Make a name for yourself

Here is a question I’ve received more than 100 times in one form or another: How do I make a (better) name for myself?

Here is the premise, the definition and the answer: In sales it’s not who you know; in sales it’s who knows you.

The challenge is not just making a name for yourself or building your brand; it’s building the components that generate that name. How do you achieve more recognition, more notoriety and a better reputation in your market and your community? Those are the elements that lead to a better name.

And to be clear, I’m talking about a better name for both company and individual.

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There are no easy answers. And there are very few answers that don’t require commitment, planning and work – hard work.

GOOD NEWS: Most salespeople are not willing to do the hard work it takes to make selling easy. So if you’re willing, you automatically move to the top 10 percent. And if you execute, you’re in the top 5 percent.

BETTER NEWS: When the economy is in transition (That’s a nice way to put it, isn’t it?), it’s the easiest time for you to make a change and begin to execute new ideas.

Below are the actions that lead to long-term name building that must be implemented, and built on. NONE of these elements are “do now and forget about.” Rather, they are “do now, do tomorrow and do forever.”

n Blog. It’s your way to communicate your thoughts and ideas to the world. Take a look at www.salesblog.com as an example of what works. Blog to show your human side. Make your blog a family affair, not just your business side. Show your person, your personality, your passion and your fun.

n Create your own weekly e-zine that features valuable information and highlights your customers. Look at my weekly email magazine, Sales Caffeine, as an example. Go to www.salescaffeine.com and read about it. Look at an issue and emulate the process in your weekly e-zine.

n Register www.(yourname).com today. It’s only 10 bucks. If it’s taken, put “The Great” or “the one and only” in front of it. Get your Web address, your URL address, registered TODAY. The world is on the Web. The Internet is NEVER going away. It’s the growth and the future of commerce.

n Invest in a small but powerful website that looks like something people would read, admire, tell others about and maybe even buy from. Start with a one-page website that talks about “how I treat my customers.” Make a list of the 10 most valuable things you are dedicated to. Later you can add more pages, pictures, graphics and pizzazz.

n Be 1,000 percent more proactive. This means hitting both the phone and the send button. Make 10 calls a day that have value, and send 25 emails that have meaning to the recipient. Build relationships and earn referrals.

n Write something that puts you in front of customers and prospects. Put an article in your trade publication or your chamber magazine. Writing leads to recognition. Writing positions you as an expert and an authority.

n Give a speech or two at civic organizations. Speaking leads to perceived leadership. Especially if the speech was good. (Afraid of speaking? Join Toastmasters and register for a Dale Carnegie course.)

n Get involved in your community. Pick one charity or one civic organization to get involved with and assert leadership in.

n Get more Googleable. Your customer is Googling you, just like you are Googling them. Your one-page website, your e-zine, your article, your speech and your community involvement will bring your name and your company’s name to the top of the Google pile.

Time is your friend: Be patient with it. Invest in it. Use it to your best advantage. To really build a name for yourself, it takes time. Lots of it. It takes commitment. Lots of it. And it takes consistency.

What are people saying about you? When someone says your name, they’re also going to say one of five things about you: something great, something good, nothing, something bad or something real bad. Whatever they say determines your fate.

If you want to build name recognition, and a great reputation, you have to dedicate yourself to the long-term process and the short-term work. •

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of 12 best-selling books, including “21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling.” He can be reached at salesman@gitomer.com.

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