The Rise of Personal Branding

When I started selling copiers for a manufacturer in 1989, the marketing messages were all about showcasing the manufacturers logo. When I became the VP of Sales & Marketing for a $30 million Office Technology Provider it was all about leading with the brand of our company. Now when I coach B2B sales professionals, I tell them it’s fast becoming more and more about your personal brand.

In simple terms, your personal brand is how you present yourself to the world.

Your brand consists of the unique combination of skills and experiences that make you who you are in the eyes of your customers, prospects, peers, employers, etc.

If you are a sales professional, effective personal branding will boost your consideration rates, differentiate you from the competition and build trust with prospective clients and employers - faster.

If you are a business leader, your personal brand can shape the culture of your organization, help you attract top talent and create a personality for your business that customers want to with for the products and services you offer.

Of course, this assumes your personal brand is a good one.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, perhaps you participated in my recent poll question: How strong is your personal brand as seen through digital mediums?

The poll asked you to select between “I’m embarrassed”, “It’s weaker than it should be” and “It’s strong and I’m proud of it”.

Most of the participants were salespeople, so it is no surprise that most of the responses seemed somewhat “overconfident”. Kind of like a sales forecast that could make you think things are a lot better than they are.

I believe the surge in digital communication is powering the rise of personal branding. This means your digital DNA must be respectable and this often starts with your presence on social media.

As an example, LinkedIn has become the watering hole for B2B decision makers and the birthplace of personal brands for thousands of my 30 Day LinkedIn Bootcamp clients. It seems the moment we strengthen a person’s profile, and they learn what content to post, and how to post it, their personal brand is born.

The concept of personal branding isn’t new by the way. It’s been around from the beginning of business. In the olden days, many of us may have referred to our brand as our reputation. So, don’t get lost in the buzzword, it’s the same principle – just more digital.

Success happens when people start to think of themselves as a product. A product that offers features, advantages, and benefits to the target customer. A product that is properly promoted and well positioned in the right business circles on a frequent basis to make sure it becomes top of mind at point of need.

Do you see yourself as a product?

Maybe you should.

As products and services become more and more commoditized, I believe people will continue to place more emphasis on buying from people they like and trust. Doesn’t that sound like your personal brand?

At speaking events I will often suggest to salespeople that the sooner they realize they work for the name of the person on their business card and not the logo – they will do better for both.

The importance of creating, building, and nurturing a personal brand will become increasingly obvious for those who follow the trends.

Research shows us that employee posts have 8 -10 times the reach of company posts on social media. More than 50% of B2B buyers now look at the seller’s LinkedIn profile as part of their buying process and 75% of adults are not pleased with what they see when they Google their name.

Your brand goes beyond digital, but with screen time going through the roof, the digital strength of your personal brand will soon outweigh what you do in person. That is if it has not already.

To help you access your personal brand, here are some questions we ask our clients.

1.    What comes up when you Google your name?

2.    Is it obvious what you are passionate about?

3.    How often do you post content on LinkedIn?

4.    How many photos and videos of yourself have you shared?

5.    What does your virtual meeting background look like?

6.    How do you dress for virtual meetings?

7.    What three adjectives describe the value you offer?

8.    What words would define your personality?

9.    What differentiates you from people selling against you?

10.How would people describe you?

These are basic questions, but they are very difficult for most people to answer. In my workshops on this topic, I get a wide range of responses. Often it ranges from self deprecating humor to the face you would see when someone leaves a good haunted house.

If you found these questions difficult to answer, it may be because you are resisting the reality of the new digital playing field, maybe you don’t care, or you feel trapped in a corporate suit that fits a little snug when it comes to promoting yourself outside the company.

Conversely, you may already be on the road to building a wonderful personal brand that showcases who you are, what you do, and why people should engage you to help them accomplish their goals.

Old school taught us that business was all about “who you know”. Today, I believe it’s fast becoming “who knows you”. 

And that starts with your personal brand.

Be real, be honest, be consistent, be authentic, be professional and be yourself.

Those are all capabilities you have.

The question is will you use them, and when will we see them in your personal brand?