We’ve been working with the Institute of Sales Professionals (ISP) on their research into personal branding, work that builds on solid data showing a clear correlation between a strong personal brand and the amount of business won

If you’re looking for the more hard evidence behind why every salesperson needs to invest in their personal brand, I’d recommend Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna’s The Jolt Effect

Their findings make it clear: buyers are more likely to engage with and buy from sellers who demonstrate authenticity, insight, and presence

In a recent conversation with the ISP, another interesting point came up

When your personal brand is strong, prospects are more likely to let you “break through” after the first attempt

When industry best practice shows that you have to "touch" a new prospect 7 or 8 times when using legacy outreach methods ... let's not forget we know that the average sales person gives up after 2 or 3

So why does a personal brand give such transformational results?

Because buyers have already seen your expertise online

They perceive you as professional and worth listening to

This raises a bigger question: who is creating the desire in the customer’s mind in the first place?

If most sellers are competing as “column fodder”, simply one of many on a spreadsheet, then someone else has already set the agenda, shaped the problem, and defined what “good” looks like for the buyer

That seller likely has a strong personal brand and uses a structured social selling methodology to earn those early, valuable conversations

Conclusion:
In modern sales, personal brand is not a nice-to-have, it’s your ticket to early access, deeper trust, and higher conversion

While most sellers are fighting for attention, those who’ve built credibility long before they make contact are the ones shaping the deal and winning it