What are the biggest mistakes salespeople make when building their personal brand online?

Building a brand is deeper than visuals. It takes time. I have managed many salespeople. When selling a commoditized product or service, the main USP could be <YOU> Busy, successful sales professionals who are field reps don't have much time to spend on social, and they build their brand in person. This could be as simple as handing out tootsie rolls, listening, and consistently supporting your clients with additional resources that add value (when they least expect it). These items align with personal values and extend both on and offline. Don't forget the value of brand building outside of social media!

Inconsistency in building a personal brand online can undermine the effectiveness of a salesperson's efforts. Here are some common mistakes or inconsistencies to avoid: Inconsistent Messaging: Problem: Delivering mixed messages about personal values, expertise, or the products/services offered. Solution: Define a clear and consistent message that aligns with your personal brand and the value you bring to your audience. Irregular Posting Schedule: Problem: Posting content sporadically or inconsistently. Solution: Develop a content calendar and stick to a regular posting schedule to maintain audience engagement and visibility.

I think it is important when you build your personal brand to be very clear on your brand attributes and understanding what you stand for and what you want to be recognized for. Once you have that clarity I think it's super important to be consistent when you are building your personal brand, both online and offline in F2F engagements with your customers.

One of the key mistakes made during personal brand implementation in online space is the lack of a fully developed brand. Lack of clarity around tone, voice, purpose, and mission, lead to an inconsistent presence. This inconsistency creates a lack of trust in the potential consumer. Without trust, a sale will not happen.

Developing ones Personal Brand online is a journey without a destination. I found it's important to make the first steps and then set yourself milestones as you go, first identifying what you want to be famous or known. Creating your buyer centric profiles on LinkedIn before expanding into other social and digital platforms. Be easily recognisable on all. Creating content consistently and ensure a variety of posts, blogs, articles, events, vides, podcasts all showing the real you. Genuine, authentic and a trusted advisor in what you do. Over time you will make small changes and grow into it and your audience will begin to recognise you for who you're trying to be. Only then do you feel like it working. Keep it going, you can do this!

This is a big red flag for me. “Hustle porn” is not appealing and makes a sales pro look too affected. Be yourself, stay away from over-processed posts, and heck, even show some humility now and then.

Being too salesy in building a personal brand online can be counterproductive, as it may alienate potential customers rather than attract them. Here are common mistakes to avoid: Constant Self-Promotion: Issue: Sharing only promotional content without providing value can make your audience feel like they are being sold to constantly. Solution: Strike a balance between promotional content and valuable, educational, or entertaining content that aligns with your audience's interests. Ignoring Relationship Building: Issue: Focusing solely on transactions without building genuine relationships with your audience. Solution: Engage in conversations, respond to comments, and actively participate in your community to build trust and connections.

The pressure to make a sale often makes salespeople forget that it is a human that is on the other end of their screens. A human with real problems and real emotions. Rather than obsess over your sales numbers, obsess over solving the problems of your ideal clients. Learn more about them and communicate through your content. Rewire your sales mindset and build meaningful relationships. Being overly salesy will hurt your brand and your overall sales results!

Social selling is about making a genuine connection with others. If your social media or public brand is all pitching, all the time, it becomes like the annoying TV ad that everyone wants to fast forward through to get back to the real show. Building your personal brand online is about sharing something authentic about yourself, and engaging authentically with what others have to say, too. Sure, sales can be sprinkled in, but maybe just in one out of every four or five messages. Folks will learn what you've got to sell and come to you when they need it - but will enjoy YOU the rest of the time, as well.

A common mistake made by salespeople in the online space is the disregard for the consumers time. Sending messages and emails are the first transaction that takes place between a salesperson and the consumer. Asking for the consumer to take their time to respond requires the consumer to trade their most valuable asset- time. When attempting to engage in this manner, salespeople tend to not recognize the importance of this first transaction. Salespeople tend to overlook this most important first impression.

While being overly salesy can be a problem, being too passive is another common mistake salespeople may make when building their personal brand online. Here are some pitfalls to avoid: Lack of Consistent Presence: Issue: Rarely posting or engaging on social media, blogs, or other online platforms. Solution: Establish a consistent online presence by regularly sharing valuable content, participating in discussions, and staying visible to your audience. Failure to Showcase Expertise: Issue: Not actively demonstrating your knowledge or expertise in your field. Solution: Share insights, contribute to industry discussions, and provide helpful information to position yourself as an authority in your niche.

Mein Ansatz besteht darin, aktiv zu sein, indem ich regelmäßig meine Profile aktualisiere und ansprechende Inhalte teile. Ich interagiere aktiv mit meinen Kontakten und engagiere mich in relevanten Gruppen, um mein Fachwissen zu teilen und von anderen zu lernen. Ebenso behalte ich meine Online-Reputation im Auge und reagiere professionell und zeitnah auf Feedback oder Anfragen.

A passividade no LinkedIn pode ser interpretada como desinteresse. Seja proativo em sua abordagem: comente em postagens de outros, participe de discussões relevantes e publique conteúdo regularmente. Networking é uma via de mão dupla; quanto mais você se envolver, mais visibilidade e oportunidades surgirão.

There is a thin line between being a sales bully and a shy introvert. You should not take either side of the aisle religiously. Take the middle path of proactivity and moderation.

When building your profile plan make sure you have a call to action. It doesn't help to gain someone's interest and then they can not get a hold of you to learn if you can solve their challenges. Also, you do need to consistently post 2-3 times a week information that is insightful and useful. This shows that you are a thought leader.

Attract. And. Repel. It's KEY to social selling. As we have 1bn users on LinkedIn, it's increasingly difficult to stand out (how many of us recognise the same ideas being said a hundred different ways?). We need to attract those who align with us, our message and our ideas. We want to repel those who don't. Finding your voice and being comfortable using it - especially when going against a widely-held narrative (which you know to be nonsense!) - can be tough... But it attracts those who agree with you towards you. Be bold in your thoughts, ideas and how you view your industry. Stand out and be proud to do so. It's ok for people not to like you. You're not going to be for everyone. And that's a good thing.

Sich zu positionieren, wofür man steht, ist es essenziell auf LinkedIn. Ohne diesen ersten Schritt, ohne die Klarheit, wird die Person kaum wahrgenommen. Bei der Positionierung ist es wichtig nicht besser zu sein, sondern anders, sich abzuheben!

Being too generic when building a personal brand online can hinder a salesperson's ability to stand out in a crowded digital landscape. Here are common mistakes to avoid: Lack of Differentiation: Issue: Failing to highlight what makes you unique or different from others in your industry. Solution: Identify and showcase your unique value proposition—what sets you apart from the competition. Using Generic Language: Issue: Using clichés and industry buzzwords that don't convey a specific message. Solution: Choose authentic and specific language that resonates with your target audience, clearly communicating your brand identity.

Totalmente de acuerdo, es muy importante ser específicos con el mensaje que queremos transmitir. Un poco en línea con no ser confusos, ya a mayor personalización, mayor alcance. A mi me ha funcionado, ya que puedo lograr que mi público objetivo se identifique con ese mensaje y se puede generar una conexión más allá del “quiero venderte”.

Ich lege Wert darauf, nicht einfach vage Beschreibungen oder allgemeine Schlüsselwörter zu verwenden. Mein Ziel ist es, spezifisch und authentisch zu sein, indem ich meine Nische und mein Fachwissen hervorhebe. Mein Fokus liegt darauf, Inhalte zu teilen, die mein einzigartiges Wertversprechen und meine Persönlichkeit zeigen, um mich von Mitbewerbern abzuheben. Zudem nutze ich meine Netzwerke, um nach Referenzen oder Empfehlungen zu suchen, die meine Marke bestätigen.

Complacency can be a significant obstacle when building a personal brand online. Here are common mistakes salespeople may make when they become too complacent in their efforts: Neglecting Continuous Learning: Issue: Assuming that existing knowledge and skills are sufficient for the long term. Solution: Stay proactive in seeking new information, industry trends, and evolving technologies to maintain a competitive edge. Failing to Update Content: Issue: Letting online profiles, websites, and content become outdated. Solution: Regularly update your content to reflect your current achievements, skills, and experiences. Showcase recent projects and accomplishments.

Ich plane, meine Online-Präsenz regelmäßig zu aktualisieren und mich auf sich ändernde Trends oder Kundenbedürfnisse einzustellen. Feedback oder Kritik zu ignorieren wäre ein Fehler, genauso wie das Versäumnis, meine Strategien zu überprüfen und zu verbessern. Mein Ziel ist es, meinen Markenaufbau als einen fortlaufenden Prozess zu sehen und nicht als einmaliges Projekt. Ich strebe danach, meine Inhalte zu aktualisieren, mich ständig weiterzubilden und Feedback als Gelegenheit zum Wachsen zu nutzen. Zudem ist es mir wichtig, meine Ergebnisse zu messen und meine Strategien entsprechend anzupassen.

O mundo digital está em constante mudança, e o LinkedIn não é exceção. Mantenha-se atualizado com as tendências da indústria, adapte-se às novas funcionalidades da plataforma e esteja aberto a experimentar novas formas de comunicação, como vídeos e LinkedIn Live. A complacência pode fazer com que você fique para trás, enquanto a adaptabilidade pode te colocar à frente.

Creating a strong personal brand requires ongoing experimentation and activity. It is not only about new trends but rather challenging old habits that may bring better results than you can imagine. Being complacent will leave you behind, for sure.

You can't sit on the sideline and do nothing. This is social media. Salespeople must take an active part in participating on each site they choose to be on. I can't stress enough so not post the same thing on all sites your profile is listed.

The biggest mistake salespeople tend to make when integrating their personal brand in the online space is to focus on themselves and the sale rather than the consumer. Typically, salespeople develop a personal brand around who they are rather than emphasizing how what they do or offer impacts their consumers. When presenting a personal brand that showcases the solution to a problem or the benefits of a need AND why their product or service is uniquely different sets the stage for creating success in aligning with the desired consumer.

Stop trying. Stop it. It never works in the end. Everyone figures it out. Better to be ahead of the curve and own up. And own it. What am I talking about? Stop putting on the act you think the listener wants to hear. You’ll get it wrong and be incongruent. Trust me. Be real!

Building a personal brand online is a critical aspect of modern salesmanship, but it’s easy to make mistakes in this process. In my experience, it has to do with the lack of Consistency. An example is inconsistent Messaging. It means sending mixed messages about who you are and what you stand for can confuse your audience. For example, when Irregular Posting is at fault, the result is that infrequent or irregular posting can hinder the development of a loyal following.

➡️The importance of thought leadership and value driven content in social selling. Social selling isn't about broadcasting your product's or service's excellence on social media. It's about establishing yourself or your company as a go-to expert in your field. The key is to focus on consistently providing value to your audience, rather than just sharing yet another branded corporate piece of content. Position yourself as a thought leader - the person your audience go first when they want answers, ideas, or analysis. Remember, successful social selling is about enriching your audience's knowledge and solving their problems, not promoting your offerings!

Beim Aufbau einer Personenmarke ist das eigentliche Produkt, dass ich verkaufen (promoten) möchte, nicht die Dienstleistung oder das Produkt, dass am Ende wirklich gekauft werden soll, sondern das bin Ich, als Person.