12Feb/095

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words…

But is it worth a client?

As the popularity of social-networking websites continues to grow, here’s a word to the wise: be very careful what you display about yourself on those sites — it could cost you business.

Recently, during one of the morning talk shows, the host interviewed a consultant who advises companies and individuals regarding the information and photos posted on their Websites. He shared a story of a salesman who was working a potential $1 million deal with a prospect.

The salesperson thought it would be a good idea to invite the prospect into his circle of friends on Facebook.com. The prospect accepted the invitation, and when he started touring the salesperson’s site, he found it filled with pictures of the salesperson with beer bottles in his hands and looking like he drank a few too many of them. I think you can guess what happened next; the prospect ended negotiations with the salesperson, citing his concerns about handing over a large sum of money to someone whose passion appeared to be alcohol consumption.

When is the last time you Googled your name? Are there stories about you or pictures of you on the web? Are they flattering or embarrassing? Furthermore, there are people out there with the same name as you. Could your prospects or customers think the person in the story is you? The subject may never come up in conversation; however, you might want to be prepared if it does.

Submitted by:
kevin

Filed under: Professional Selling Leave a comment
Comments (5) Trackbacks (0)
  1. Jim Kilpatrick
    February 12th, 2009 - 22:03

    Kevin is absolutely right. The unintended consequences of our actions can blow up in our faces. I have found in 23 years of being a manufacturing rep that your clients can be very good acquaintances, but it’s a good idea not to become their best friend. There might be aspects of your personal life that do not translate well into your professional world.

  2. Adam
    February 13th, 2009 - 16:18

    This one really got me thinking. As sales and marketing professionals, we know brand preservation is critical. Usually one is more aware of one’s “personal brand” during job interviews. But in today’s world of ubiquitous information, I guess the branding never stops.

    -Adam

  3. Sales Management Strategy
    February 16th, 2009 - 02:46

    Thanks for the Great & Valuable information provided.

  4. Kevin Reinert
    February 16th, 2009 - 10:12

    I just read an interesting statistic that says 40% of executives who are about to make a major purchase say they look for information about the salesperson on social networking pages. That’s all the more reason for every professional salesperson to check their own company website and personal social networking site to ensure there’s nothing being displayed that’s out-of-date or embarassing.

  5. oliver | sales tips
    February 16th, 2009 - 23:07

    You are absolutely right. There is no such thing as privacy online. You shouldn’t put anything up on the internet that you would want your clients or your grand parents to see. Everything is so integrated now that you keep your social media space clean and PG-13. Good blog post.. Also, Please visit my sales blog when you get a chance.


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