Don’t sell yourself short with poor brand packaging

Imagine being presented with an array of gifts. It is Christmas and presents flow abundantly. Never mind if you don’t receive gifts, pretend you are a child in a Christmas movie.

As you look at the gifts, one stands out. It grabs your attention and you can’t wait to see what is in it. It is bigger than the rest, but it isn’t just about the size. It’s a unique shape. The gift-wrap is beautiful, delicate and artistically done, and finished with a neat ribbon bow. It definitely is the work of an expert.

And that is my description of you. I know for a fact that within you are fine, creative qualities delicately woven together. An ability to imagine anything you wish.

The will to focus solely on your wishes, forsaking any and all distractions; backed by your perfect memory to call up any data your require and apply your intuitive mind to carefully feel your way through to the achievement of your wishes and perceptively consider all aspects of the various situations as you go along.

You then crown it all with the wisdom of your faultless, unlimited reasoning capacity. You are created perfectly on the inside. You are a gift to your family, your friends, your employer (that’s not a typo – you are a gift to your employer) and community at large.

Now all these people have no idea how favoured they are to have you, so we are going to raise their curiosity and whet their appetites to slowly and respectfully untie the neat bow around you, delicately peel off that beautiful gift-wrap before they take a step back to appreciate the perfection that is you. But first, you must stand out like that gift I have described.

Let us take the perfect creature that you are and the value you bring and present that to the world in the most attractive way.

Think about the other gifts sharing space with the outstanding one. Even the most grateful recipient will inevitably shove aside the gifts that aren’t wrapped that attractively to soak in the beauty of the eye-catching one before opening it first! Now this is exactly what happens in the real world when you present yourself.

Does this matter even when you are already successful? You bet it does. The picture you paint to your public and market is at the core of your personal and professional life.

No matter how perfect you are on the inside, it is your outside that first creates perceptions about you. It is especially important if you would like to be perceived as an expert in your field – someone whose knowledge is pivotal to success and experience relevant for the task at hand.

For example, if you want them to seek your counsel and receive it with the value and respect you deserve. If you have up to now left the picture you paint unattended, I want you to know that you have more control over how you are perceived by your target market than you have taken time to exercise. If you haven’t exercised that control, you have been selling yourself short for too long.

I want you to choose only the very best gift-wrap that communicates who you are and the promise you carry if your recipients are to “open” you before they even look at all their other gifts.

If you have no clue how to select the wrap that positions you as the highly skilled, seasoned and unrivalled expert that you are, you need to consider starting some serious work on your self-discovery.

The indisputable fact is that you are perfect inside. You and I already know that but does your market see that from the way the gift that you are is wrapped?

Ms Ruligirwa-Kamara is a certified expert on attitude and human potential. Email: [email protected]