by Gilda Bonanno LLC
Your personal brand is shaped by how others perceive your abilities, professionalism and impact. While large companies have entire teams dedicated to marketing and communications, as an individual professional, you are your own marketing department.
Your communication skills—both oral and written—play a crucial role in how you present yourself to the world. Simply put, how you show up matters.
Key Aspects of Your Communication and Their Impact
How You Present
If you “wing” a presentation without preparation, you can undermine your credibility. Every presentation is an opportunity to showcase your expertise—don’t waste it.
How You Write
Poorly written emails, reports, or documents—full of grammar mistakes, misspellings or missing punctuation—send the wrong message. They can make you appear careless, unprofessional or even unqualified.
How You Sound
Your tone of voice conveys more than just words. If you sound tired, bored or stressed, that’s how you’ll be perceived. This applies not just to phone calls but also to video meetings, voicemail greetings and even how you leave messages for others.
How You Participate in Meetings
Whether in-person or virtual, your level of engagement speaks volumes. Do you speak up, contribute, ask questions and observe with interest and enthusiasm? Or do you look disengaged, frustrated or confused? Your presence in meetings directly impacts how others view your professionalism and commitment.
How You Respond (or Don’t)
A delayed response—taking a week to reply to an email, for example—can signal poor time management, poor prioritization or a lack of interest in maintaining professional relationships.
Every interaction you have—spoken, written or otherwise—shapes how others perceive you. Your personal brand isn’t just about reputation—it’s about influence, trust and the ability to achieve your goals.
To refine your communication skills with purpose and enhance your personal brand, seek feedback from trusted mentors, colleagues or a professional coach. When you communicate with clarity, confidence and intention, you don’t just strengthen your brand—you position yourself to make a real impact.
© Gilda Bonanno LLC - Gilda Bonanno serves as a trusted advisor to executives and entrepreneurs to transform their communication, presentation and leadership skills. She has worked with companies on 4 continents, from Chicago to Shanghai and Rio to Rome. The instructional videos on her YouTube channel have received over 1.5 million views and her e-newsletter has reached subscribers in over 45 countries since 2008. For other articles or to receive Gilda's e-newsletter, visit www.gildabonanno.com