Build Your Reputation

ARE YOU WORTH TALKING ABOUT?

The fight to stand out in your career or business can be intense. Mere technical competence or even good fortune is not enough. Being brilliant but anonymous won’t help you – your reputation will.

It’s not fair, but that’s life. If you’re connected, influential and good at marketing yourself, you’ll secure the holy grail of employment – work you love on your terms. That means maximum career choice, power and flexibility.

By building kudos and career capital, you become valuable and well known for your ideas, expertise, skills and connections. In turn, you cut through the noise and rise to the top of the pile.

This practical playbook shows you how to:

• Create a game plan of reputation-building strategies that play to your unique strengths
• Enhance your profile and visibility with a formidable ‘go-to’ reputation for what you do best
• Connect with the right influential people to fast track your progress and your goals

When others trust you, rate you and advocate you, word gets around. Build Your Reputation helps you promote, position and personally brand yourself so you become known by the right people for the right reasons with all the right results!

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

PART ONE: Laying the Foundations 9

1 Why Build Your Reputation? 11

2 Setting The Scene – The Career Game 37

3 Your Reputation Game Plan 57

4 The Networking Blueprint 79

5 The Authority Blueprint 101

PART TWO: The Four Reputational Toolboxes 123

6 Your Profile Toolbox: Visibility 131

7 Your Positioning Toolbox: Authority 155

8 Your Personal Board Toolbox: Network 177

9 Your Professional Toolbox: Performance 209

References 241

Additional Resources 243

About the Author 245

Acknowledgements 247

Index 000

"A big bonus is the additional practical advice provided in the 'reputational vault'." (Briefing, March 2017)

"... what I liked most is that it wasn't a 'self-improvement' book. Instead it helps you focus on your career strengths." (Briefing, March 2017)

ROB BROWN is Founder and CEO of the Networking Coaching Academy, which helps people build connections and reputations for greater influence and career opportunities. A featured TEDx speaker, Rob is also one of the world’s most recommended networking authorities according to LinkedIn.

His Networking Giants Radio Show features experts from all over the world discussing collaborative and connected workforces, referrals, business networking, communicating, influence, trust, likeability, personal branding and reputation building.

He lives in Nottingham, UK, the home of Robin Hood, with his wife Amanda and two daughters Georgia and Madison. He has a black belt in kickboxing, loves chocolate and fitness bootcamps, enjoys chess and backgammon, and plays four musical instruments moderately well.

ARE YOU WORTH TALKING ABOUT?

The fight to stand out in your career or business can be intense. Mere technical competence or even good fortune is not enough. Being brilliant but anonymous won’t help you – your reputation will.

It’s not fair, but that’s life. If you’re connected, influential and good at marketing yourself, you’ll secure the holy grail of employment – work you love on your terms. That means maximum career choice, power and flexibility.

By building kudos and career capital, you become valuable and well known for your ideas, expertise, skills and connections. In turn, you cut through the noise and rise to the top of the pile.

This practical playbook shows you how to:

• Create a game plan of reputation-building strategies that play to your unique strengths
• Enhance your profile and visibility with a formidable ‘go-to’ reputation for what you do best
• Connect with the right influential people to fast track your progress and your goals

When others trust you, rate you and advocate you, word gets around. Build Your Reputation helps you promote, position and personally brand yourself so you become known by the right people for the right reasons with all the right results!

“In a competitive world of sameness, noise and low trust, Rob Brown's excellent guide to reputation building gives busy corporate executives and professionals the definitive guide to standing out in a crowd.”
–Jeff Black, President & CEO, Black Sheep Inc

"Over 100 practical strategies to get your name out there. Just do 10% of what Rob Brown tells, and in a year's time your life, reputation and positioning will be completely transformed."
–Daniel Barnett Barrister, Broadcaster and Keynote Speaker

“Simply brilliant. A tour de force of why and how to build you reputation. An invaluable and intensely practical must read”
–Steve Pipe, Author of ‘The world’s Most Inspiring accountants’

“As a thought leader, your reputation is your most valuable asset. Without it, you have no trust and no credibility and no business. If you're an expert looking to stand out in a competitive industry, this is your blueprint success.”
–Warren Knight, Social Media Strategist Social Sales Strategist and Award Winning Entrepreneur

“If you want to succeed in business today, you need a strong reputation; people need to know, trust and like you. In this book, Rob Brown sets out exactly how you can stand out giving over 100 strategies that you can use to build your most valuable career and business asset. Rob knows what he is talking about so read this book and set your sights on being the number one go-to person in your field.”
–Gavin Ingham, Author of ‘Motivate People’

'Standing up and standing out for something is one of the few paths to success in life. Few people achieve this, usually because they don't know exactly how. This book by Rob Brown gives you the answers to practically make that happen - a must read for anyone who wants to get on in life.”
–Geoff Burch, international business expert, TV presenter & best selling author

“To excel in any business or industry you need to make sure you create and maintain an excellent personal reputation. In this book Rob shares in detail how you go about achieving that brilliantly and gives you a roadmap to success.”
–Simon Chaplin, Founder of Socks Up Simon www.socksupsimon.com

“You can't buy a good reputation and building one needn't cost you a fortune either. Rob Brown walks his talk and his reputation will inspire you as you read this book. Make reading it your first step in your journey to a great reputation”
–Robert Ashton The Barefoot Entrepreneur

“Reputation matters! If you aspire to rise to the top of your ‘career game’, then Rob Brown’s book is a must read for you. This brilliant book guides you on how to strategically create and market your personal brand so you stand out in the competitive world of business as a leader and corporate influencer.”
–Adèle McLay Business Growth Strategist, Entrepreneur, Investor, Keynote Speaker, Author

”If you want to stand out from the crowd and get ahead, then Rob Brown's excellent guide will give you all the tools you need to build a world class reputation and network that will get you through any doors.”
–Nigel Risner, Award Winning Leadership Speaker

“Understanding, respecting and leveraging your reputation is key to a successful career. It's what you got you where you are and what will shape your future. This book helps by renowned reputation authority Rob Brown gives you the tools for taking charge of this most valuable asset. “
–Adam Harris Vistage Chair and business coach and speaker

“I have thoroughly enjoyed watching Rob’s TEDx Talk on YouTube (twice!), listening to him being interviewed on podcasts, and hearing him talk live. So I eagerly grabbed hold of a copy of his new book at the earliest opportunity. Within minutes of scanning through it I found a brilliant nugget which I highlighted, and I soon found more. I loved those sudden rushes of dopamine. Rob’s book is hugely practical and he writes with delightful playfulness. I’m very happy to recommend it highly.”
–Christopher John Payne, Founder of Effort-Free Media

"In a world where building your personal brand matters more than ever before, Rob Brown has produced a book full of practical advice for those individuals who understand that managing their Reputation cannot merely be left to chance"
–Grant Leboff, CEO of StickyMarketing.com

“If you want to be an influential and impactful leader, then you are going to need a strong reputation and a strong network.”
This insightful and practical book will give you the tools and methods you need to build both.”
–Simon Hazeldine Bestselling author of ‘Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success’