Your personal brand has both logical and emotional components: what people THINK about you and what they FEEL about you. Of the two, emotion often trumps feeling in the final “buying” decision. In fact, in the sales world, it is commonly known that people buy based on feelings, and then justify their decision with logic. So, while you may be a job seeker with prime credentials, if you do not evoke a strong positive connection or feeling from interviewers, you may not be the candidate chosen.
How does this relate to colors? Well, colors are aligned with emotions. Cited in Why Color Matters, the Institute of Color Research reports that a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product is made within 90 seconds with 62-90% of that judgment based on color alone. In the Psychology Today Blogs, Maureen Healy (MBA and Masters in Clinical Psychology) writes in The Color of Emotion that “the connection between colors and feelings is probably the most simple and profound.” She goes on to add that “color connections are greatly influenced by culture” and explains that the color white can have very different meanings depending on whether viewed by someone from America or Taipei.
In addition, colors can have differences depending on shade, tone, and intensity. Explore Color Meaning further to discover some of those subtleties. For example, my personal brand color is a pure green. It denotes nature, growth, harmony, and safety – all themes that resonate with me, my personal brand attributes of caring, genuine, and connected, and my preferred work environment (the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin). However, dark green may be associated with greed and jealousy!
The following resources relay even more on how color relates to your personal brand and marketing yourself:
Using Color to Express Your Brand – video by William Arruda, founder of Reach Personal Branding
The Exact Science of Personal Branding – blog post by Dave Saunders, celebrated speaker, radio show host and business start-up strategist.
What color are you drawn to? Explore the variations of that color and the feelings associated with it. Which color will attract your target audience and still reflect the unique you? Keep in mind cultural differences and industry niches to avoid a major faux pas. Then test-drive your color in all of your self-marketing efforts and pay attention to responses you get. Learn from the feedback, refine, and boldly express and exude your color with confidence knowing that the emotional connections you make will advance your job search from anonymity to A-list.
Comments