Though many salespeople commit to establishing a personal brand, actually doing it can be difficult.
It’ okay that we get overwhelmed. Some dealerships spend more than your salary on establishing a brand for the company. There’s no way we have the time or capital to invest in such an expansive plan, is there?
Maybe you don’t need to.
Plan yes. Spend any money?
Not really.
Done well, you shouldn’t have to spend any money at all on your branding exercise. It only takes time and effort. We asked three industry insiders what they thought about personal branding, and here are the top three answers.
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BRAND EXERCISE IS FREE.
GET A CAMERA
Will Harris of Rapid RTC says a camera can make a big difference. It doesn’t take much thought; just let your personality come through.
We all know that prospects spend a long time researching. Video allows you to build rapport without a sales conversation. Clients see who you are right away, and you can take the time to build trust.
It doesn’t matter whether you carry the camera around with you or set up an interview style. What matters is you get in front of the camera and show prospects who you are. Showing your knowledge by answering questions on camera and your body language will help show the genuine you.
REVIEWS
Everold Reid, an expert in sales, starts at the end. He suggests you look back at your past clients and ask them for reviews; Google reviews. Of course, we’re always asking for reviews, but how many times do we suggest that clients call us out in particular?
As explained by Inc. Magazine, with 9 out of 10 people at least occasionally reading reviews and over 80% of people trusting online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, reviews have become critically important. You have a lot of eyeballs looking at reviews, and the more they see your name come up, the more you build your personal brand. Just remember, it isn’t just about Evorold doing a good job. Ask your clients to explain why they chose you.
Dan Liska of Mobials believes LinkedIn is perfect for professionals in the auto industry. He goes on to say that every social media platform comes down to the objective you want.
LinkedIn is a little bit Bio and a little bit salesy. It isn’t just a resume, but making sure you flesh out everything and then getting recommendations from clients and colleagues so you can establish what you do best.
“IT’S ALL ABOUT SHARING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND.”
THE FIRST STEP
We’ve all heard the stories of the salespeople when we were kids, how they went way beyond what was expected to get the clients what they needed. In today’s digital world, we have the venue to show our prospects that side of us before they even come into the dealership. We don’t have to worry about how we sound or seem to a potential client, because we already know that doing the right thing for a client is the best thing for our brand. There is a cautionary tale, however, when navigating the world of social media. It’s one thing to post what you did, but the language has to be genuine. Blasting your audience with a constant barrage of what you did this week to make someone happy can backfire on you.
Show them, don’t tell them. Your audience is smart, and they’ll instantly know when you’re selling them.