As copier reps, it is imperative to continue to nourish, maintain and grow your existing client base. What has become challenging is grabbing net new business.
Net new business fuels the growth of your dealership!
As copier reps, there is a new currency and we call this trust and value. We must adapt and adopt to integrating the use of social media to create major branding and marketing opportunities to build trusted networks. In the business community, people "believe" when your friends tell them about your services thus they are more likely to buy from you as opposed to listening to your copier sales pitch.
Build your brand, build your network, build your business and watch it grow!
As a copier sales rep it's more important than ever to learn how to brand yourself online. Why you may ask... Over 1 billion names are Googled every day so unless you have lived in a cave or crawled out from underneath a rock, you've been Googled. It is what people find or don't find out about you online which affects their decision to do business with you.
Please don't kid yourself; in this day and interconnected age, the first thing anyone is going to do when you catch their interest is run a Google search on you.
Word to copier sales reps, if you don't believe me, then I encourage you to think real hard and ask yourself just what your prospects or clients will find if they search for you on Google.
Why is this important? You are front and center, the face of your respective dealership.
"Branding is not just about being seen as better than the competition. It's about being seen as the only solution to your audience's problem", John Morgan
Understanding how to brand yourself as a copier sales rep begins with uncovering your personal brand. Your personal brand is not a tagline or something you take for granted. It's a combination of your interests, beliefs, aspirations, values, talents and skills, along with numerous personal characteristics.
Uncovering your personal brand is mission critical. Personal branding is not a theater act or a show you put on for your prospects or clients. Your personal brand is you to the very core. The qualities and characteristics which comprise your personal brand are unmistakable. If I were to ask members of your family or your current clients how they would describe you, I am sure they would describe you by using a few specific words.
This may help you in gaining an understanding of where I am coming from. I encourage you to consider these questions, reflect on them and take your time in responding to them.
When thinking about the work you do, what words do your clients, peers or managers consistently use to describe you and your work?
What are at least 4 things you wish every person you were meeting for the first time either in business or personally knew about you?
Understanding who you are is your launching pad and how this relates to a successful new prospect close rate by integrating LinkedIn into your daily business development routine is critical.
A vast majority of your clients and prospects are already engaged on the LinkedIn platform. This is where you want to socially hang out in managing your professional reputation. With fierce competition for market share inside the office equipment space, how do you grab and close for the attention of C-level executives?
The single best way to raise your visibility amongst your competition is to have a knockout profile by creating a cohesive, compelling brand for yourself on LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn profile maybe your first, and can be your last chance to make a positive impression online. I stress, your first impression may not be face to face but rather a digital handshake.
This all points back to branding. You’re communicating a unique promise of value separating you from your competition which is different than everyone else out there.
Copier reps, I encourage you from this day forward to create the mindset and rethink your approach to incorporating LinkedIn to help you close more business. Think of LinkedIn as a digital sales presentation on your behalf, a personal representation of you, your digital business card, an educational brochure of you, your personal mission statement, voices from satisfied clients, a mini web-site all designed to digitally say hello to your prospects and clients.
Having a complete, compelling profile is a great way to control what others see when they search for you online. A well-rounded LinkedIn profile brings your personal brand to the marketplace to parallel your business brand.
I challenge and encourage all copier reps... Create a rock-solid LinkedIn profile, maximize all the real estate you can ensuring you present yourself to the business community true to yourself then promote the hell out of yourself on LinkedIn.
These 3 areas of your LinkedIn profile can enhance your brand and boost your close rate in engaging with net new prospects on LinkedIn
Area 1 - Headline
Your headline stands as one of the most important elements to your LinkedIn profile. This is your crowning moment to make a positive first impression to entice your prospects to want to know more.
What usually happens... sales reps are enamored with their title so they broadcast it immediately to the business community within their headline...
"Hey there here I am Mr. or Mrs. Prospect, I am an Account Executive or better yet Senior Sales Executive... Do you think your prospects really care?"
Close opportunity 1... Use your headline to introduce your professional story drawing in your reader to want to know more.
Use your headline statement to promote how you can help solve business problems or challenges for your prospects. Does your current headline promote the value you bring to your prospects? If not, then think in one 120 character sentence what you do for your clients.
Provide to your prospects a value centric reason why they should get to know you. Describe by integrating how you can help them. I have provided you an example...
"Helping businesses achieve results and contain costs with improved process management"
Area 2 - Summary
With a value centric headline you now want to lead your reader right into your summary.
This is your opportunity to bring you to life. This is your opportunity to closely align yourself with your prospects. Biggest way to create disconnect with your prospects, use this section to promote all of your sales accolades. It is not about you it is about your prospects.
Integrate your summary by stating the value you can bring to their business. Think of the W’s. What you do, what makes you different, why you do what you do, what is your promise of value and how you can address the challenges businesses face in today’s market.
Close opportunity 2... Use your summary to speak the language your prospects speak and understand as you will create immediate alignment. An example, if you call on CFO's then Google search CFO initiatives for 2016. Learn their concerns and further more learn their language.
Area 3 - Experience
A well written summary creates alignment with your prospect. A well-crafted experience section reinforces your professional value while providing a clear idea of what they can expect from you if they become a client.
Ask yourself this question, "Does my experience promote added value and differentiation?" If the answer is no, then give thought to promoting how you serve your clients and what do you do within your role that makes you different?
Remember you are helping your prospects solve their business problems and challenges.
Close Opportunity 3... Remove your prospects doubts and fears by promoting how you enhance your clients experience in working with you. Share with them what they can expect if they become a client of yours.
Incorporating these ideas and making a commitment to become social new business developers; your sales funnel, your sales manager and your wallet with love you for it.
Attention to all Copier Dealer Principal's, V.P. of Sales and Sales Managers... your sales team and their LinkedIn profiles do matter
I encourage you all to think about these three things:
- Sales is changing every day and we need to adapt
- Your digital first impression has become a big deal
- LinkedIn is where people go when they want to learn more about you
This is a great time to be a copier rep! Be Social. Build relationships and watch what happens. To your future success!
If you enjoyed please share your comments. Look forward to connecting and starting a conversation.
Check out more at the Social Sales Academy blog site.
Please enjoy my other posts on LinkedIn Publisher and on SlideShare
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform and coach copier sales professionals to grow net new business by helping them tell their story and communicate on LinkedIn. My commitment is to help independent office technology dealers thrive in a changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, as well as at the Social Sales Academy
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