“Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to be in business.” (Warren Buffet)

 

To quote from one of the greatest performers of all-time, Michael Jackson:

 

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you want to make the “sales” world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

 

It is no secret the B2B buyer is online. In a thinkwithgoogle.com article, “89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the B2B research process.”

 

Whether you are a sales professional or a sales manager, selling in today’s hyper-connected, fast paced business environment is tough. If the buyer is online conducting their own research to help solve certain problems existing within their office; how are you as a sales professional positioning yourself online to capture their attention?

 

To help answer, “How do you capture the attention?” I would like to take a step back to 2007. We all have points in our lives where we have the “a-ha” moment. The "a-ha" moments can be the crowning point in our lives which helps us carve a new path we take in life or in our business career. This happened to me when I had a business mentor step into my life.

 

I am a believer we can all benefit from having mentor’s step into our lives. The question he helped me answer and to this day I live by:


What does your personal brand say about you?

 

Your personal brand is mission critical. In a matter of seconds, someone can form an opinion of you by simply typing your name into Google and off they go within the internet super-highway.

 

My mentor taught me the importance within sales of being:

  • Authentic
  • Real
  • Consistent
  • Personable
  • Helpful

AUTHENTIC
Be a normal human being. I learned the best way to become a great sales professional is not to act like a “salesperson”. Normal human conversation goes a long way. Get to know someone and take the “sales” hat off.


REAL
Be genuine and not a fake. Prospects know when you're being yourself -- even if they don't realize they know this. Prospects are more likely to respond favorably and will more likely come back to you again and again when they see you as a real person or even a friend -- instead of just as salesperson.


CONSISTENT
In sales and business we over complicate the process. We fail to do the little things on a consistent basis. Instead of focusing on doing just one or two things exceptionally, we become obsessed with doing everything perfectly. The result is frustration and lackluster sales performance. The key to success in sales is to identify one or two small things we can do well and do them consistently.


PERSONABLE
In sales, we have to learn how to get along with, enjoy meeting with and speaking with a wide variety of people. You know the old saying, “People do business with people they know, like and trust” therefore be a people person and let your personality shine through.


HELPFUL
If you are truly being yourself, instead of being a sales machine, you are going to seem like an interested individual who wants to HELP, not like a salesman who is looking for another commission. The foundation of who I am as a sales professional is built around being helpful.


My motto in life, “Offer to help without expecting anything in return as this will come back ten-fold.”


You all have heard in some form or fashion (usually by your sales manager), you need to run your sales territory like you are the CEO of your own business.

 

I ask you to take into consideration and think to yourself “If I am the CEO of me” then:

  • How authentic am I?
  • How real am I being?
  • How consistent is my message?
  • How personable am I?
  • Am I being helpful to my clients and prospects?

Your brand is everything in the sales world today. I encourage you to take your online presence seriously. You get one shot to make a great first impression.

 

 

Become a student and review your LinkedIn profile. Observe and pay attention to the people that have large followings and influence for the right reasons.

 

Be genuine, Be real, Be relevant, Be personable

 

V.P. of Sales and Sales Managers, I am here to be of help. My commitment is to help our team win. If you would like my Sales Managers Guide to LinkedIn, please send me an llevine@dealermarketing.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">email

 

 

If you enjoyed this post please share your comments. Lets connect and start a conversation. You can send me a personalized invitation through my LinkedIn profile

 

If you enjoyed reading please check out more at the Dealer Marketing blog site as well as the Social Sales Academy

 

Check out some of my other posts on LinkedIn Publisher and on SlideShare

 

I enjoy sharing my LinkedIn stories. LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. I transform and coach copier sales professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help independent office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter,www.dealermarketing.net/what-we-do/linkedin, www.dealermarketing.net, and at Social Sales Academy