Personal branding isn't all about the clothes you wear and the quality of your watch. In a smaller company, you are the personification of your brand. If you are a potter or a cake maker and live most of your life in an apron the chances are that folk will understand that. OK, someone may ask you to do a talk and you may or may not wish to put on a suit or smart casuals at that point. That's both context driven and a matter of personal choice.
It really boils down to this: the way that you talk to people and conduct yourself with others is in effect the main transmitter of your personal brand consistency.
If you have the reputation for being a cheery soul that is also exceptionally good at what you do, and who listens really carefully, and takes into account what it is that the customer really wants, then you are well on the way to creating the sort of personal brand that a creative person really needs.
However, if you're a grumpy so-and-so on Monday mornings, the suit is neither here nor there. Stay away from the phone or get someone cheery to answer it for you. I wish I were joking, but so many businesses are spoiled by a lack of awareness of the details that really count. If you're grumpy, or awkward, or you don't listen, people will simply stop calling – and you'll soon see the results in your cashflow.
At the end of the day, all marketing comes down to getting an enthusiastic 'yes!' to your proposition – whether that's a sale, a booking for a workshop or lecture, or negotiating a better rate with a supplier.
Your business is dependent on getting enough warm human beings to say 'yes'. Not just the once, but over and over again. And how you conduct yourself is absolutely critical in getting them to a 'yes' decision.
Read more like this in craft&design magazine: http://www.craftanddesign.net/
Or in my upcoming book: www.facebook.com/makeyourcreativitypay
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