{"id":3257,"date":"2019-11-04T14:39:43","date_gmt":"2019-11-04T20:39:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.kmbrian.com\/?p=3257"},"modified":"2020-12-04T17:36:18","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T23:36:18","slug":"salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand\/","title":{"rendered":"How Salespeople Can Leverage LinkedIn to Build a Personal Brand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A couple of decades ago, a salesperson\u2019s brand was all about their suit, car, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.namecheap.com\/blog\/15-reasons-to-use-a-business-card-in-2020\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">business cards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>These days, you need to put a bit more work in.<\/p>\n<p>A strong <a href=\"http:\/\/sujanpatel.com\/videos\/build-personal-brand\/\">personal brand<\/a> attracts and engages clients, while building their trust in you, and \u2013 by extension \u2013 the company you work for.<\/p>\n<p>And when it comes to your branding toolbox, LinkedIn should be your go-to.<\/p>\n<p>I recently sat down with <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/alexander_low\">Alex Low<\/a>, co-founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.dlaignite.com\/\">DLA ignite<\/a>, to gain expert insight into how salespeople can build their personal brand on LinkedIn, and why this is now key to <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/sales-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sales success<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Alex knows what he\u2019s talking about when it comes to sales and branding. His background? \u201cSales through and through.&#8221; He\u2019s worked in real estate and recruitment, with former employers including PwC. He co-founded DLA Ignite at the beginning of 2017.<\/p>\n<p>In this article, I share some of his top insights. For the full interview, check out the video below.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/76Rj3hfh1sQ\" width=\"560\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Authenticity is key [1:30]<img data-attachment-id=\"3261\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand\/1-authenticity-is-key\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"350,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"1-Authenticity-is-key\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-3261 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?resize=278%2C278&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"278\" height=\"278\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/1-Authenticity-is-key.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 278px) 100vw, 278px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/h2>\n<p>We might be living in a digital world, but Alex hammers home the mantra \u201cPeople still buy people.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, it\u2019s widely believed that the very things that make us human and cannot be automated \u2013 emotions, love, insight, ethics \u2013 will become extremely valuable as humanity continues on this unstoppable path to digitization.<\/p>\n<p>But of course, with more and more conversations happening online, everyone and everything is connected.<\/p>\n<p>This lends itself to a buyer\u2019s market. In the digital domain, salespeople have more competition than ever.<\/p>\n<p>This is why it\u2019s essential to stand out \u2013 in the right way \u2013 on LinkedIn. Learning how to do this is an extremely valuable skill.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s vital that salespeople build an authentic brand presence. When someone meets you for the first time \u2013 even if this is happening online \u2013 they need to meet the <em>real<\/em> you. Avoid carefully-crafted veneers, or standard profiles tailored towards your next job or customer.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With the challenges social media is facing today, such as #fakenews, as consumers we are becoming less trusting of social and digital,&#8221; says Alex. \u201cThe more authentic salespeople are online, the more likely the right type of people will gravitate towards them. That\u2019s just who we are as human beings, and have always been.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also offers a nice hack for LinkedIn: \u201cTell your story as if you\u2019re meeting your parents\u2019 friends for the first time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, your profile should be a blend of your authentic self, alongside content and the story you tell to bring your personal brand to life.<\/p>\n<h2>Optimize your profile [7:32]<\/h2>\n<p>When <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/optimize-social-profiles-sales\/\">optimizing your profile<\/a>, you of course have to work within the parameters of LinkedIn\u2019s template, and within the brand of your own organization as well.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s essential to remember the employee owns the profile \u2013 not the employer. Forcing employees to post certain content or words in a specific way is likely to sound inauthentic and have a counterintuitive effect. And employees probably won\u2019t appreciate it, either.<\/p>\n<h3>&#8216;About\u2019 [8:00]<\/h3>\n<p>Of LinkedIn\u2019s \u2018About\u2019 section, Alex says: \u201cThis is not your CV.\u201d Instead of a dry list of skills or accomplishments, use it to tell your story.<\/p>\n<p>Consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What do you do?<\/li>\n<li>Why do you do it?<\/li>\n<li>What are your hobbies?<\/li>\n<li>Do you do charity work or sit on boards?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The purpose of this is to achieve instant personal connection with whoever is reading your profile. While it might sound insignificant, throwing in a few details about how you spend your spare time could lead to the right people identifying with you, and consequently choosing you over the competition.<\/p>\n<p>Alex explains that you want people to look at your profile and say \u201cI\u2019m the same person as you.&#8221; That lifelong passion for mountain biking might bring you joy out on the trail, but tell it to the right contact and it could help you win in the office, too.<\/p>\n<h3>Experience [8:42]<img data-attachment-id=\"3262\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand\/2-experience\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?fit=380%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"380,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2-Experience\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?fit=300%2C276&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?fit=380%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-3262 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?resize=281%2C259&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"281\" height=\"259\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?w=380&amp;ssl=1 380w, http:\/\/i0.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-Experience.jpg?resize=300%2C276&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 281px) 100vw, 281px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/h3>\n<p>Alex underlines that people do not want to speak to vendor salespeople.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they want to talk to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.inc.com\/ian-altman\/why-more-companies-are-shunning-salespeople-hiring-subject-matter-experts-to-drive-sales.html\">subject matter experts<\/a> who can help solve their business problems or third-party validation. This makes sense: professionals trying to impress their bosses need to see value from every interaction.<\/p>\n<p>This means the experience section should translate as \u201cThis is what we do and this is how I can help you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the headlines of this section needs to be: \u201cBy working with us, you\u2019ll get X outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ensure this section is content-rich, with PDFs, videos, website links, and \u2013 vitally \u2013 a CTA. Then work through your skills.<\/p>\n<p>Alex shares one of his favorite tips for weeding out dry, useless content from LinkedIn profiles: If you make a statement and find yourself asking \u2018So what?\u2019, get rid of it. If you can\u2019t answer the \u2018So what?\u2019, there\u2019s no way your audience will be able to.<\/p>\n<h3>Recommendations [9:55]<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThe biggest thing is recommendations,\u201dAlex says. \u201cIf you are as good as you say you are, ask your clients for recommendations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This can be huge in terms of building trust. Whether or not prospects are in the same sectors as the clients recommending you, they\u2019ll understand that professionals wouldn\u2019t have publically recommended you or your products if they weren\u2019t great.<\/p>\n<p>Alex suggests getting at least two new recommendations a year. This should be enough to keep your profile \u2013 \u201ca living, breathing thing\u201d \u2013 on steady ground. Keep on top of your profile in the same way you get a new haircut or pair of trainers every couple of months, he advises.<\/p>\n<h2>Engage for 21st century inbound [14:40]<\/h2>\n<p>LinkedIn altered its algorithm <a href=\"http:\/\/www.searchenginejournal.com\/linkedin-changes-its-algorithm-to-surface-more-personalized-content\/314541\/\">around 6-12 months ago<\/a> to drive engagement. Ultimately, this change was to try to keep people on the platform for longer.<\/p>\n<p>In practice, this means the algorithm now rewards likes and comments.<\/p>\n<p>Salespeople should follow all their clients&#8217; corporate pages. They should also follow prospects \u2013 the follow function means they no longer need to connect with all of them. When you <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/linkedin-prospecting\/\">follow a prospect<\/a>, they will receive a notification and you\u2019ll see their content in your newsfeed. Like it, comment on it, and, where appropriate, comment with your own related content or research. Easy.<\/p>\n<p>Alex says the clue is in the \u2018social\u2019 part of \u2018social media.&#8217; \u201cI saw this, I read that, now I want to connect with you,\u201d he observes. It\u2019s all about the conversations.<\/p>\n<p>This is 21st century inbound. Clients come to you when they&#8217;re ready to have the buying conversation because they\u2019ve done their due diligence in checking you out. You look sensible, you\u2019re a good crossover in terms of network, and you share some interests.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt literally is as simple as that,\u201d Alex says.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s vital to ensure you\u2019re engaging consistently, focusing less on getting thousands of likes, and more on getting engagement from the right people.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEngage, disagree with people, have debates,\u201d he recommends. \u201cBut do it in a way where you\u2019re having a conversation like you would in the office \u2013 don\u2019t troll. Say &#8216;This is my alternate view on this.&#8217; It\u2019s okay as long as it\u2019s done in a sensible way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For his part, Alex once gained three inbound leads after having a polite public debate with a LinkedIn connection. \u201cI made a video that Friday and I got 10,000 views and three pieces of inbound due to the argument we were having,&#8221; he explains. &#8220;But it was done in the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Best practices [12:03]<img data-attachment-id=\"3263\" data-permalink=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand\/3-best-practices\/\" data-orig-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"350,350\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"3-Best-practices\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?fit=350%2C350&amp;ssl=1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-3263 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?resize=292%2C292&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"292\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?w=350&amp;ssl=1 350w, http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, http:\/\/i1.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/3-Best-practices.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 292px) 100vw, 292px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/h2>\n<h3>An interesting and authentic headline [12:03]<\/h3>\n<p>So many people struggle with their LinkedIn headline \u2013 after all, how are you meant to sum up all that experience in one short phrase?<\/p>\n<p>When Alex works with clients, he recommends they think less about how they describe what they do, and instead consider what their <em>clients<\/em> would say they do. For example, instead of &#8220;Corporate Lawyer,&#8221; consider something like \u201cEnables evolution through M&amp;A.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Personal AND professional \u2018About\u2019 section [11.59]<\/h3>\n<p>Salespeople should hook people in with their hobbies and interests in this section, but they should also showcase their top-line skills and experience, too.<\/p>\n<h3>Get permission [13:06]<\/h3>\n<p>Leadership needs to grant explicit permission around personal brand building on LinkedIn. &#8220;There\u2019s a lot of fear around \u2018What if I say the wrong thing?\u2019\u201d Alex explains.<\/p>\n<p>However, social posts cannot and should not be templated by employers. If you just copy and paste, you\u2019ll simply be moving from a CV-led space to salespeople who all look the same. Not very exciting, is it?<\/p>\n<h3>Test your profile [13:40]<\/h3>\n<p>There\u2019s no one right answer to getting your personal brand right. Sometimes you just have to see what people respond to.<\/p>\n<p>Alex advises playing around with your profile to see what works best. <a href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/subject-line-ab-tests\/\">A\/B test<\/a> different content types, different topics, and different headlines. Don\u2019t be afraid of putting stuff out there that doesn\u2019t work \u2013 just learn from it and try again.<\/p>\n<p>And remember, there\u2019s always room for improvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A couple of decades ago, a salesperson\u2019s brand was all about their suit, car, and business cards. These days, you need to put a bit more work in. A strong personal brand attracts and engages clients, while building their trust in you, and \u2013 by extension \u2013 the company you work for. And when it &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3319,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/i2.wp.com\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Alex-Low-scaled.png?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v15.5 - http:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>How Salespeople Can Leverage LinkedIn to Build a Personal Brand<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/kmbrian.com\/blog\/salespeople-linkedin-personal-brand\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Salespeople Can Leverage LinkedIn to Build a Personal Brand\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A couple of decades ago, a salesperson\u2019s brand was all about their suit, car, and business cards. These days, you need to put a bit more work in. A strong personal brand attracts and engages clients, while building their trust in you, and \u2013 by extension \u2013 the company you work for. 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