Being the Face of Your Brand: Part 1
Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2024 8:59 am
There is a simple principle in the world of entrepreneurship: no sales, no business.
This is why many people start a business and become the sales manager by default. The role fits some people like a glove, while it is extremely unpleasant for others.
No matter how comfortable you are with this situation, sales have to be there . Every day, you work to grow your business, which brings a host of opportunities and challenges. The goal is to get you thinking about how things are currently working in your business.
Do you want to be the face of your brand?
I like to say that great salespeople are articulate, compassionate, and tenacious. That said, business owners starting out in business need to quickly learn the skills needed to sell their products or services, and then figure out what image they want to project, personally and for the business.
Many business owners I speak to don't want to be the face of their brand, which can sometimes work to their detriment given the years of experience and expertise these people have.
Besides, many business owners are the face of their brand when they probably shouldn’t be front and center . (I’ll let you decide who fits that description.)
Examples of business owners who are closely tied to their brand are easy to list:
Richard Branson (Virgin Group)
Elon Musk (Tesla)
Robert Herjavec (Herjavec Group)
Ariana Huffington (Huffington Post)
Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX)
Sara Blakely (Spanx)
You don’t need to have a Type-A personality or lofty goals. However, what these business owners have in common is not only charisma, but also a clear understanding that people will buy from people they architect database know and recognize. More importantly, people will connect with their brand.
As the company's first, and perhaps only, salesperson, you can easily become the face of your brand. A little introspection will help you determine whether or not you have what it takes to fill this role.
Building on your strengths
Not everyone wants to be “in the spotlight,” and not everyone should be there.
The goal is to sell and see how you, as the founder, can have the greatest impact on that aspect of your business. This means that sometimes you will be a strong presence in your market and other times you will be facilitating the success of your brand by working behind the scenes as a tactician, leader or architect. Often, you will hold multiple roles.
Your personal branding can help you AND your business
You can leverage your personal branding to generate interest and awareness for your business, but more importantly, you can use it to open doors when making initial contact.
To build your presence, you don't need to position yourself as a thought leader, but you do need to be able to contribute something to your community and the general business conversation.
If this feels uncomfortable or hypocritical, don't jump in and try to be someone you're not. Authenticity is key. Think about the best ways to present yourself to your target audience.
Find the best ways to get your business in front of potential customers, especially when cold calling or networking. If you’re a writing enthusiast, consider blogging or posting on LinkedIn. If you’re more comfortable speaking, a podcast or video might be a good idea.
As a business owner, what is your approach to sales?
Are you the sales manager? Or do you prefer to stay behind the scenes? Are you comfortable being the face of the company? There are many ways to grow your business, and all of these options are available to you.
We would love to hear more about your experience as the face of your brand and lead salesperson, or answer any questions you may have.
In part two of this blog, I will talk about when the business owner needs to step back from day-to-day sales to take on the role of sales manager and CEO.
This is why many people start a business and become the sales manager by default. The role fits some people like a glove, while it is extremely unpleasant for others.
No matter how comfortable you are with this situation, sales have to be there . Every day, you work to grow your business, which brings a host of opportunities and challenges. The goal is to get you thinking about how things are currently working in your business.
Do you want to be the face of your brand?
I like to say that great salespeople are articulate, compassionate, and tenacious. That said, business owners starting out in business need to quickly learn the skills needed to sell their products or services, and then figure out what image they want to project, personally and for the business.
Many business owners I speak to don't want to be the face of their brand, which can sometimes work to their detriment given the years of experience and expertise these people have.
Besides, many business owners are the face of their brand when they probably shouldn’t be front and center . (I’ll let you decide who fits that description.)
Examples of business owners who are closely tied to their brand are easy to list:
Richard Branson (Virgin Group)
Elon Musk (Tesla)
Robert Herjavec (Herjavec Group)
Ariana Huffington (Huffington Post)
Gary Vaynerchuk (VaynerX)
Sara Blakely (Spanx)
You don’t need to have a Type-A personality or lofty goals. However, what these business owners have in common is not only charisma, but also a clear understanding that people will buy from people they architect database know and recognize. More importantly, people will connect with their brand.
As the company's first, and perhaps only, salesperson, you can easily become the face of your brand. A little introspection will help you determine whether or not you have what it takes to fill this role.
Building on your strengths
Not everyone wants to be “in the spotlight,” and not everyone should be there.
The goal is to sell and see how you, as the founder, can have the greatest impact on that aspect of your business. This means that sometimes you will be a strong presence in your market and other times you will be facilitating the success of your brand by working behind the scenes as a tactician, leader or architect. Often, you will hold multiple roles.
Your personal branding can help you AND your business
You can leverage your personal branding to generate interest and awareness for your business, but more importantly, you can use it to open doors when making initial contact.
To build your presence, you don't need to position yourself as a thought leader, but you do need to be able to contribute something to your community and the general business conversation.
If this feels uncomfortable or hypocritical, don't jump in and try to be someone you're not. Authenticity is key. Think about the best ways to present yourself to your target audience.
Find the best ways to get your business in front of potential customers, especially when cold calling or networking. If you’re a writing enthusiast, consider blogging or posting on LinkedIn. If you’re more comfortable speaking, a podcast or video might be a good idea.
As a business owner, what is your approach to sales?
Are you the sales manager? Or do you prefer to stay behind the scenes? Are you comfortable being the face of the company? There are many ways to grow your business, and all of these options are available to you.
We would love to hear more about your experience as the face of your brand and lead salesperson, or answer any questions you may have.
In part two of this blog, I will talk about when the business owner needs to step back from day-to-day sales to take on the role of sales manager and CEO.