The other day, a client was talking to me about things that annoy her, including typos and misspelled words. “I’m a stickler for spell check!” she said. The phrase was jarring because it was completely at odds with my client’s personal brand.
The themes of her brand are genuine, thinker, professional and passionate. The word ‘stickler,’ however, conjured the image of being fussy, rigid, unnecessarily picky, petty and old-fashioned. That’s very off-brand!
She could have conveyed the exact same thought without undermining her brand–or her image with colleagues and coworkers. The secret is to use her brand themes. For example: I’m pretty PASSIONATE about getting details right, even down to spell-checking.
This shows her as passionate not just about a small detail like spellchecking, but about details that have a greater impact. ‘Passionate’ builds her brand equity, elevating her from a rigid focus on small things to a passionate focus on professionalism and success.
Also, remember that we hear our own stories–and are shaped by them. Hearing the story of being passionate is far more positive and transformative than hearing the story of being a stickler.
JudyKirklandBooks.com 