Jeff Bezos and Your Personal Brand

Peady’s Selling Engagement sponsored by IRD Prospector

Jeff Bezos is quoted as saying, “Your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”

Fact

A strong brand is preferable to one that is unpolished and uninteresting.

The alternative

What they aren’t saying!! If you aren’t top of mind, not on the radar, maybe you are irrelevant in the mind of your potential customer!

Effective personal branding is rooted in authenticity and everyone who interacts with you has an experience that either reinforces a positive brand message or conflicts with that message.

5 Ways

On establishing, developing and sustaining your branding:

  1. Identify the strengths that make you unique. Think about the characteristics and strengths you’re known for – what makes you great. If you are stuck on what it is ask your peers or current customers.
  2. Build a strong online presence. Do you have a broad social media profile? Are all options covered with all of your information? Do they present you in the best possible light and make you look professional? Are you using high-quality photography? Are you interacting with others and sharing their content? Tip: take 15 minutes every morning to update your chosen channels.
  3. Google yourself regularly, see how you’re coming across. How others might be perceiving you is important. What they’re saying about you. You’ll have a tough time building a great personal brand without making a real effort to monitor it.
  4. Become an industry expert. No matter how well you know your industry, remember that things are changing at a faster rate than ever before, and you have to stay up to date. Become the “go to” guy for your clients.
  5. Say yes to events. Don’t pass up on the opportunity to meet new people – networking is a vital way to grow your reputation. The more people you meet means the more LinkedIn connections you’ll make, the more Twitter followers you’ll get and the more opportunities arise.

A personal brand is a bit like a garden. Once you plant the seeds, you’ll be in a great position to reap the benefits. Yes, it takes time but as you continue to develop your personal brand, stay consistent with your efforts, pay close attention to how your audience responds to your content, and hone your direction.

Furthermore, people want to do business with other people, not with “faceless” companies. Putting a strong personal brand on the frontline of your sales process can dramatically improve your prospecting efforts and ultimately your conversion rates.

Until next week good selling!


 

 

 

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About the author 

Stephen Pead is a media industry veteran of 30 years with significant experience in direct sales, sales management and general management. He is based in Sydney and specialises in helping SME’s market their businesses more effectively and providing training for salespeople and sales managers.

He can be contacted at [email protected]

 

 

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