I had the privilege to facilitate a World Café style session focused on personal branding. The event was a networking and recruiting event for Citi’s How Women Shape Technology & Business in Tampa. It was the perfect venue to focus on how one differentiates themselves to resonate with their audience and be relevant and memorable.
To kick-off the session, I introduced the Message Triangle.
This tool, widely used in the fields of marketing and communications, is designed for anyone who wants to get across key messages in a compelling, concise, and credible manner.
The concept is based on the principle that it is easier to visualize an image than it is to memorize a lot of words.
A user writes their main objective in the center of the triangle (see visual) with three key corresponding words around each triangle side, where all sides are equally important. The focus can be on any target audience, from one-to-many.
Participants rolled up their sleeves and used markers to draw their own triangle on the table.
They wrote their objective in the center of the triangle focusing on why they were attending this event. For example, were they:
- A recruiter looking to hire?
- Looking for a new job?
- Wanting to network with other professionals in the area?
Based on their objective, they wrote down three words to represent the messages they wanted to get across to others. From there, they took turns introducing themselves to their tablemates highlighting what they outlined on their triangle.
As part of the session, participants shared their experiences, which included:
“The message triangle forced me to think through what I wanted to say. Very practical and useful.”
“The tool helped me stay on track versus going off on a tangent and rambling on and on.”
“The exercise reminded me of how each one of us is unique. The triangle helped me highlight what I offer and to stay focused.”
A tip sheet to guide you
At the end of the session, I shared a tip sheet to help them build on their messages with proof points and stories. The message triangle can be used by anyone for any venue. With an open and receptive audience, it ensures that you communicate key messages in a way that resonates and is unforgettable. And with skeptical audiences, it helps you maintain control of the agenda.
Overall, the message triangle can help you cultivate your own personal brand, to differentiate who you are, what you do, and how you do it to stand out from the crowd.