Personal brand is so much more than building relationships
People buy from people
I hear this a lot in the printing industry. In my most recent post, I covered why the personal brand is so much more important than the corporate brand. So you would think that I agree with this statement. However, I have mixed feelings about it.
I am not a fan of traditional relationship selling
Many sales people have told me that it is all about building relationships with the prospect. Whilst relationship building is a great skill to have, you are going to struggle if that is all you rely on.
Successful print selling also relies on having a powerful sales message (I recommend using the TPD Principle) and on having a personal brand.
These days buyers want more than just someone they get along with
They want to buy from someone that they can trust. That means they will want to be able to check out a sales person online and see what they are like. They will probably want them to come recommended as well.
They may not even be prepared to speak to a new sales person unless they have heard from them before. And that means the sales person has to be memorable as well.
This is what personal branding is about: not the ability to build a relationship when you meet someone.
Do you need practical personal brand building advice?
Check out Five Steps To Creating A Social Media Profile That Generates Business. You’ll find plenty of good tips, strategies and action points.
