There is much talk about Personal Branding these days.  What is it all about?  Perhaps first we should consider what a brand actually is and then maybe, why establishing “Brand You” is important - says Colin Roberts.

Colin Roberts

So what is a Brand?  Dictionaries tend to focus on name, trademark, variety or type.  A good and fairly universal definition would be, “The marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.”  So, in the case of “Brand You”, the brand is what identifies and differentiates you from other sales people.  It is the essence of what you are and what people can expect from you.

As a society we are galvanised by brands.  Maintaining your brand will ensure that your employer, your clients and customers remember you before anyone else when they have a need.  Your brand will be an essential factor in your success in selling and your sales career.  That’s the importance of developing a brand.

Getting started

How do we then establish this brand?  Do we put it on like a cloak?  Far from it because you have to be the brand; you are the brand and the brand is you.  So you must first know who you are, where you are going and what you want to achieve.

Take some time to have a look at yourself.  Answer these questions: -

• What are my values?
• What are my strengths?
• What are my weaknesses? 
• What particular talents do I have?
• What skills do I have?
• How do others see me? 
• What experience can I bring to bear?

When you have truthfully answered these questions you will no doubt pick up on attributes that you don’t always take advantage of as well as weaknesses that may need to be addressed.

It’s the whole kit and caboodle

Now is the time to define yourself; pull together the strengths, talents, and skills you have identified, apply the benefit of your experience and in line with your values, define your persona.  How will you look?  How should you conduct yourself?  Who will you associate with?  What will your hobbies and interests be?  What are your goals?  Where do you want to be?  I’m not suggesting you completely reinvent yourself.  What we are looking at is the difference between just being you and consciously being the person you want to be.  It’s also very important that you establish a complete brand - if all of you is about work, then what’s left when you no longer work?

It’s actually easier being the person you want to be on a day to day basis rather than simply turning up and being you.  Most of us never look at our complete self when we consider how we are going to behave.  We might decide to be punctual, smart and diligent, but we never complete the picture, consequently we leave room for inconsistencies and contradictions.

Permanence – like a tattoo

Really make your mark

Brand consistency is essential.  Once you have established “Brand You” it is imperative that you maintain the brand.  The whole idea is to create a persona that will support your success, so it is essential that your boss, your colleagues and your customers know what to expect. 

In every sale that you make the significant defining difference will always be you.  An old and well established maxim states, “People Buy People” and that’s why it’s worth taking the time and trouble to identify, develop and establish your brand.  It’s the difference between Derek who “seems like a nice bloke, has an idea of what we want but doesn’t always follow up” and Sue who “is a consummate professional, always delivers and can have a referral from us anytime.”  

The recipe

Whilst I’ve said that this is not an exercise in reinventing yourself, I have listed below some elements I believe are essential to your brand as a salesperson; hopefully many of them are characteristics you already have.  I offer no apology for including several of the elements included in a previous article about what makes a great salesperson. 

You should be: -

Agreeable – know your mind and be assertive but try not to be abrasive and contentious.
Complete – be a well rounded individual.  Develop hobbies and interests, read a quality paper, develop good social skills. 
Conscientious – be reliable, thorough and diligent.
Creative – adapt to different situations and be creative in the way you approach things.
Determined – things will not always go smoothly and you will need to be able to push yourself.
Empathetic – displaying empathy is one of the best ways of developing rapport with anyone.
Enthusiastic – if you are enthusiastic about what you are doing you will enjoy what you are doing.
Honest – always act with integrity.
Industrious – be hard-working and productive.
Knowledgeable – about your company, your product or service, the competition, your industry and your customer.
Self-Assured – know where you are going, know how to get there and know what you have to do to get there.
Self-Motivated – it is essential that you are self-motivated.

“Brand You” will certainly be exclusive.  Hopefully it will be distinctive and exceptional too.  Remember, maintaining your brand will ensure that your employer, your clients and customers remember you before anyone else when they have a need.

My Question / Comment Is...