Why Quick Fixes Sell, and Why They Don’t Work


It has been a while since I last wrote here in the blog, and the reason is that I feel that more and more of the Personal Branding space is being crowded with quick solutions. Improve your LinkedIn bio, define your tag line, write your personal branding statement…the list goes on.

I have written a few articles like this myself and most of them have a valid point. However, if the article is taken out of context and is being used as a quick fix, then it will not be a long term solution and will likely harm your brand in the long run, rather than improving it.

So what is a quick fix?

It is something that are easy to implement, it is something that doesn’t need any deeper thought and analysis of the situation, yourself and the implications of what will happen if you implement the quick fix.  It is like fixing a broken pipe with duct tape. It will solve the problem temporary, but when you get back from your vacation and the whole kitchen is flooded, you are in a lot more problems than you where if you had looked for a more permanent solutions.

How does this apply to the Personal Branding space?

There is nothing wrong with defining your tagline or writing your personal mission statement. I actually encourage you to do it. But if it is not based on who you really are and your core values, then it will not reflect the real identity and image of your brand. It will be something that is more or less false, it will look good and it might guide your daily life, but if you do not know where you want to be, then how do you know that the guiding will get you there and not to somewhere else?

There’s No Quick Fix

The last two months I have been in Panama, where I will get married next Saturday (actually we are already married, but this time it is in the church with my wife’s family present). Being here, thinking of the opportunities that keeps presenting themselves, being CEO of a new start-up as well as running The Rynge Group–all of this makes me realize that defining who I am is a never ending story. Working with your personal development is something that carries a lot of influence from others, like family, friends, associates, etc. Your brand will never be the same from one day to the next, and this is why quick fixes don’t work. They are based on the current you, but you are another person tomorrow so you have to work continuously with your personal development and redefine your brand to match who you are.

Take a moment, think about if you want to be who you where yesterday or if you want to prepare yourself for who you will be tomorrow.