We know that at least 50% of face-to-face selling is contingent upon the buyer’s feelings about the salesperson. That means as salespeople, we should be just as concerned about our image and our “personal brand” as we are about the products and services that we sell. So how important is personal branding?
Well, there are companies that keep track of the power and likability of celebrities, for example, so that when advertisers go to select a spokesperson, they receive real time information on that person’s appeal in the marketplace. We may not be movie stars but we are sales rock stars in our own rights . . . we need to always be conscious of how people are perceiving us, personally, and alert to ways we can improve our personal brand and appeal.
One thing I have seen a number of high-powered salespeople do is to create a signature event or activity that they become well-known for. I have seen salespeople hold the Halloween cocktail party of the year, the best fantasy football league, be organizers of sports leagues and tournaments and throw terrific charity golf and tennis events . . . whatever the case, these activities stand out and have become the thing that these salespeople are known for in their markets and in their communities.
Be sure to ask your colleagues and good customers about their perception of you and if there is anything you can be doing to improve that perception. Personal branding is important and it can also be deeply satisfying when you find ways to stand out through win/win scenarios.
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