The Product You Are Selling Is YOU!

And no, I don’t mean in a Pretty Woman sort of way!

Whether you are looking for a job, representing a company, promoting your own organization’s products or services, or even just networking, you have to first get your foot in the door—online or in person. If your online persona is of a sleazy used-car salesman, then you probably won’t accomplish much!

Your online reputation does matter—no matter why you are using social networking sites. If someone you are connected with online were asked to describe you based on your posts, what would they say?

Would they say that you are a party animal, a slacker, a complainer…or worse, only focused on yourself? Or, would they describe you as a resource, a friend, funny (without overdoing it), well-rounded—someone they would want to associate with in the “real” world?

What impression do you give?

In a recent Microsoft study, researchers found that in the U.S., 70% of hiring managers have rejected candidates based on what they found online about them. Often, the candidate didn’t even have the opportunity to interview in person. For many people, the first (and sometimes only) interview is actually what someone finds out about them online.

Before you meet with someone, do you Google them? I know it seems a bit intrusive, but I know many people who do research someone prior to meeting with them. Obviously, a big part of it depends on “why” you are meeting them. If it’s for a long-term business arrangement, you may very well want to know more about them than what’s in their brochure or website.

When I have a meeting with someone new, one of the first things I do is see if they are on LinkedIn—and if they are, what their profile says. How complete is it? It’s not a negative to me if they don’t have much information, but if it appears out-dated or incorrect, it does matter. If they post fairly often, I look at what they post. Are they posting links to articles important to their industry? Do they talk about their accomplishments? (It’s OK to brag about yourself if you don’t overdo it.)

Someone’s online presence is part of their personal brand. Lida Citroën had a great post in her blog about building your personal brand online that provided several great tips.

If your online presence is the first impression that someone has of you, what does your’s say about you? There’s no right or wrong, but keep in mind that people will judge you. It’s important to be authentic and genuine to yourself, while being personable—just don’t get too carried away!