PERSONAL BRAND AUDIT
We all have a ‘personal brand’ – put simply it’s the way that others think about you, or how they would
choose to describe you to someone that doesn’t know you. It comes across in the way you look, what you
say, what people read or hear about you, your body language/mannerisms and the way you behave. We
often don’t stop to think about ourselves in this way, but the way you are received by others is very
important and hugely powerful – especially at work. We all know that ‘people buy people’ at the end of
the day, so whether you’re looking to advance up the career ladder, get selected for certain projects,
foster positive relationships, be successful in sales or client-facing environments, or you just want to
make sure that you are projecting your ‘authentic personal best’, this Personal Brand Audit will be a
useful start point on your journey.
Please take some time to complete an honest assessment of yourself. Think about how you are perceived
by those that know you - at work, home, elsewhere – and rate yourself using the following scale, where 1
would be ‘ineffective/poor/not in line with my personal brand values’ and 10 would be
‘excellent/supports my personal brand values’. Tick whichever box you feel reflects where you are
today.
My personal brand values: the 3-6 words I would use to describe me (the way you would like to
be perceived) are: _________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
What people hear about me?
( 1 = Ineffective/poor/not in line with brand values. 10= Excellent/supports brand values)
1
2
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4
My reputation – do you think the way others would
describe you or what they say about you, generally
supports your personal brand values? (think about
your work colleagues, friends, family,
acquaintances)
Effectiveness of my Verbal Communication skills
(are you ‘heard’? do you come across well? do
people’s perceptions of what you say support your
personal brand values?):
i/ One to one
ii/ In a small group situations (e.g. team
meetings)
iii/ In large group situations (e.g. crossdept meetings, conferences, radio/tv)
Presentation skills – effectiveness?
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5
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10
( 1 = Ineffective/poor/not in line with brand values. 10= Excellent/supports brand values)
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9
10
1
2
3
4
5
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10
1
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9
10
Use of my voice - tone, pitch and pace? (do you
vary the tone of your voice when you speak? talk
too quickly/slowly? too high/low pitched?)
Language I Use – predominantly positive/negative?
captures peoples interest/inspires them? turns them
off? too high brow? actively shows interest in
others?
What people read about me?
Online (e.g profiles/communications via Linked In,
Facebook, Twitter etc. – words? Photos/images?)
Email/written correspondence
Personal Appraisals (what your line manager/peers
say about you?)
Your CV (does it sell ‘brand you’ effectively?)
Other printed publications/media you may be
involved with (internal magazines, company
directories, intranet, etc.)
What people see when they meet me?
First impressions –do you make a positive impact
within the first 30 seconds?
Personal presentation - dress/appearance.
(professional? appropriate for job role or situation?
too ‘loud’/a distraction? too casual? scruffy? boring?
polished? vibrant? good/poor grooming?)
My use of Body language:
i/ Handshakes (too firm/aggressive? too
weak/limp?)
ii/ Personal Territory (do you allow enough
personal space? too distant? too
close/intimidating?)
iii/ Hand Gestures (use too much? too
little? cover mouth when speaking?
open? too closed/aggressive?)
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( 1 = Ineffective/poor/not in line with brand values. 10= Excellent/supports brand values)
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10
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10
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10
My use of Body language (cont):
iv/ Eye contact (intimidating/too much? too
little/shy/withdrawn?)
v/ Posture (alert? confident? too laid back?)
My social skills – are you engaging? easily build
rapport with people? aloof? appear awkward? Find
‘small talk’ easy/hard?
My behaviours/attitudes – appropriate business
etiquette (return calls/emails/deliver what
promise? do things willingly/readily/helpful?
positive/negative attitude/approach?)
How visible am I?
Visibilty Plan –do you have one? Do you know who
you want/need to influence and have a plan to do
so?
Breadth of Visibility – are you visble in all the
channels/media you want/need to be? (online,
written, in person (eg,internal/professional
networks etc.)
How consistent is my Personal Brand?
Are you consistent? - do you send out confused
messages or do people experience you consistently
each and every time they interact with you? Is it
clear who you are, what’s important to you, what
your talents/strengths are and what is unique about
you? (ie. what your personal brand is)?
How do you measure up against the ‘personal brand
litmus test’? is your brand authentic? does it
portray the best you? is it compelling/memorable?
is it distinctive?
Want some help building your personal brand? …. see www.theimageadvantage.co.uk or call
us now on 01252 790425 for details of our top-rated Personal Branding and Business Image
training and coaching – available for groups or on a one-to-one basis.
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