If you have a personal brand strategy – you probably didn’t know your name could play a part to your success…
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”
Oh Shakespeare, how wrong you are.
Research has shown that your name can ultimately determine your success in your career. Literally, if your name is Sarah, you’re probably going to climb the ladder quicker than, say an Alyssa who is doing just as much hard work as you.
I was listening to one of my favourite podcasts recently which featured Psychologist Adam Alter. He spoke about how the ability to process a name can ultimately impact the decisions made regarding your career.
The example he used was a manager who wanted to point out the achievements of a team member. There was one individual whose name they struggled with and weren’t confident in pronouncing, another which was simple. Guess who gets the shout out!
Mind you, there’s a lot of cultural prejudice that can impact a scenario such as this one.
Even then, research over the years has shown the impact a name can have on your career. If you want to learn more, read one of Adam and fellow researcher’s studies here.
But how does this impact your personal brand strategy?
Hard truth: if your name is pronounceable, people can favour you.
The irony of this is how pronounceable the word pronounceable is.
Ultimately the name game does come into play when it comes to your personal brand. A study from Marquette University found that ‘common names’ were seen as best liked by their focus groups.
That’s great news for all the Muhammeds, Marias, Johns and Davids out there.
It’s not so wonderful for your personal brand strategy if your name is a little complex.
And let’s not even delve into the complexities female professionals face when it comes to name and perception. A study found that people at the top of ASX companies were 40 per cent more likely to be named Peter or John than to be female.
So, what can you do about your non-common name when it comes to your personal brand strategy?
All is not lost. You could actually see this as a personal challenge to have this work in your favour.
Make your name rememberable by featuring it everywhere.
We can’t classify Mark Zuckerberg’s name as common. And yet, most of us know the CEO of Meta’s name, even if we can’t necessarily spell it. Feature your name everywhere and own it through your personal branding. Having a solid profile will help you break through the name game.
Take inspiration from the celebrities and create a byname for use in your brand awareness activities.
This could be your middle name, your first name alone, a nickname or other name you can associate with. Hot tip: maybe don’t opt for a name like Snoop Dogg or Lady Gaga if you are trying to stand out as a business professional.
Put a ring to it.
My maiden name is Gill. I used to have a lot of fun telling people my name was Alyssa Gill, like a fish. It was a great way to stay rememberable and to help people with spelling. Now that I am a Brault, it’s a little more challenging. Brault like a… really cold vault? There’s some work to be done there.
Find a way to make your name rememberable.
If you are looking for inspiration, take a look at Holly Martin’s profile. She’s become a bit of a personal brand connoisseur (check out this article she wrote on personal branding) and is certainly worth a stalk.
