Make Your Personal Brand Point Effectively With Concise Messaging

The time-proven ETA process can help you choose just the right words to express your personal brand.

When you think about personal brand, think about this quote: “I apologize for such a long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.”

Often attributed to Blaise Pascal, Mark Twain, John Locke or Woodrow Wilson, this quote reflects the value of brevity—the idea that when you distill an idea down to its core and write about it concisely, you communicate better.

Developing clear and concise messaging is at the heart of the “tell” step in the Revealing Genius time-proven excavate-tell-affirm or ETA™ process. People form first impressions in just a few seconds, so being able to quickly and effectively articulate your unique brand is important.

But developing clear, concise messaging does take some effort.

Think back to the movie, “A River Runs Through It.” In one scene, Reverend McClain is teaching his son Norman to write concisely. The boy comes downstairs, one-page composition in hand. After reading it, Reverend McClain hands it back to him saying, “Again, half as long.” When Norman presents his third draft, the Reverend finally says, “Good. Throw it away,” and Norman is released to go play.

Fortunately, working with Revealing Genius to develop your unique brand messaging is much easier than the Reverend’s drill. After we “excavate” the core of your brand in the first step of the ETA process, we’ll use time-proven tools and strategies to develop clear, concise messages. You’ll be able to use these messages to tell your brand story in a variety of settings—from the elevator to the boardroom. Importantly, the messaging you’ll have after you go through the ETA process will help others better and more quickly understand who you are and your unique reason for serving.

Mary E. Maloney, FACHE

An executive advisor, educator, speaker, author and producer, Mary E. Maloney is the founder of Revealing Genius and the expert that accomplished leaders trust for positioning, messaging and brand strategy for themselves, their teams and their organizations. A former CEO and CMO, Maloney guides healthcare C-suite leaders, founders, physicians and board directors to powerfully and strategically message their expertise and “why” so they lead with conviction and achieve their most coveted goals. She is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), one of only ~8,000 in the world to earn the credential, the benchmark for board certification in healthcare management.

Photo by Salvatore Ventura