When I became a partner at my marketing consulting firm 20 years ago, I didn’t think of myself as a brand ambassador. I thought it was enough to list my title and perform excellent work.
While credibility and quality results are important for sustainable leadership, the age of information (and now AI) require more of us.
We have entered a period of increased personalization as well as a search for authentic experiences. For branding and marketing, it’s an exciting and changing time. Admittedly, we’re always adapting, but digital channels are accelerating these changes.
- People increasingly get their news from social media. To stay in front of their target audiences, leaders must be visible online and share their knowledge through social media.
- When asked why they choose a firm, people say it’s the personal relationships, but they spend over half their time researching content before reaching out to a service provider. To be visible during this buyer qualification phase, competitive firms and leaders must present their brand well on digital channels through differentiated messaging and design.
- Branding must go beyond the leadership table. People resonate with individuals online more than companies, particularly through social channels but also through bios and public relations. This one-to-many influence requires everyone to think about the firm’s reputation and their role in it.
To manage this change, we have to consider the fundamental questions that our clients and our younger professionals are asking:
Who can I trust?
Does this brand deliver on expectations…or even exceed my expectations?
Is my life or work improved by this relationship?
It’s very personal.
As leaders in engineering, especially market leaders, being a brand ambassador takes on renewed significance for visibility and new business. Why? Blame it on those algorithms. You must be visible online to be an effective brand ambassador. And people trust the endorsements of other people more than advertising.
Here are three simple ways to shine as a brand ambassador for your engineering firm. It will enhance your career, but it will also help you build new connections that sustain the company pipeline and your talent bench.
1. Develop Your Personal Brand
I used to share my title as an introduction. Now I use my purpose. I own a firm, but I’m primarily a brand strategist and consultant. My social profile and bio tell people that immediately.
How do you deliver great outcomes? What makes you light up when you talk about your work? Within that exploration is your personal brand.
Quick Tips: Craft a simple description that explains how you create results. Share it across your digital channels like LinkedIn and through your personal introductions at a business training or happy hour. Are you skilled at team collaboration, quality control, safety, design? What do you deliver and also LOVE to deliver? That’s your brand with personalization behind it. It will resonate more with people than your job title.
2. Go Beyond the Work
When I’m in a public or professional setting, I always pay attention to appearance. How I dress for a meeting and how I listen to people are signs of my brand.
People pick up on nonverbal cues faster than spoken ones. If you appear scattered or uninterested in the other person, they will translate that to your company. Instead, think about the person in front of you rather than the transaction.
Quick Tips: Try to remember details that matter to the other person. Congratulate them on their personal or professional success. Ask about their pets or their family. Offer condolences for personal loss. Send a quick note to check in. Be human and connect beyond the work.
3. Represent in Your Community
Many AEC firms host service projects or sponsor community events and conferences to stay connected to the industries and clients they serve. However, there is decreasing involvement among leaders on boards and committees.
How do I know this? My agency often writes bios and social media profiles for AEC professionals. Far fewer people have much to say about their individual volunteer positions than they did five or 10 years ago.
You can really stand out by sharing your personal interests and passions within the communities you serve. It will enrich your life while also demonstrating that you care beyond the work of your firm.
These community interactions are valuable to the firm and your career if you are willing to put in the extra work on these relationships. The opportunities are endless! It also makes you more interesting as you create new business relationships.
Quick Tips: For individual community outreach, it helps if the organizations you choose match your personal interests and passions. For example, if your kids are in youth sports, consider being a coach. If you appreciate animal welfare, look into a committee to help with fundraising or special adoption days. If you love to ski or snowboard, then serve on the board of a winter sports organization.
Take these steps toward brand ambassadorship. I promise, you’ll love it…and people will love you!
About the Author:
Dawn Wagenaar is a brand strategist and owner of Ingenuity Marketing Group, LLC in St. Paul, Minnesota. Ingenuity works with AEC firms across the country on their brand and growth strategies through a team of in-house consultants and creatives.
Dawn is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) and has been a featured speaker and panelist at local and Midwest educational events through SMPS.
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