Branding. Marketing. Selling. Oh My!

Sales. Marketing. Branding. If these words all sound the same to you, you’re not alone. A lack of familiarity with the particulars of each, combined with the fact that, frankly, they are all closely related, means many companies, small businesses and individuals view the terms as interchangeable.

What’s wrong with that? Well for starters, if you don’t know where one ends, and the next one starts, you’ll struggle to determine what is (and can) driving your results, and what is just costing you money and resources without improving your bottom line.

First comes the branding.  If you don’t know who you are or what you’re selling, others won’t either. In order to be an effective salesperson or savvy marketer, you must understand the value of personal branding and how to make it a part of your work.

Things to keep in mind about branding:

» Regardless of what you sell, everything is easier when you have a great personal brand.

» If you have a widely recognized and highly respected personal brand, your voicemails and emails are more likely to be returned.

» All sales professionals should seek to become celebrities in their own spheres of interest.

» Excellence is not enough. In a competitive marketplace, talent and hard work are simply expected.

» You are not just a human being. You are an entity, a business of one, a business unto yourself.

» You are in a lifelong series of “campaigns” trying to be “elected” to whatever matters to you. Think like a politician (I said THINK, not ACT).

» Live actively and focus externally. In order to become a celebrity in your sphere of interest, you need to be seemingly “everywhere.”

» Develop an area of self-marketing expertise, something related to what you do but is fascinating to people who do not do what you do. This is what you talk about when you network.

» Don’t network just for the sake of networking. Focus on results.

» Put on a show. Don’t be someone you are not, but play up your strengths and put forth your best image possible.

» While you are portraying yourself in a positive light, keep it real. Your prospects can sense authenticity as well as a lack of it.

» Never go back on any promise made to any prospective client during a networking or potential business encounter.

If you are unclear of your personal or company brand, we can help!  Don’t start your marketing or selling strategy until you understand your brand! www.stonekingconsulting.com.