How Branding Enables More Social Selling Conversations

“Hey, It’s my profile. I can do whatever I want with it!” This is one of the responses you may get from your B2B sellers when they’re asked to represent your current company messaging and branding on LinkedIn. Technically, they’re right, but over “62% of decision-makers look for an informative LinkedIn profile from sales reps they’re considering.” (Source: LinkedIn 2018 State of Sales Report)

If a potential buyer searches in LinkedIn and sees a blurry Bonjovi concert photo and a summary about “crushing quotas and tough negotiation,” they’re not going to get the most confidence-inspiring representation of your brand.

The Case for Consistency with your Sales Team

In this era of personal choice, some reps may insist on controlling their public social media profiles. Some may worry that if everybody looks the same, prospects will notice the redundancy. That’s possible but think of it this way: When your team assembles at the annual tradeshow booth to engage with buyers, you make them wear the same clean, company-color polo shirts, don’t you? Customers immediately see that they’re talking to professional representatives of the company.

Your seller’s creativity comes through in their sales conversations, and no two will be the same. Each tells their own story and draws on a diversity of experience, personality, and style – just like the variety of shoes they choose to wear with your branded shirt in the trade show booth.

It’s no different on LinkedIn. No two connection networks will be the same, and creative engagement with prospects leads to more sales conversations. Your sellers’ professional branding is a critical first impression that ensures they don’t lose them at “hello.”

Templatizing your team’s profiles is necessary because sellers typically need help with consistent branding and messaging. According to Vengreso sales leader Kurt Shaver “If you ask your reps to do it on their own, they are NOT going to do it.” Watch video: Enable Your Sales Team to Use LinkedIn with Profile Templates

Tell your Brand Marketing team that you want to make the right impression when buyers check out your reps online. They may have overlooked the power of seller profiles as keyword-optimized, demand generation sites that amplify brand assets. Also, consider bringing in an outside firm to do the strategy and heavy lifting to get it done.

Sales and Marketing leaders should be in lockstep on professional profile branding. Of course, sellers want a say in their personal brand, and the experience and endorsements they post in their profiles will be a reflection of who they are, just like the shoes they choose. But as a sales leader, you’ve got the right to ask them NOT to show up to the booth in a raggedy rock ‘n roll T-shirt.