Personal branding is no longer optional

Hello Reader,

The world is evolving.

AI is everywhere.

And buyers are no longer just buying from established companies.

They’re also looking to purchase from companies that share the same values as they do.

Companies that feel… human.

And the only way to make your company feel human is by giving it a personality. Or, establishing your own personal brand.

Now, I’ve heard many business owners and professionals knock down the idea of building a personal brand.

I get the reason…

Building a personal brand feels like something for influencers, not sales professionals.

And other common reasons include,

“I don’t have time”
“I don’t want to put myself out there.”
“I don’t know what to say”

But the reality is that if you want to be discoverable, noticed and establish trust, authority and respect, then your personal brand is the most valuable asset you have.

Now your market will always have their opinions about you. But you can help shape their opinions with the experiences you give them. When you’re actively building a personal brand, you’ll be more focused on the experience you give your customers, and that will positively affect how you appear in the long run.

The goal is to reach a point where your customers will gravitate towards you. What you don’t want to do is end up becoming generic and drive your customers away.

In other words, you want to become “sticky,” attracting customers.

Before we dive into how you achieve this, let’s overcome the biggest objections you might have:

“I don’t have time.” You don’t need to spend hours every day creating content. Start small. Commit to one post per week on your chosen platform. Repurpose emails, sales conversations, or insights from customer calls. Your experience holds immense value, and sharing it consistently will compound over time.
“I don’t want to put myself out there.” While it seems scary at first, it’s actually just like going to the gym. It’s hard to get started, but once you do, it becomes a habit. And remember that while you may be afraid of appearing in public, many have been in your shoes too but have still taken the dive and not regretted it. This is because the only person who’s concerned about how you look on social platforms is you. As long as you’re genuine and valuable, all people will see is how helpful you are.
“I don’t know what to say.” If I asked you to list 10 things you know that most people in your industry don’t, you could do it. That’s where you start. Pick 5–6 key themes – sales strategy, negotiation, objections, mindset – and talk about them consistently. The biggest political campaigns aren’t won with dozens of different messages; they’re won by repeating a few core ideas over and over until people remember and trust them.

Now, let’s look at how you can achieve this.

1. Visibility Builds Trust, Trust Drives Sales

In a world where buyers are more sceptical than ever, trust is everything. People don’t just wake up and decide to buy from you. They research, watch, read, and analyse before making a decision. Google’s Zero Moment of Truth study found that people need 7 hours of content across 11 interactions on at least 4 different platforms before they trust a brand enough to do business.

So ask yourself: if a potential client wanted to learn from you right now, could they? Is there 7 hours’ worth of valuable content they could engage with? Could they see you sharing insights on LinkedIn, hear you on a podcast, or watch you break down a key sales strategy on YouTube? If the answer is no, you’re making it harder for people to trust you.

2. You Have Something to Say, You Just Don’t Realise It Yet

One of the biggest objections I hear is I don’t have anything to say. But that’s simply not true. I was once in a room of people in the investment community. Collectively, they must’ve had about 250 years of experience, and they still believed they had nothing valuable to share. The reality? There are people out there who don’t know what you know. Those people could be your potential prospects, and you can share that with them.

Maybe you’ve learned how to handle objections in a unique way. Maybe you’ve figured out a sales process that consistently delivers results. Maybe you’ve seen common mistakes buyers make and know exactly how to help them avoid them. These insights, experiences, and lessons are your personal brand. And when you share them, you establish yourself as the go-to expert in your industry.

3. Consistency Wins, Just Like in Sales

Great personal brands aren’t built overnight. The most successful political campaigns don’t win by shouting 100 different messages. They win by repeating the same core themes over and over again. The same applies to your personal brand.

Pick 5 or 6 key topics you can speak about with confidence. Maybe it’s sales negotiation, prospecting, handling objections, or something specific to your industry. Talk about these themes consistently. Don’t worry about repeating yourself. Repetition builds recognition. And recognition builds trust. But remember, don’t expect results immediately. Building a brand takes time.

4. Sales Is Changing, and Those Who Adapt Will Win

The reality is that AI and automation are changing the sales landscape. But do you know what robots can’t do? Build a human connection. Buyers still want to buy from real people, and your personal brand is what makes you stand out in a world where most salespeople sound the same.

So to summarise, if I’ve convinced you to be sticky…

Here’s what you need to do:

Show up consistently. Even one post per week on LinkedIn can build momentum.
Engage with your audience. Respond to comments, start conversations, and share insights from real sales experiences.
Leverage multiple formats. Videos, written posts, podcasts, etc. Meet your audience where they are.
Stay in your lane. Focus on the topics you know best and repeat them until people associate you with them.
Be genuine. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Don’t try to replicate what others do. Just show your genuine self, and let your prospects gravitate towards you.