Whether you’re a C-Suite professional or a recent college graduate starting your career journey, it’s essential to build a personal brand. However, if you are in sales, I believe it’s a vital tool to use to position yourself for success. It can give you a competitive edge and distinguish you from your competition.
Why Is Personal Branding Vital for Sales Success?
First, it allows you to position yourself as an expert in your field. You become a credible source of information for your customer and colleagues. This will help open doors to new clients and opportunities along the way as well.
Second, it allows you to build trust, which is a trait which will not only secure you sales, but bring you repeat business. Credibility is currency. People begin to think of you as the face of the product or the answer to their problem. Not only are you boosting your reputation, but also that of the company you are representing. If you’re the leader of a team, it can also help motivate and improve your team’s performance when you share about their successes, and they see it in their newsfeeds as well.
People love to buy from people they know. Building up your online presence is allowing potential customers the chance to know you and like you. When you build your brand with a mix of industry knowledge and personality, it makes you more likeable. They begin to feel like they know you on a human level. It establishes a relationship of sorts. And we all know, it’s harder to say no to someone you know than a stranger. And, since the pool of people you’ll encounter in the digital world is exponentially larger than the one you encounter day-to-day, your pool of potential clients increases as well.
Personal Branding Can Help You Build An Account List
Let’s dive a little deeper and look at 3 reasons developing and growing your personal brand can be a powerful tool you can use to grow your account list and boost your sales numbers.
- The message is yours. Whether you intentionally create your brand or not, you have one. Every client interaction, every social media post, all impact your brand. When you build your brand intentionally, you control what shows up and how the industry thinks of you. Over time, especially when you actively use LinkedIn, you can impact your Google search results and show up first or second in search results. If you are in a competitive arena, this added boost can result in more sales.
- Your brand gets your calls answered. Having a personal brand means people are more likely to respond to your emails or answer your DM’s because you have built a reputation of credibility. The more people know who you are, the more they are willing to associate with you. The more you share your authentic self – what makes you different and the best at what you do – the more they can relate. Then, when you add value on top of that, you’ve set yourself up for the win.
- Your brand makes referrals easier to get. These may come from satisfied clients, or they could come from others in your industry. There’s no more powerful proof that your personal brand is working than when other industry colleagues pass along referrals to you. This says they trust you to solve a problem for a connection they value. Referral business is the best business because people trust referrals and that makes the close rate higher.
Personal Branding Is More Than Social Media
Personal branding is more than marketing. It’s about building a reputation. If you haven’t put much thought into your brand, here’s a worksheet you can use to get started. Look at others in your industry who you consider to be thought leaders. Take some time and really analyze what they are doing that is setting them up to be recognized. Imitate them, then do one better.
If you have spent time building your personal brand it’s up to you to keep it fresh.
Consistency is key. It’s not just about posting on social media every day. It’s about deciding what your message is going to be and being diligent about only sharing things that amplify that message. It’s about knowing your target audience and understanding the stories you need to tell to connect with them. Your content doesn’t have to be all original. It can be industry related content you share, or it can be comments you make on other individual, or companies posts. You need to join groups and become active. This expands your reach and adds to your industry credibility as well. Remember it’s about positioning yourself as a trusted expert in the field.
Finally, don’t forget about the networking opportunities available online. Use these opportunities to expand your professional circle. The more connections you make, the more value you can provide. By interacting on a regular basis, you’ll not only grow your brand recognition, but you’ll also improve the number of referrals and opportunities you receive.
Creating a brand can help you reach new heights in your career. By being consistent, authentic, and providing real value, will make you be seen as the person everyone wants to work with. If you’re a sales team leader, your personal brand allows younger members of the team to see the real you and see the skills and drive needed to succeed. As your brand and credibility grow, so should the commissions.
If you want more secrets to building a successful career brand, you can:
Join Successfully Ever After an online course designed to help you create a personal brand designed with career success in mind within 30 days.
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and watch quick tips to help your job search or make yourself promotable.
Join my private Successfully Ever After Facebook Group for trainings and information designed for success-seekers.
Check out my audio books: Get Noticed, Get Hired or When In Doubt, Delete It!
Think career coaching is for you? Schedule a consultation and let’s talk!
