—I could edify Emily.
Choosing the latter, I proceed to tell Trent about Emily’s education and her leadership skills, citing examples like the young professionals group she led and her presidency of the Toastmasters chapter. In a very sincere, genuine manner, I would tell Trent how Emily is such a great writer and speaker … making certain to mention that she blogs for Huffington Post. (As Keith explained in his post this morning, it’s important to keep this in a conversational tone, not braggadocios or ”sales-ish.”) Wrapping up, I would be sure to emphasize her experience in recruiting and advising young professionals and how this will help her relate to Trent’s group.
How much more credible and convincing is it for Trent to hear about Emily’s greatness from me, rather than from Emily!
The edification woven into the conversation not only makes Emily look good, it is also gratifying to her ego. This tends to bolster her confidence and increase her positive energy—improving the chances for a great meeting. Finally, this approach … in a skillful, subtle manner … makes me look very good, too. Someone with Emily’s talent and credentials would not permit a slouch to be her business partner. Talent begets talent, as we all know.
If you really want to strengthen your personal brand, learn to edify. You can edify your co-worker, your boss—even your spouse or significant other. Because it is so rarely practiced, especially in social media, it offers a huge opportunity to differentiate your brand and to win respect from others. (Note: Twitter provides a great platform for edifying, given its vast reach and the prevalence of re-tweeting other people’s thoughts.) Give it a try today—online or face-to-face–and please share your experiences with us via comments.
Image courtesy buildatimberframe.com
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