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This article "Sailing the Seven Cs" seems to be consistant with what most religions and historical recordings try to teach us...
In life no matter if you are raising a family, Leading a group or simply wanting to live by example...

This article is published on the "Marc Cenedella" web site.
Marc seems to be always on the mark when it comes to human relations and leading by example.
I am sure he has a tremdous following as he demonstrates these very traits.
So I wanted to share this with all.

Sailing the Seven Cs
by William Arruda

It's clear that in today's competitive environment, executives need to build and express their personal brands to stand out from their peers and achieve their goals. "Yes, I know", you say, but readers take note: the benefits of having a strong brand truly are tremendous. Strong brands command greater compensation; they thrive during economic downturns; they are in control of their careers; and they achieve a level of success and satisfaction few others can even imagine.

"OK", you say, "but what can I do about mine?" Well, in addition to being able to boast these enviable benefits, strong brands have something else in common. They all sail fearlessly along the Seven Cs of successful branding.

The First C: Competent

You aren't going to get very far if you're not qualified for the job. The basis of all brands is the rational attribute of competence. It may not be sexy. It may not be exciting. But it's essential. All strong brands possess the right combination of experience, education and proven results.

Competence is the foundation you need to get in the game. If you're looking for a new position, you aren't even going to be considered if you can't meet the minimum competency requirements. When you look at the world's strongest brands, like Tiger Woods, Richard Branson and Jack Welch, you can see that they are, at a minimum, competent.

What should you do? Build a plan to keep your skills current — and yourself competent.

The Second C: Clear

Strong brands are clear about who they are and who they're not. They don't waver. They don't waffle. They understand their unique promise of value and demonstrate it in everything they do. This promise sets them apart from their competitors.

Being clear about who you are and what you uniquely have to offer enables you to attract and build loyalty among those people who can support your rise to the top.

Volvo, for example, is clear about their commitment to safety and security. They're not about speedy sports cars, or about small economy cars, or about luxury cars. They build cars for families — cars that are safe. And they clearly focus their communication activities on this differentiation.

Lesson? Be clear about what distinguishes you from your peers.

The Third C: Consistent

In addition to being clear about who they are, strong brands are also consistent. They're always who they say they are.

Volvo is always about safety. They don't change their focus from model to model. When new cars roll off the assembly line each year, they are at least as safe as they were the previous year.

Madonna is consistent about change. She's the chameleon brand of entertainment, reinventing herself with each CD that she produces. She didn't change for her first five CDs and then stay the same for the next two. She consistently changes. And the one thing we can be sure of with regard to her upcoming CD is that it will be nothing like any of the others she has done before. Madonna's ability to change consistently throughout her career separates her from other entertainers, thereby strengthening her brand.

To have a strong brand, consistently demonstrate your unique promise of value.

The Fourth C: Constant

It is not enough to be clear and consistent if you're not always in your target audience's purview. Strong brands are constant and they're always available and visible.

For Coca-Cola, the world is the target market. That's why you can't make it through a day without being exposed to that familiar script logo. Vending machines, people carrying a can as they walk down the street, restaurant menus, product placement in TV shows and movies, billboards and print and TV advertisements all scream ‘the real thing.'

You would need a budget the size of Coke's to remain top-of-mind to everyone in the world. So just remaining visible to those people who need to know about you will make you successful.

In short, be constantly visible to those who can help you reach your goals.

The Fifth C: Current

A strong personal brand is based in the present with room to evolve for the future. Your core, authentic brand elements don't change; but your brand needs to grow to remain relevant to your market.

Starbucks has been steadily adding to and evolving its brand throughout the years. Consistent with its core brand promise of a place to build community, Starbucks has installed wireless networks in their stores to remain ahead of the curve and give their customers yet another reason to hang out and be a part of the community. Martha Stewart evolved from writing cookbooks to entertaining to being the overall Domestic Diva. And then... well, let's just leave it at that.

Your brand should strive to remain relevant. Don't let it be stuck in the past!

The Sixth C: Compelling

A strong personal brand is appropriate for — and relevant to — the ideal target audience. You must ensure that what differentiates you from your peers is interesting to your target audience. Get ready to wow them with your unique offering! This requires that you really know your target audience. You need to understand their pains, their challenges and their dreams.

It may sound like a lot, because it is! Ensure that what you do and how you do it is irresistible.

The Seventh C: Connected.

Rarely do people achieve greatness alone. Instead, strong brands surround themselves with others for mutual benefit and growth.

Every week on The Apprentice, we saw Donald Trump with his trusted colleagues. If you look closely at other strong brands, you'll see that they understand the power of connections.

Your professional network extends your brand for you. It amplifies your message in the marketplace and avails you to opportunities that would otherwise be invisible to you.

To ensure that you see these opportunities, pro-actively make connections and nurture them.

In the end, all strong brands practice these Cs. Now's your turn to evaluate your own brand against these crucial elements. So? How does your brand do?