What is your Value proposition?
This is a phrase I heard ad nauseam over many years in a corporate job. Like any phrase that’s overused, it loses its impact and even its actual meaning
As a stylist for women, I want my clients to establish a style that is authentic to their personality and what they want their personal brand to be. To get to that point though, the basic foundation is really getting into the nitty gritty of what your values are
Why understanding your value is important?
For many it’s not something we have spent much time contemplating. But it IS vital. Understanding what your value is will help you:
Sell yourself in an interview
Know what opportunities you are looking out for
Relate to others more effectively
Realise what is causing you to feel frustrated/dissatisfied
How do I figure out what my values are?
Ask yourself the following questions:
What do I care about?
What do I want people to know about me?
How do I want to define myself?
What makes me special?
How do I provide value to others?
What do I want people to say about me?
This should be done from a personal perspective and a professional perspective as both may be quite different.
Take a bit of time over this. It should take some contemplation.
When you have completed the exercise, try to summarise it into 2 sentences.
This is your Value Proposition.
How does this relate to style?
Understanding your value and what you find valuable is a fundamental element of the creation of your own personal brand
Your personal brand can be defined as an amalgamation of the beliefs, feeling and attitudes that others hold about you.
How you look on the outside has a significant correlation to how people feel about you – essentially how you are judged.
Hence, it is critical for us to have clarity as to what we want that to be. For instance, if you are in a leadership role you may well want to look credible, reliable and authoritative. You create an image using a classic and paired back capsule wardrobe using muted tones and a consistent office wear look
Alternatively, if you work in a theatre, you may want to portray your creativity and flair for the arts. So you might opt for bright colours and clashing textures to create an aesthetic that helps you stand out.
Some of this may just come together by accident, or if you have a flair for personal image. But if you need a quick fix in terms of your image in the workplace, start with finding out what your values are