If you went back about 25 years and someone told you to go Google yourself, that would have had a whole different meaning and you couldn’t do it in public. But today sales professionals, small business owners and insurance agents should go Google themselves.  Why is it important to Google yourself? According to a recent Google survey, approximately 84% of customers Google or use a search engine to not only check out your product and service but also you as the salesperson, business owner or insurance agent. So, what does Google have to say about you?

It can be embarrassing as a sales professional or life insurance agent to set an appointment with a prospect and tell them how long you have been in the business or insurance industry and how good you are to have them Google you and “you can’t be found”. It raises suspensions that maybe what you told them on the phone is not real. You have no online presence. This is not really good business in today’s information age. How are you going to overcome that if the prospect even keeps your appointment?

First you need to Google yourself. Now to be accurate with your Google search, be sure to log out of any Google accounts you may have open. Your Gmail, Google calendar or Google + account, close them all. Otherwise, you will get a personal Google search because they know it’s you. With all of your Google accounts closed you will now see what everyone sees when they search for you. If you have social media accounts like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter they will show up fairly high in the search. If you still believe you don’t need those “things” in your life, you may show up as a family member of an obituary or your last DUI stop. This is probably not what you want a prospect reading as a first impression.

Go open social media accounts, they are all still FREE. You need a Facebook and LinkedIn account at the very least. You are still in luck, because Google loves LinkedIn and as soon as you get your LinkedIn profile completed, do another search and you will be instantly near the top. The other nice thing about LinkedIn is you control what is said about you. LinkedIn is your personal resume. These are your endorsements and your recommendations from your clients and co workers for the prospect to read.  More prospects read your LinkedIn profile than any other personal information site on the web. LinkedIn is universal. So the next time a sales manager or business owner tells you to go Google yourself, just know it is now a good thing if you are prepared.

“Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant”.—Mitchell Kapor

Image by ddpavumba at www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Tim Wilhoit is owner/principal of Your Friend 4 Life Insurance Agency in Nashville, TN. He is a family man, father of 3, entrepreneur, insurance agent, life insurance broker, salesman, sales trainer, recruiter, public speaker, blogger and team leader with over 26 years of experience in sales and marketing in the insurance and beverage industries.