Imagine the pressure of pitching your big idea, but instead of standing in a typical boardroom, lights and cameras glare as you face a row of investment sharks – among them, Daymond John, founder and CEO of clothing brand FUBU. You’re probably nervous, but be careful – you’re already branding yourself.
This is the scene on Shark Tank, ABC’s reality series now in its sixth season, where entrepreneurs pitch ideas to investors like John. Before entrepreneurs open their mouths, he’s already looking for personal branding cues.
“The entrepreneurs are being branded, themselves, when they’re doing a pitch,” says John, who also formed a branding consultation called Shark Branding and authored books including The Brand Within and Display of Power. “We’re all branding each other every time we see each other.”
John shared some personal branding tips from Shark Tank. Here are 5 key takeaways from my interview with him, which originally ran in Smart Business Magazine:
- Watch your body language. While the Shark Tank cameras are focusing on entrepreneurs, fidgeting can be detrimental. Be confident, make eye contact and smile – no matter how nervous you are.
- Speak concisely. John says the best brands, whether personal or corporate, can be summed up in three words or less. Think of TBS being “Very Funny,” White Castle serving “What You Crave,” or the Terminator quipping, “I’ll be back.”
- Dress your best. Not that you have to acquire the fashion sense of the FUBU founder, but make sure you look clean, polished and professional. Select clothes that fit well, keep flashy jewelry to a minimum and for goodness sake, clean your fingernails.
- Be real. In this age of social media, consumers expect brands to reach out and make them feel special – but only if the interaction is genuine. “Because of the way information is moving very fast, if it’s not a true message…people will basically punch holes in it,” he says.
- Check your brand pulse. Customers – not you – ultimately determine your brand. Type your name into search engines and social media platforms to see what people are saying. “You have to pay attention to it, and you have to address it,” John says.
>> Read Brooke’s interview with Daymond John, as originally published in Smart Business >>
>> For personalized recommendations to promote your brand more professionally, contact Bantamedia about our public relations and content creation services. >>