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Articles by Brenda Bence

Browse published articles attributed to Brenda Bence, with full-archive search.

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By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Need Employment Insurance? Master Your Personal Brand

In today’s topsy-turvy marketplace, job security may seem like a pipe dream. In the midst of downsizing, stock market confusion, and layoffs, how can you make sure to keep your name off any pink-sheet list? One key way you can create employment insurance is to learn to define and effectively communicate your unique personal brand at work. Here are some personal branding tips for insuring you’ll have a job even if times get tough: 1.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,317 views4/5 (7)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Top Myths About Personal Branding – It’s Not What You Think

When you hear the words personal branding, do you think, "That's for people who are into how they dress," or "That's for people who are into self-promotion?" Unfortunately, those are just two of the myths that people often believe about personal branding. As a result of these myths, the concept of personal branding has gotten a bit of a bad rap that it simply doesn't deserve.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,619 views3.8/5 (5)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

How Well Do You Know Your Customer?

In his 1985 book, Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy famously said, “The consumer is not a moron; she is your wife.” Of course, he’d have a hard time getting away with that kind of comment today, but his point is still a valid one. The truth is: Too many businesses think of their target market as one large, pulsing mass. But your target market is actually made up of individuals just like you, your wife, your husband, your mother, your father, or your children. Your customers are people with hopes, dreams, frustrations, families to feed, bills to pay, and vacations to plan.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,278 views3.2/5 (6)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Personal Branding Quiz: How Are YOU™ Doing?

How is your personal brand doing? Are you presenting yourself in the best possible light and making YOU™ (The Trademarked You) the brand of choice in your career? Watch out! If you don’t believe you actually have a personal brand, think again. Just by virtue of being you in your career, you have a personal brand.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,466 views4/5 (2)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

The Power of Personal Branding: How to Improve Your Company’s Bottom Line

Let’s face it: There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done – especially when you’re running a business.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,964 views3/5 (2)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

How Personal Branding Can Get You More Interviews … and a Great New Job

One of the most common misconceptions about searching for a job is that the person with the most or best experience is the one who gets hired.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,287 views4/5 (2)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Attention College Grads! How to Use a Post-Interview Thank You Note

Statistics show that, on average, only about 10% of college grads write a thank you note after an interview. So, should you? Absolutely! It’s a great way to distinguish yourself from the sea of other candidates, and it will help your individual personal brand stay memorable. In fact, if you’re in the “maybe” pile when you leave the interview, a well thought-out thank you could easily move you to the “yes” pile. After contacting over 50 of the country’s top recruiters, I learned dozens of powerful tips that they suggest college grads consider during their job search.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,417 views4/5 (1)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

YOU and Your Company: Making the Corporate Brand / Personal Brand Connection

You may already know that defining and communicating your unique personal brand on the job is a powerful way to further your career. But have you ever thought about the connection between your personal brand and your company's brand? What role does that "connection" -- or lack of a connection -- play in your career success? And how do you determine if your personal brand is out of sync with your company's brand? Whether we're talking about personal brands or corporate brands, here's a secret that the best marketers know: Great brands don't get to be great by accident!

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,405 views4/5 (1)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

How Personal Branding Can Help You Ace Your Job Interviews

You took the time to create a great cover letter and resume, and they did their job – you got the interview. Now, you’re ready to walk into the door of the company’s building, and it’s the moment of truth. You really want this job, but what can you do to give yourself the edge over others vying for the same position? One of the best ways to ace an interview is to define and communicate a “job-seeker personal brand” – the way you want potential employers to perceive, think, and feel about you in relation to other candidates.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,501 views2.7/5 (3)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Traveling Around the World With Your Personal Brand in Tow

Can anybody deny the world has gotten much smaller over the years? In fact, these days, working globally has become the norm. But this can potentially bring on challenges when it comes to traveling to different countries with your personal brand in tow. After all, every culture is different, and what’s polite and appropriate in one country may be interpreted as rude in another. So, how do you stay true to your personal brand on the road while making sure you don’t damage relationships along the way?

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,178 views4/5 (1)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #6: “I Really Need to Get More Organized.”

Imagine a life without clutter: No mail piled up in your “in” tray, you easily stay caught up on your e-mails. Your productivity is up, but your schedule isn’t packed. You avoid interruptions, arrive on time to appointments, and leave the office early enough to enjoy quality time with your family at the end of the day. Is this an accurate picture of your life? If not, you may need to beef up your organizational skills.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,425 views3/5 (1)

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #10: “At my level, I rarely get honest feedback, so how do I know what I need to improve?”

Many years ago, a mentor of mine told me something very profound. I asked him what it was that kept certain managers moving up the corporate ladder while others stopped. What he said has never left me. He told me that those leaders who did not progress to the top stopped being coachable. A mindset that cripples some senior executives is the belief that they have made it to the top and are somehow beyond the need for feedback. They no longer feel that they have anything to learn, so they remain in a static place without growth. As a result, their careers also cease to grow.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

2,500 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Do YOU Make Any of These Top 5 Job Interview Mistakes? Recruiters Vote on Grads’ Worst Fumbles in Job Interviews

What do more than 50 seasoned college recruiters from top-level corporations and universities say are the biggest mistakes college grads make in job interviews? That’s the questio I recently posed to recruiters from companies and schools like Google, Disney, Sony, and Stanford University. The outcome of their votes? Their 20 ‘biggest bloopers’- five of which are outlined here. Are YOU committing any of these mistakes in your job search?

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

2,350 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Personal Branding Myth #2: Personal Branding is All About How You Look and Dress

Let's say you pick up a box of cookies at a supermarket because the packaging catches your eye. It looks upscale, gourmet, delicious. But, when you open the package and try one of the cookies, you're disappointed. The cookies don't taste terrible, mind you, but they don't taste any better than the less expensive cookies with the average packaging. You may have fallen prey to the packaging once, but it's highly likely you'll never buy those cookies again.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

2,023 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

You Are What You Think – Face a Weak Economy with a Strong Personal Brand

So much has been said, discussed, and argued about the "economic situation" in the past year. Is it possible that there is a stone untu ed on this topic? Well, yes there is ...

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,969 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Customer's Do's and Don'ts of Personal Branding

Here are a few “Do’s and Don’ts” to follow as you learn to craft and master your own individual customer-centric brand image: 1. DO: Take the time you really need to thoroughly define your desired personal brand. If you don’t know what you want to stand for, it’s 100% guaranteed your customers don’t either. 2. DON’T: Assume your image is doing “just fine.” You’ll never know how your own brand is really doing until you take proactive action to find out.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,707 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Personal Brand Damage Control: 8 Tips to Stay on Top at Work

Every day at work, you run the risk of damaging your individual – even if you don’t think you have one. How is this possible? Well, your brand is the way people perceive, think, and feel about you in relation to others. The people you work with already have perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about you, so just by virtue of being “you” in the workplace, you already have a personal brand.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,458 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

The Top Ten Secrets to Mastering Your Personal Brand

What do Sir Richard Branson, Barack Obama, and Suze Orman all have in common? They have each built powerful personal brands that have propelled them to the top of their businesses, their careers, and their lives. How did they do it? Like other successful personal branders, they took the time to define, communicate, and protect their brands. You can be sure they followed all of the top ten secrets below to reach their great success.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,398 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Unexpected Riches: The Six Advantages College Grads Have in a Job Search

As a college student getting ready to graduate, do you find yourself worrying that you’re at a disadvantage in the job pool because you don’t have as much experience as older applicants? If so, you’ll be glad to hear that you have some definite advantages while looking for a job just by virtue of being young and new to your job search. If that sounds too good to be true, here are six reasons you may very well be chosen for a job over an older, more experienced candidate:

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,366 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #5: “There Just Aren’t Enough Hours in the Day to Get Everything Done.”

Do you find yourself frequently falling behind in your tasks even though you work 12, 14, or even 16 hours a day? Do you find that at the end of the day, you still haven’t finished your to-do list? The truth is that learning how to manage your time can make or break your success as an executive. Let’s face it: There are only 24 hours in a day. You can’t “make” more time unless you invent a time machine. (And if you figure that one out, I’d like to invest.) But even though you can’t create time, you can use your time more productively. The most successful executives do.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,344 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Key Marketing Terms and Phrases – What Do They Mean?

Q: The terms and phrases used in branding confuse me. Help - what do they all mean? In my 25 years as a brander and a marketer, I have seen a lot of confusion around what the various elements of branding and marketing mean. So, don’t worry – you’re far from alone!

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,331 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #1: “I Have No Work/Life Balance!”

What are the biggest challenges facing successful business people today? In my work as a certified executive coach for C-Suite Executives, Directors, Managers, and Entrepreneurs, there are many recurring themes that seem to surface. One at a time, I’ll be sharing with you 12 of those top challenges along with hints, tips, and steps you can take to avoid or eliminate altogether these key issues that might be holding you back from achieving the kind of success you are aiming for. Challenge #1: “I have no work/life balance!”

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,300 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #3: “I’m Unsure Where My Career Is Headed.”

Let’s face it: These are tough times in the lives of executives. The markets are topsy turvy, layoffs are rampant, stock options are under water, and people are running scared. For expatriates, add in the complexity of living outside your home country, and all of this can leave you wondering where you’re headed and worried about a future that is increasingly murky and unclear.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,289 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #11: "I Get No Real Holiday Time Because I'm Always In Contact With the Office."

In this article, I want to address the issue of executives and their planned holidays that simply turn into “working somewhere other than the office.” Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you? - You choose your hotel or resort because it has a wireless connection that will allow you to check e-mails on a regular basis. - The plane lands at your holiday destination and, immediately upon turning on your cell phone, you see 14 missed calls from various members of your team. - You miss breakfast because you’re busy putting out fires via e-mail at the start of your day.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,282 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #4: “I’m Struggling With an Extremely Tough Decision.”

As a senior manager or executive, you’re constantly faced with making difficult decisions. Most of the time, you can make those decisions based on experience, on financial analysis of the situation, on input from a colleague or your boss, or even perhaps based on pure instinct. But once in a while – and this happens to us all as executives – you are faced with a truly gut-wrenching decision that simply has to be made, and there doesn’t seem to be any “right” or “obvious” choice anywhere you look.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,186 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #8: "I Feel Guilty Saying 'No'."

As a busy exec, you're constantly pulled in many directions. Headquarters wants your profit projections for next quarter a week in advance of when you planned, there's a line of direct reports at your office door waiting to meet with you, your inbox is filled with 200+ unanswered emails, and a not-for-profit organization wants you to give the keynote speech at an upcoming charity dinner. In the meantime, your son needs help with his math homework, your spouse complains because you haven't been home for dinner in a week, and your ailing parents' financial situation needs your attention.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,185 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

The Executive Coach: Your Company’s Partner in Leadership Development

What would you say is the most critical success factor for business growth in your company? If you’re like 91% of the respondents in a recent study of CEOs in North America, Europe, and Asia, you would say “developing leaders.” In this article, we’ll explore why leadership development has become more vital to business success than ever, and why companies are now overwhelmingly choosing a previously-untapped resource – Executive Coaching – as a key part of the solution. Executive Coaching On the Rise

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,167 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Personal Branding Myth #1: Personal Branding Is All About Self-Promotion

This couldn't be further from the truth! True personal branding is not superficial. It's more about understanding who you - and, therefore, 'YOU™' - are. That's right - the Trademarked You. This is how you are like shampoo. But just like in corporate branding, no matter how much money a company spends on marketing its brands, product brands aren't all about promotion either.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,142 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #7: "I Know I'm Not Delegating as Much as I Probably Should, But."

As a leader of an organization, let's face it: You can't do it all yourself. So, you know you have to delegate, and you do genuinely try. But lately, you've found your to-do list getting longer... you spend most of your time in back-to-back meetings... your normal workday has extended to 12+ hours... and you're working weekends just to catch up. If this is the case, you're probably not delegating enough.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,110 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Executive Challenge #9: "I'm Generally a Positive Person, But It's Easy to Turn Negative in This Economy. How Do I Avoid That?"

Most senior leaders use negative language on the job without even realizing it. It may come from destructive phrases used unconsciously, the use of cynicism in your language, or simply from an unfortunate choice of words. When leaders use negative language, it can have destructive power on others. Negative language often shows up in feedback. We give feedback that we believe is constructive when it’s actually destructive. This kind of feedback can have a big impact not only on the morale of the team, but on the development of your people as well.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,051 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Think You Don’t Have Time to Build Your People? Think Again

If you boil corporate leadership down to its bare essentials, executives around the globe really only have two key missions: 1.Build Business—increase revenues and profits, grow volume and market share, expand into new territories, create new business alliances, etc. 2.Build People—help employees upgrade their skills and increase their knowledge so that they can grow personally and professionally, advance in their careers, and deliver increasingly more for the organization.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,042 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Personal Branding Myth # 4: Personal Branding Is "All About Me"

Personal Branding Myth #4: Personal Branding Is “All About Me” Do you think personal branding is all about you? If so, think again! The truth is that a well-defined brand for yourself is really about your Audience – the person or people you most want to impact with your brand at work and in your career.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,022 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

Does Being the Boss Mean You Get to Tell People What To do?

It’s 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday evening, and you’re still at the office preparing for a presentation you’ll make to top management early the next day. You have just hung up the phone after speaking with your spouse, and the annoyed voice on the other end of the line still rings in your ears. “Missing dinner again? The kids are starting to forget what you look like!” Still, you face at least two more hours of work, and you’re tired, hungry, and stressed. Just as you begin to dive back into preparing for Friday’s presentation, Leiza, one of your direct reports, walks in and interrupts.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

1,006 views

By Brenda BenceRecently published1 topic

The Single Worst Question a Leader Can Ask

Asking your direct reports questions rather than always telling them what to do is a key way to develop their abilities and help them grow. That said, there is one question-word in your leadership tool chest that I suggest eliminating altogether: "Why?" Why? (Couldn't resist... ) The very nature of the question causes defensiveness. Even the most seemingly innocuous questions like "So, why are you wearing that tie today?" or "Why did you go to Frankfurt last week?" can get the most mild-mannered employees feeling as though they need to defend themselves.

Primary topic: Personal Development

Personal Development

996 views

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