What do you believe in? (3 Tips for your personal brand beliefs)

You process external interactions internally through the filters of your belief system. It’s also what others do when they interact with you. So, what beliefs is your personal brand communicating?

It’s likely that personally and professionally you’ve experienced that feeling of an unexpected, immediate, or lasting connection with someone. How often have you stopped to assess why? Often it’s your shared beliefs and values that unite you with your people. Understanding and communicating the beliefs of your personal brand tells the world what you represent. They are the outward expression of your values.

I drafted this blog while in Croatia. I was travelling with those of Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian heritage. My partner is Serbian, born in Bosnia. And some of his best friends are Croatian (as is one of my own best friends, though not travelling with me). If you know the embattled Balkan history, this is no small feat. Yet, despite their motherland countries’ warring past, they all share an unbreakable bond. At their core, they are united by shared beliefs and values.

Despite my Indian Malaysian heritage, these also reflect my own belief system. We can talk for hours about politics, worldviews and culture. And even with those living on the other side of the world or across Australia, be in alignment. Because we share common values. And our values unite us.

As Simon Sinek says in Start With Why:

"We are more likely to trust those who share our values and beliefs.”

When it comes to your brand, communicating your beliefs connects you with your people.

Tip #1 Finding Your People

Richard Bandler and John Grinder developed the Neuro Linguistics Programming communication model. It helps you understand how you process external information. And to use it to communicate or respond to others.

‘External events’, including pictures, sounds and feelings, are processed through your filters. Your brain’s filters include your:

• Values

• Beliefs

• Memories

• Past decisions

The process will either:

• Delete

• Distort

• Generalise

It then forms an internal representation of the external event. This internal representation, along with your physiology, creates a ‘state’, i.e. your internal emotional condition.

Your values and beliefs have the powerful ability to connect your personal brand to your people. To engage with their shared past experiences, beliefs and values.

Tip #2: The Similarity Principle

In You Are the Brand, Catherine Kaputa describes ‘The Similarity Principle’. Kaputa proposes this is one of the factors that influences your likeability in your network, saying:

“Finding common ground or relevance is a good networking tool and it also influences likeability. We like people who are similar to us in some way, whether it is personality, lifestyle, political beliefs, or an old school tie.”

One night in Croatia, my Serbian partner, his family and I visited a popular restaurant. Once again, despite being on opposite sides of a war that still feels so recent to many, there was an instant connection with the restaurant owner.

At capacity, we observed the owner turning away several people. One potential table of eight was told ‘no chance’. As we had finished eating, my partner’s brother jumped up to offer our table to the owner. He responded with, ‘No, sit down and enjoy. What am I going to do with the extra money?’ Or so my partner translated to me.

A war between their home countries only a few decades ago killed tens of thousands and caused hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. But, on that night out, just as in my partner's friendship circles, you’d never notice. Because the similarities between all parties outweighed the differences.

Tip #3: Start With Why

Start with Why presents Sinek’s ‘Golden Circle’ theory. Sinek’s framework proposes that this is why some leaders have been able to achieve a disproportionate level of influence. Think Steve Jobs and Martin Luther King Jr.

A three-circle model, champions communicating from the inside out:

• WHY: What is your purpose, cause or belief? Why does your company exist? Why do you get out of bed every morning? Why should anyone care?

• HOW: The differentiated value proposition, propriety process or unique selling proposition.

• WHAT: Products and services or job functions within a system.

Sinek proposes all companies can articulate what they do. But become less clear as they move through the rest of the circle. So most communicate from the outside in, instead of the inside out. When communicating using Sinek’s method, the circles transform into a 3D cone - a megaphone of sorts.

Revolutionary industry changers like Apple for example, understood this, saying:

“Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently.

The way we challenge the status quo is by making out products beautifully designed, simple to use and user-friendly.

And we happen to make great computers.

Wanna buy one?”

Tip #4: The Celery Test

Why does knowing and then communicating your Why - your beliefs - matter? This is where Sinek’s ‘celery test’ comes in.

It’s a simple metaphor. You’re at a dinner party. Different people give you advice for your business. Telling you, you need M&M’s, rice milk, Oreo’s and celery. So, when you go to the supermarket, you buy them all. You spend more time and money there because you’re trying to buy everything. And, when you’re standing in line, because you bought everything, no one can see what you believe.

If you know your Why, like only doing healthy things, you’ll be more prepared. You’d leave with only the celery and rice milk. When you know your Why, every time you get advice, you’ll go to the supermarket prepared. You’ll filter your decisions through your Why.

When you’re standing in line with your products, your people, who can see what you believe, are attracted to you.

Remember, communicating your Why doesn’t need to be preachy. It’s simply about carefully weaving your belief system into your message, your visual identity and all your personal brand touch points. Even subtle cues leave clues. And your people will find you.

Tip #5: Make Your Beliefs Compelling

For your beliefs to underpin your Why and attract your people, you must be crystal clear on what they are.

As shared in my previous blog, once you understand your core values, articulate the underlying beliefs behind what they are. Do this through ‘belief statements’. Without clearly articulated beliefs, your ‘values’ lack substance. The nuance to you is what makes your personal brand personal.

The focus isn’t on creating catchy phrases. But generating powerful motivators.

It’s tempting to skip the deeper internal work, developing half-formed lacklustre “beliefs”. Remember, if you can’t spend time understanding your beliefs, why should anyone else? And if your beliefs aren’t expressed in a way you find compelling, why should they be for others?

Through your unique set of beliefs, you begin to understand your personal brand on a more meaningful level. By articulating your beliefs, you tell the world what you represent. You draw toward those who share your belief system. You find your people based on lasting common ground.

So, what do you believe in?