Episode #299: Controlling Your Public Image As A Salesperson

Why does social media now shape a buyer’s decision before you even meet?

Buyers today search salespeople online long before a first appointment. What they find influences whether they trust you, return your call, or even take the meeting. In the past, sales professionals could separate their work persona from their private life. Now, your digital footprint is your “first introduction,” and it’s visible 24/7 across platforms.

In Japan’s relationship-driven business world, trust starts early. Prospects in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) operating in 東京 (Tokyo) often evaluate credibility through LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts, and Google results before speaking with you. If your online presence looks careless, inconsistent, or empty, that doubt follows you into the room.

Mini-summary: Social media has become the buyer’s pre-meeting filter. In Japan, credibility online often decides if you earn the conversation offline.

The modern risk isn’t only what you post — it’s what others post about you. Photos from a night out, offhand comments, or old content might surface at the exact moment your prospect is checking you out. Even harmless personal posts can be misread without context.

That’s why curation matters. Being seen as professional doesn’t mean being fake; it means being intentional. Your goal is to remove red flags and highlight shared values, expertise, and reliability.

Mini-summary: Your reputation is no longer private or siloed. One uncurated moment can dilute trust you worked years to build.

Ask yourself: If a prospect searches me tonight, what story appears?
There are three common outcomes:

1. They find nothing.
   This can signal inexperience, irrelevance, or a lack of credibility — especially if competitors are visible.

2. They find random or inconsistent content.
   Mixed messages create uncertainty: “Who is this person, really?”

3. They find a focused professional narrative.
   This is ideal. It proves expertise and builds confidence before the first handshake.

To know which outcome you’re creating, do a “forensic search” of yourself. Look at your profiles and search results as if you were a buyer. Fix gaps before they become objections.

Mini-summary: Buyers will find either a blank page, a confusing page, or a credible page. Your job is to choose which one appears.

High-performing salespeople treat social media like a living portfolio. They don’t post everything — they post what supports trust and expertise. A strong approach includes:

• Consistent business-relevant content
  Stick to themes you want associated with your name: sales, leadership, presentations, industry expertise.

• Avoiding polarizing topics
  Many professionals steer clear of politics or religion online to reduce needless risk.

• Professional tone and language
  Even if you’re naturally casual, remember your audience includes executives who may prefer restraint.

• Visual credibility
  Ensure your photos and videos match the image you want in the market: capable, respectful, client-ready.

This kind of curation doesn’t require producing a mountain of content every week. It requires regular, current, high-quality originality.

Mini-summary: The best sales brands online are deliberate, consistent, and buyer-centric — not overly personal or overly promotional.

Why does original content outperform reposting someone else’s work?

Reposting others can help, but it doesn’t prove you are the expert. Buyers want evidence that you understand their world. Original content gives them that evidence.

Even small-scale original output builds authority over time:

• short insights

• brief case stories

• reflections on client challenges

• lessons learned in the field

• simple videos or audio posts

Originality lets buyers judge your thinking style, professionalism, and relevance — all before meeting you.

Mini-summary: Sharing others’ content borrows credibility. Creating your own builds credibility.

Content should answer what Japanese business leaders care about:

• Practical expertise (what works, what fails, why)

• Clarity and structure in communication

• Respectful confidence instead of hype

• Evidence of long-term commitment to clients in Japan

This aligns naturally with training themes like:

• リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training)

• 営業研修 (sales training)

• プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training)

• エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching)

• DEI研修 (DEI training: diversity, equity, inclusion)

When your content reflects these signals, prospects see you as a professional partner, not just a vendor.

Mini-summary: In Japan, credibility comes from practical, respectful, and locally relevant insight — not loud self-promotion.

How much content do you really need to produce?

You don’t need a “tsunami” of content. You need:

• Consistency (weekly or bi-weekly is enough)

• Quality (useful, clear, professional)

• Freshness (current perspectives, not old reposts)

• Focus (aligned to your expertise and market)

Think of it as fishing with a reliable net: keep it in the water, keep it well-made, and keep it where the buyers swim.

Mini-summary: You don’t need volume; you need steady, high-quality presence that reinforces your expertise.

• Buyers will judge you online before you meet — especially in Japan’s trust-first market.

• Your digital footprint should remove red flags and amplify credibility.

• Original, consistent content builds authority faster than reposting others.

• Even modest but focused posting can strongly improve sales outcomes.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.