We will share the advantages of employee advocacy based selling versus traditional model, explore strategies being used by dealership personnel now, TCP risks, and best practices for dealers to take and use to drive a better-branded experience and sell more cars.

1. Personal Branding: What is it, and Why is it Important to Your Dealership?
Ken Potter
President
Build a Brand
ken@buildabrand.com
Title Sponsor

2. Content Goes Here
PERSONAL BRANDING
WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT? WHY DO YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT?

3. REFLECTIONS ON BRANDING
• “YOUR BRAND IS WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT YOU WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE ROOM” -
JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON
• “TOO MANY COMPANIES WANT THEIR BRANDS TO REFLECT SOME IDEALIZED,
PERFECTED IMAGE OF THEMSELVES. AS A CONSEQUENCE, THEIR BRANDS ACQUIRE NO
TEXTURE, NO CHARACTER AND NO PUBLIC TRUST" - RICHARD BRANSON, VIRGIN
• “A BRAND IS THE SET OF EXPECTATIONS, MEMORIES, STORIES AND RELATIONSHIPS
THAT, TAKEN TOGETHER, ACCOUNT FOR A CONSUMER'S DECISION TO CHOOSE ONE
PRODUCT OR SERVICE OVER ANOTHER” – SETH GODIN, ENTREPRENEUR AND AUTHOR
• “IF PEOPLE LIKE YOU THEY WILL LISTEN TO YOU, BUT IF THEY TRUST YOU, THEY'LL
DO BUSINESS WITH YOU” – ZIG ZIGLAR, SALES EXPERT AND AUTHOR

4. BEGINNINGS OF RETAIL BRANDING
• ALL THY GARMENTS SMELL OF MYRRH AND ALOES AND CASSIA, OUT
OF THE IVORY PALACES WHEREBY THEY’VE MADE THEE GLAD’ (PSALM
45.8) WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR HARLEY PROCTER IN NAMING ‘IVORY
SOAP
• WHEN HARLEY PROCTER – AND OTHERS LIKE COCA-COLA OR THE
QUAKERS (OF OATS FAME) – STARTED WHAT WE NOW CALL
‘BRANDING’ IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THEIR FOCUS WAS THIS:
BRANDS WERE FIRST AND FOREMOST A WAY TO SIGNIFY AND
GUARANTEE SUPERIOR QUALITY. THE IDEA WAS TO PHYSICALLY
DISTINGUISH THEIR PRODUCT FROM THE COMPETITION, BUILD A
QUALITY REPUTATION, WHICH WOULD THEN ALLOW THEM TO CHARGE
A PREMIUM OVER COMPETITORS.

5. WHY BRANDING FOR REPS?
• WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ENCOURAGING SALES REP BRANDING.... WE
JUST CALLED IT PROSPECTING AND BUILDING A BOOK OF BUSINESS
• ALLOWING YOUR REPS TO BRAND THEMSELVES UNDER THE DEALER
CREATES LOYALTY AND REDUCES TURNOVER
• CUSTOMERS HAVE PRICING, THEY ARE NOW LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT
EXPERIENCE, THE RIGHT REP, BRANDING CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY TO
CREATE A GREAT EXPERIENCE AT THE START OF THE SALES PROCESS,
NOT IN THE MIDDLE OR END
• NO COMPETITION WITHIN PERSONAL BRANDING FROM VENDORS/MANF’S
– AS OF NOW

6. RELEVANT STATISTICS
• INCREASED REACH: 561% MORE REACH WHEN EMPLOYEES SHARE BRAND MESSAGES.
– CEOHANGOUT
• WORD-OF-MOUTH MARKETING: MESSAGES BY EMPLOYEES ARE RE-SHARED 24 TIMES
MORE FREQUENTLY THAN WHEN SHARED BY COMPANIES – FORBES
• LESS EMPLOYEE TURNOVER: COMPANIES THAT INVESTED IN PERSONAL BRANDING
INITIATIVES OF THEIR EMPLOYEES FOUND THAT EMPLOYEES WERE 27% MORE
HOPEFUL ABOUT THEIR COMPANY, 20% MORE LIKELY TO STAY, AND 40% MORE LIKELY
TO BELIEVE IN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THEIR EMPLOYER – ENTREPRENEUR
• LEAD CONVERSIONS: LEADS GENERATED BY EMPLOYEES THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
ACTIVITIES ARE 7X MORE LIKELY TO CONVERT THAN OTHER LEADS – CEOHANGOUT
• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: 75% OF PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO SPEND ADDITIONAL
TRAVEL TIME TO WORK WITH A GREAT SALESPERSON - CEOHANGOUT

7. PERSONAL BRANDING STRATEGIES CURRENTLY IN PLACE
• REPS USING PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA SITES TO SHARE THEIR
STORY
• REPS PAYING FOR PRODUCTS TO HELP THEM BRAND
• REPS UTILIZING SOME FORM OF ”BIRD-DOGGING” ON THEIR OWN
• REPS DIVERTING DEALER TRAFFIC TO THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO
KEEP LEAD AND PROSPECT

8. CONCERNS YOU SHOULD HAVE WITH REPS SELF BRANDING
• TCPA COMPLIANCY
• REPS TAKE WHAT THEY BUILD WITH THEM
• NO DEALERSHIP OVERSIGHT ON POSTING
• REPS USING THE PLATFORM TO CURB CUSTOMERS

9. CONCERNS YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE WITH BRANDING YOUR REPS
• NORMAL SOCIAL USAGE
• PERSONAL OPINIONS
• LOSING ABILITY TO MANAGE, POLICE, AND BE ACCOUNTABLE

10. PERSONAL BRANDING EXAMPLES

11. PERSONAL
BRANDING
EXAMPLES

12. PERSONAL BRANDING EXAMPLES

13. PERSONAL BRANDING EXAMPLES

15. HOW TO START BRANDING
• START WITH A WELL THOUGHT OUT PLAN THAT ALL PERSONNEL ARE
BOUGHT IN TO
• CONSIDER A BRANDING POLICY OR GUIDE THAT ALL UNDERSTAND AND
COMPLY WITH
• INCLUDE POSITIVE BRANDING ASPECTS IN YOUR GUIDE, ALLOW YOUR
REPS TO BE THEMSELVES AND HAVE FUN WITH IT
• SHARE EXAMPLES OF BAD BRANDING, BUT MAKE THE FOCUS ON HOW TO
DO IT WELL, REPS WILL BE MOTIVATED BY POSITIVE ASPECTS NOT FEAR
• REWARD YOUR REPS FOR MARKETING VALUE THEY DRIVE TO THE STORE

16. Thank You For
Your Time.
Questions?

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Title Sponsor
Contact Info:
Ken Potter
President - Build a Brand
1-310-895-0824
ken@buildabrand.com