Living in the Silicon Valley is like going to a large University in the sense that eventually, you sort of feel like you know everyone. And if you don’t, you’re only a few degrees of separation away. This is an incredible thing when it comes to networking, forging personal and professional relationships, and being successful as a Silicon Valley sales person. But it can also be detrimental if you aren’t focused on one huge thing: your personal brand.
An enormous component to selling yourself as a sales candidate, is making sure your personal brand is relevant, positive, and in line with your career goals. It will help you build a strong industry reputation, secure future jobs, and increase your potential for higher income. There are three things every sales professional can do to increase the positive branding they do for themselves.
- Having a strong and professional social media presence. If you’re using Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for professional purposes, which I recommend you do, make sure everything you’re sharing and posting, are things that you would want your current or future employer to see. I personally have two Twitter accounts; One to follow celebrities and my personal friends, (which is a private account), and one that is public, where I follow clients, thought leaders, and news publications. That way, I’m staying up-to-date and relevant without my top client knowing I care about the latest news on The Kardashians. If you don’t want to have two accounts, just keep it PC. Don’t post about controversial or inappropriate things – it could come back later to haunt you!
- Keeping it professional inside and outside of the office. Listen, I’m not saying you have to wear your business-professional clothes at all times, and never have more than 2 beers, but just be aware of your surroundings. Especially Monday through Friday. If you’re going out to a happy hour after work, chances are, so are your customers. So just be careful to not go overboard. Even though the Valley sometimes feels like that big University, it isn’t. We are no longer in college so lock it up!
- Never burn a bridge. This one is huge for the Silicon Valley because as mentioned earlier, everyone knows someone who knows you. The last thing any of us want is to have our future opportunities limited because we told off our boss before leaving a company. Any time you’re having tough conversations, or moving on from an employer, keep it positive, professional, and calm. It will go very far!
Are you interested in speaking with a hiring expert? Connect with a Betts expert by clicking here. If you’re in the Silicon Valley and looking to see which of the hottest companies are hiring, reach out to me, Chelsey Middlebrook at: [email protected]