The sales and especially the marketing landscape has changed. As a marketing or sales professional if you don’t have a defined personal brand, you’re losing the opportunity to stand out and attain higher perceived value in the eyes of your prospects. When you’re competing in the digital age, the element of human connection is so much more valuable. Building and maintaining a strong emotional attachment to your personal brand, as well as your company brand, can mean the difference between winning business with a client and being kicked out the door. The great news is we can develop our personal brand to achieve success.

Building a personal brand is challenging, but extremely rewarding for business and more importantly your personal relationships. In today’s digital playground, it is easy to get lost behind a keyboard when trying to connect and at times the emotional connection can get lost. Creating emotional connections can be an incredible personal brand enhancer, but it takes a little work. Below are a few quick tips for enhancing your personal brand:

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO BUILD A PERSONAL BRAND:

It is essential to know why we should always be growing our personal sales and marketing brand.

1. Aids in creating authentic relationships with other thought leaders
2. Creates and elevates credibility as an expert
3. Allows you to expand your reach across multiple channels.
4. It establishes leadership opportunities.

Consider these 7 tactics to expand your personal brand.

1. Connect your personal brand with your industry and your company brand.

Think of it as a triangle. If you are in a hot industry or with a well-branded company, you should always draft or ride on top of those waves. For example, as a sales professional with a leading semiconductor company, use that brand and branding to enhance your brand. Create a “halo effect.” Sometimes being in a particular industry can provide instant credibility. It is up to you on whether you maintain that status, but the brand proximity will help.

Keep in mind, it is essential to make your company’s brand position clear and show you are an expert facilitator for the company brand. This is important for staying connected to the company brand and helping the client see the value in the company you represent. It should also be noted that the impression you make in person should match how you promote yourself online.

2. Be Sincere

Personal branding takes effort and integrity. It must be consistent. When you provide a personal brand promise, you can help your prospects feel comfortable opening up and listening to you. This authenticity can create personal connections and trust. Help your contacts by being upfront about some of your personal interests, so people will see you have something in common. Don’t be afraid to talk about some of your unique or specific interests. If you love shooting, gardening or have a background in athletics, you should share this. Those are things that tell others who you are.

3. Identify What Makes You Unique

What is your why? In other words, what do you love and where is your talent? Think of someone you consider a thought leader in your industry? Why do you admire them? Now, what makes you a thought leader in your industry?

The things that make you valuable in your career should be the focus areas of your personal brand. Your audience will perceive you the way you initially present yourself. Half the battle of personal branding is believing what you know about yourself. An authentic brand is real and can’t be faked. Be a storyteller. Share stories about how you have helped others with your unique talent and always be humble.

Another way to build your brand is to find opportunities to speak at events or write blogs for online publications and LinkedIn.

4. Utilize Social Selling

Social selling is a must for any sales and marketing professional.

75 percent of online Americans said product information found on social media influences their shopping behavior and enhances brand loyalty.

For any professional and primarily sales and marketing professionals, a personal brand must be mirrored in both digital and physical space. Your social channels are especially important because these are the places where new contacts or clients who haven’t met you yet get their first impression. A significant opportunity is making sure we are using the same profile pic on all social media channels. Another key is capturing recommendations of former and current clients as well as coworkers and supervisors.

Many LinkedIn users have profiles that are focused on attracting recruiters. It is essential to tailor our LinkedIn brand as a client-facing profile. Even if you are searching for a new career, a profile that builds your personal and business brand is more important. Remember where we talked about alignment with your company brand? LinkedIn is the primary location for the execution of this strategy.

5. Get Involved In Your Community

Another excellent way to build your brand is to humbly let our network know about any philanthropic activities you are a part of. Giving back to something more than you are healthy regardless of your personal brand presence. Volunteering also provides an opportunity for storytelling and finding connections. Be active and make friends.

Here is a link to finding a local charity where you can volunteer. #getinvolved
https://www.charitynavigator.org/

6. Promote the entire team when marketing or selling

Gone are the days of the sales and marketing maverick, or the road-warrior loner. Today we incorporate a tremendous amount of sales support when completing a strategic marketing play or sale. We should be advocates for the team and use this as an opportunity to extend their brand. Remember a rising tide raises all boats. So don’t just talk about what “YOU” can do for a client, talk about what “WE” can do and why we do it.

The team will notice, and if it is authentic, the team will advocate for one another enhancing your entire group brand and increasing the brand equity for all.

Clients will notice this as well.

7. Make Human Connections

Having a reliable personal brand connects you with relevant people and allows you to form valuable relationships with them—for both sides. The secret to sales success really does lie in the human connection.

People do not buy things, they buy from people

We would love to learn about your personal brand. Reach out to us at Concept2Completion
https://2completion.com