You Can’t Fake It Forever
By: Brand Builders Group
Tags: Marketing, Business, Personal Branding, Reputation

In my blog, The Reputation Formula, I briefly mentioned some people have mastered the art of the ‘humble brag.’ What I’ve learned is that there are two types of people; those who want to make a difference while making a profit and those who ACT like they want to make a difference but really just care about the profit.

It is your choice to decide what aligns with your belief system and values. But, for me, I prefer those who care about making a difference while making a profit.

What’s challenging is that often times it is hard to differentiate the two especially if you do not have personal experience with the person. There are two things that I find comfort in and believe in my core. The first is, if you suck in private, you will suck in public… eventually. With technology today, it is getting more and more difficult to live a double life which is awesome for those who really are awesome.

The second thing I truly believe is that patterns don’t lie. Here are 3 patterns to look for.

Pattern 1: When they have the attention of an audience, they always promote themselves first and often.

Do they exaggerate their success?

Do they always make themselves the lead character of their stories?

Do they tell the same stories over and over again becauåse they haven’t done anything worthwhile of a new story?

Do they publicly give credit to those who are doing the behind the scenes work or to their audience more than they give themselves credit?

Do they find ways to insert themselves into meetings when someone else can easily teach the same lesson and provide the same value?

Pattern 2: They are master manipulators and terrible communicators. This pattern is often difficult to uncover unless you have had conversations and personal experiences with the person.

Do they ask leading questions to encourage people to agree with them without asking questions to explore other’s feelings, thoughts and opinions?

Do they contradict themselves and then act confused when someone asks for clarification?

Do they twist your words and abuse their position?

Do they prefer to e-mail responses vs picking up the phone and having a conversation?

Do they pressure people to make decisions that they are not ready to make?

ALSO: The Reputation Formula: Our Article In SUCCESS Magazine

Pattern 3: Their actions do not line up with their words.

Do they continually practice what they preach and is their evidence that can back it up without them speaking it?

Do they use contractual obligations to avoid sensible conversations?

Do they promote other brands of value or just brands that will pay them?

Do they use intimidation in private and support in public?

Do they include people in conversation but exclude them in connection?

Please notice that none of these examples, did I use the word ‘you.’ It’s important to pay attention to these examples when it comes to people and not just yourself. When you focus just on your personal interaction, it is easy to miss. If you look at the big picture, you will discover someone’s patterns.

One of the areas I have seen this happen often is with leaders of companies. Often times, their ‘success’ within the company is based on the quality of their numbers and not the depth of their relationships. The unfortunate part of this is the negative reputation of one leader, impacts the reputation of many.

This is one of the reasons why we believe at Brand Builders Group that your reputation is more important than revenue. If you want to take control of your reputation, raise your cache and build something that no one can take from you, request a free call.

http://thebrandbuildersgroup.com/you-cant-fake-it-forever/