Career Planning After 60: What Happens When You Lack a Brand

Even if you have heard the phrase "building a brand," "what happens when you don't have a brand" might be something few people have a concrete image of.

In this article, I will talk about the real costs of not having a brand.

Cost 1: Getting caught in a "price war"

When you try to get work without a brand, the only means of differentiation becomes "price".
It is a competition of "I will do it cheaper than others." This is extremely draining.
If you lower your price, your income decreases; if your income decreases, things get tough; and if things get tough, you lower your price even further.
Once you enter this vicious cycle, it becomes difficult to escape.

People with a brand are less likely to get caught in a price war.
Because the other party has a reason to think, "It has to be this person," there is a high probability they will be chosen even if they are a bit more expensive.

A situation arises where they think, "It's a bit higher than the market rate, but I want to ask Mr./Ms. So-and-so." A brand is a shield that protects you from price competition.

Cost 2: It is difficult to generate "referrals"

Most business starts with referrals.
In situations where someone says, "I want to introduce you to an acquaintance," it is difficult to refer someone without a brand.
"Um, what is it that this person does? ...they're a nice person, but..." In that state, it is hard for the referrer to make the introduction.

People with a brand are easy to refer.
"If you're having trouble with [X], try consulting that person. They are an expert." A simple introduction like that is born.
Giving the referrer "words to explain your existence" is one of the important functions of a brand.

Cost 3: Potential clients "cannot move"

When someone who has learned about you thinks, "Maybe I should consult them," if you don't have a brand, it is difficult for them to take the next step.
"Is this person really okay?"
"What are they good at?"
"Do they match my problem?"
With these questions left unresolved, there is a high possibility they will end up thinking, "I'll do it another time."

In the case of someone with a brand, potential clients approach them with the understanding that "this person is this kind of person."
Therefore, the action of "let's consult them first" is more likely to occur.
A brand creates the "courage to act" in potential clients.

These three costs are things that many people who have actually started a sole proprietorship or professional practice experience.
Behind the situation of "I can't seem to get work" or "I'm working hard but my income isn't increasing," there is often a lack of a brand.
It is overwhelmingly easier to build a brand consciously from the start than to build it later.
Let's start thinking about it little by little from today.

Let's think a little more deeply about the costs of a brand.

As Cost 4, there is also the problem of "you yourself becoming unfocused."
People who do not have a brand must judge from scratch every time a job request comes in, "Should I accept this?"
"I'll accept it because it pays money,"
or "I'll accept it because I feel bad saying no" easily become the criteria for judgment, and before you know it, you may find yourself heading in a completely different direction.

For people with a brand, the brand becomes the "judgment criteria."
"Does this match my brand?" You can decide whether to accept it based on that question.
Because you have a brand, your own direction does not waver.

This is especially important in a second career after 60.
An attitude of "I'll accept anything" might make it easier to get work in the short term.
However, in the long term, it creates the impression that "I don't know what this person does," which hinders the construction of a brand.

Having a clear brand from the beginning and choosing based on the criteria of "is this work that fits my brand?" is the path to building a fulfilling long-term second career.
The courage to say no is what nurtures a brand.

A brand is a banner to protect.
You could say it is something where your "creed," "way of thinking," or "philosophy" regarding work and career is embodied in some form.
People who have that banner can return to it no matter what storm comes.

The state of "having no brand" is actually not a state of "having a weak brand," but rather a state of "having an uncontrolled brand."

Everyone projects some level of image to others.
The problem is whether that image is what you intended.
By starting to communicate with intention from today,you will gradually move closer to the brand you desire.
Even if it is small, consistency is the golden rule of brand building.

Thank you for reading until the end.
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I look forward to your follow.
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