PICKY Personal Brand Model
Audit and build a personal brand across five dimensions: People, Image, Communication, Knowledge, Why
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 83%
PICKY is Cass's acronym for the five components of a personal brand. People is your network and sphere of influence, taken seriously beyond transactional breakfast events. Image is how you present yourself: dress, profile pictures, and the words on your website, cards and marketing, all aligned to your values. Communication is how you converse in writing and face-to-face, with consistency as the key; say nothing behind a keyboard you wouldn't say into someone's eyes. Knowledge is demonstrating expertise, with public speaking as one of the most powerful authority-builders. Why is your values, worn on your sleeve because people connect with values and stories. The model works as both a build checklist and a diagnostic audit, and Cass stresses none of it is novel, only rarely practiced well.
Origin
Warren Cass structured his book Influence around the PICKY acronym, partly because, he jokes, the speaker-author rulebook demands an acronym.
Core principles
- 01Common sense is not common practice; the basics are rarely executed
- 02Authenticity underpins every element; a false image breeds skepticism
- 03It is not only who you know but who knows you
- 04Consistency across channels is what breeds trust
- 05Values are the foundation, not a footnote
How to run it
- 1
People
Take networking seriously as building your sphere of influence, not collecting business cards. Networks bring opportunities, knowledge, wisdom and critical feedback.
Pro tip Deepen key relationships through shared experiences and masterminds rather than transactional events.
- 2
Image
Present yourself consistently across dress, profile pictures, website copy, cards and marketing, all reflecting the values you want to portray.
Pro tip Keep profile photos current; an out-of-date image signals you have something to hide.
Watch out Portraying an image that isn't really you makes people more skeptical, not less.
- 3
Communication
Handle conversations, written and spoken, consistently. Apply the filter of whether you would say something staring into the person's eyes.
Pro tip If you wouldn't say it face-to-face, don't post it.
- 4
Knowledge
Demonstrate expertise so people trust that you know what you are talking about. Standing up and speaking to your peers is one of the most powerful authority-builders.
Pro tip Get out of your comfort zone and speak in public if it is possibly in you.
- 5
Why (Values)
Identify the values you hold and demonstrate them visibly, because people connect on a human level through values and stories, not features and prices.
Pro tip Wear your values on your sleeve; Cass listed his on the back of his business card to spark human conversation.
In the wild
Cass printed the words that defined him, such as West Ham United, family, guitar, on the back of his business cards. In meetings and networking, people would flip the card over and immediately start a human, values-led conversation about one of those subjects rather than launching straight into formal business talk.
→ Meetings opened on a human level, making the rest of the conversation far easier.
Common mistakes
Speaking in one tone to everyone
Marketing to multiple demographics with a single tone of voice means you are not truly speaking to anyone; image and communication must be personalized.
Treating values as an afterthought
Leading with business rather than values skips the human connection that actually builds trust and opportunity.
Is it for you?
Best for
Anyone deliberately shaping how they are perceived professionally and personally.
Not ideal for
Someone seeking a quick tactical hack rather than an ongoing, values-led practice.
From the transcript
“in the book I everything down into an acronym called picky”
“there's nothing that isn't common sense in there but unfortunately common sense isn't common practice”
From the episode
How To Raise Your Profile, Manage Your Reputation and Get Noticed - Warren Cass - #019
Warren Cass