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A post from the POLISH YELLOW PAGES® blog (formerly DATABOT.PL), originally published on 19.11.2022. Some information (tools, prices, regulations) may have changed since then.
Why personal branding is essential – especially in B2B sales
Many people think of branding in terms of the colourful logos of successful brands such as Apple or Ikea. So most people probably think of branding as something separate from sales. But is that true? Or should we rethink branding a little?
In this short article we want to give you an insight into what (good) branding is and why you should know about it – even if you work in sales.
What is branding?
Branding is the process of building a brand . Ideally a brand is built so skilfully that customers already associate it with feeling good or a certain positive experience. A brand therefore represents a company’s unique selling proposition. The brand can be the company itself, but also individual products or services.
Even people can be described as a brand if they build a brand around themselves. This is called personal branding , a relatively new kind of branding that is very popular today – especially on social media! Social selling on LinkedIn and people promoting products as influencers have become the new normal.
|
Company brand |
Personal brand |
Product brand |
|---|---|---|
|
Establishes a company as a brand (e.g. Apple) |
Establishes an individual as a brand (e.g. Dirk Kreuter) |
Establishes a specific product as a brand (e.g. Fanta) |
How do branding and B2B sales go together?
On the one hand, professional branding of a product or company not only puts wind in your sails as a salesperson; in B2B we also usually talk about higher sums than in B2C. That makes it even more important that your brand stands for trust and seriousness .
As a salesperson you must represent your company’s branding 100% – whether in price lists, one-pagers, presentations and so on. In addition, good personal branding in B2B sales also means the highest level of commitment and professionalism.
What is a personal brand and how does it boost B2B sales?
As already mentioned, not only products but also employees can represent a brand . With personal branding you position yourself as a credible, trustworthy expert – especially on social media.
But such a reputation or “fame” of course has more than positive aspects. Here is a short list of the pros and cons of a personal brand using LinkedIn as an example:
|
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
|
You are seen as an expert |
Your content has to be excellent |
|
Your offers / product placements are taken seriously and not seen as spam |
Your presentations must meet the same standards as your posts: highly personalised and professional |
|
Your visibility increases |
The pressure to deliver and to handle negative reactions can affect you badly |
|
You can make more use of your network |
You can attract negative attention faster when you make mistakes |
If you don’t mind the downsides of building a personal brand, go for it! Social Selling is also a current trend in B2B sales, precisely because many salespeople use it successfully to sell their solutions on social media. If you promote social selling, you can not only benefit from good branding of your company or products – you should also consider personal branding in order to close more deals .
Personal branding gives your B2B sales an “expert boost” , because you position yourself as a professional in your field, and potential buyers see your competence even before the sales conversation . Profile visitors or readers of your posts immediately see how your community perceives you, whichcreates extra trust in your brand .
In addition, personal branding provides better visibility and can also lead to invitations to events, lectures or speaking slots. This automatically increases your influence and brings even greater success.
6 tips for successful personal branding in B2B
Need quick tips on building your personal brand successfully? Here you go:
- Find a niche or specific topic that you know well or that interests you greatly.
- Think about exactly whom you want to reach with your content. What does your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) look like? Whom do you want to connect with? From whom do you want feedback or tips? Think in concrete profiles!
- Create a content plan that includes even special events. A content plan should give you an overall outline and take work off your shoulders (if necessary, find someone to support you with content creation).
- Post regularly and engage with your target audience as often as possible. Likes and comments signal interest! Try to understand your audience and talk to them as often as possible; nurture your network.
- Don’t forget to link yourself, i.e. the brand, to your company or its products. From time to time, share corporate content and show your target audience the added value they get from your products/services.
- Present your solution or product very subtly in comments, posts or direct messages. That way you can move into real sales conversations.
How to generate more B2B leads with social selling and personal branding
Particularly in B2B, social media platforms such as LinkedIn are popular for making new business contacts and selling products online . Because LinkedIn has a structure similar to Facebook, it is very lively and offers the best opportunities for developing a personal brand. Once you have established yourself there as a brand, you can start selling more easily.
As a salesperson you can easily use LinkedIn to build a personal brand through your content and underline your expert status. Suppose you post a lot about cold calling in the software industry and position yourself as an expert in exactly that industry. Over time, interactions accumulate in the form of likes and comments, and your profile gains followers and connections.
As your profile grows organically, discussions and conversations on a particular topic will often move from public posts to private messages. That is where you can go and present your product at the right moment – always, of course, considering your product’s relevance.
Your personal branding is successful if others see you as an expert without you telling them you are one.
Sales Development Manager at Echobot
Combining social selling with personal branding can boost B2B lead generation enormously. Why? Many prospects will automatically turn to you because of your expertise, and that in turn can result in sales opportunities .
By offering your readers added value , prospects won’t think your message is spam. Unlike many other sales methods, the person you are talking to is very likely to enter the conversation without hesitation.
Other important branding terms
Now that we have explained what personal branding is about, we naturally want to look at the other sides of branding. Here are the most common branding-related terms:
Brand awareness
Brand awareness means how well the public and your target group know your brand . With high brand awareness, consumers attribute positive qualities to the brand.
Employer branding
Employer branding concerns how your brand is perceived by candidates and how much they would like to work for your company. You can probably picture the equation: if your employer branding succeeds, EVERYONE will want to work for you. Good employer branding will also attract capable people to your sales team – if salespeople are enthusiastic about your company and like the products, you will see huge growth and undoubtedly higher sales.
Geographical and cultural branding
As the name suggests, this is about branding a particular region, country or even culture . Logically, tourism and hospitality can benefit from geographical branding, but companies can also use cultural branding for themselves. If the country your company comes from is known, for example, for attention to detail, that can only benefit your brand.
Take BMW or VW, for example – what the two car brands have in common is that they can carry the unofficial quality mark “made in Germany” . That helps their reputation, because consumers see their cars as high quality , since Germany is generally associated with hard work.
Conclusion? Good branding is an important aspect of professional B2B sales
As you have just read: good branding is enormously powerful . It affects not only how you are perceived externally but also your sales personality.
On the one hand you must understand that you represent your company and its products; on the other, you also represent yourself as a brand. That is why you should pay special attention to personal branding – especially when it comes to social selling!
Do you have questions or comments about branding, personal branding or social selling in B2B?
B2B , B2B-Leads , Branding , DE , EN , Leads , Personal Branding , Prospecting , Sales , Social Selling , VertriebRelated content:
Mariusz Biniak – creator of the POLISH YELLOW PAGES® brand (formerly DATABOT.PL) and author of a blog on B2B sales. Disclosure: the author is connected with the publisher of THE BUSINESS TIME.
About the partner: POLISH YELLOW PAGES® – a brand operating since 1991 (formerly DATABOT.PL). B2B company data in Poland, the United Kingdom and Europe. More: www.databot.pl
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