The tension in the country was palpable. The teeming football loving fans of England were staring loss and the attendant absence at the World Cup Finals 2002 in the face, and to make matters worse, on their home soil. Their opponents, the Greeks had just a few minutes to hold out and the sweet taste of victory over England was gradually creeping into their mouths. The game remained at 2-1 against England and at the last minute, England was awarded a free kick. The stadium was tense and so was virtually every household in England. There was only one person England could rely on at that point in time: David Beckham and as he strode up to place the ball and take the free kick, everyone watched with bated breath. David Beckham curled the ball in his trademark manner into the net and the entire stadium and indeed, the nation went wild. He had just sent England into the World Cup finals with another spectacular BECKHAM FREEKICK.

The ability to curl a football above or around a wall of players or place a clinical pass to a team mate had come to be associated with David Beckham so much so that references were made to BECKHAM PASS and BECKHAM FREE KICK. These have come to be regarded as part of David Beckham’s UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (USP).

In an earlier article (How To Sell You: Building A Personal Brand), I mentioned that a personal brand is a definite combination of expectations and associations which are nurtured and projected over time. These expectations and associations are what people come to look forward to while dealing with you. It goes without saying that such associations must be positive and beneficial to your target market. Imagine an entire nation waiting, believing that one man could deliver their World Cup dreams. David Beckham’s USP took him a long time to build. He had to discover that he could actually do it, practice such as to perfect it and continually deliver on it. He may not have coined the terms BECKHAM PASS OR FREE KICK but that association resulted as he continued to create the expectations and deliver on them.

David Beckham had his free kicks and clinical passes. What are the expectations which you can create in your target market? What associations are you drawing for them? Are you delivering? Do they look forward to you fulfilling their expectations? Do they believe in you? Do you inspire confidence in them? Will they stake their success on you?

Personal branding is built on self-discovery, connects on unique associations, succeeds on delivery and is sustained on consistency and perpetual evolution. You must discover and continually project your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Remember, “If no one is sold on you, no one will buy from you”

Olatunji Ladi Adejumo is a professional Public Relations and Management practitioner specializing in e-Public Relations, Brand Management and Communication. An avid follower of various sports, a motivational speaker, writer and coach, he has a relentless passion to assist business owners and professionals rise to and remain at the top of their game in life. He has evolved a systematic and innovative educational program using sports to connect go- getters to with their aspirations.