If you are over the age of about 35, then you are a digital immigrant.  Maybe you have heard this term. Maybe not. It is used to describe those of us who did not grow up completely immersed in technology.  If you are under the age of 35, you are a digital native.  You have probably never known a day where gadgets and technology were not only at your fingertips, but actively used by yourself and everyone else your age.

Some digital immigrants I meet think there is no reason to really embrace technology, especially when it comes to using the internet. Any hesitations you may have had about putting information on the web need to go right out the window.  I’m not talking about being careless.  What I am talking about is wisely using the internet to its fullest to make your presence known.

Plain and simple, if you are a salesperson, you have to face the fact that people today are no longer going to just call and find out what you do and what you sell.  They also aren’t going to take your prospecting call as often as they may have in days long ago. Today your prospects and your customers are using the web to find out about you before they choose to do business with you.   If they can’t find you and your company on the web quickly, they may very likely assume it’s not worth their time to consider you.  Worse yet, they may not even know you exist.

If your company doesn’t have a website, be an advocate for this getting done.  If they do have a website, be an advocate for having a place where you and other salespeople are listed.  On your own, set up a Google profile and various networking profiles (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, etc).  Consider starting a blog about your industry.

Sure, it may sound overwhelming, but even a baby step toward a web presence is better than no step at all.  Digital natives are laughing at this post (if they even read it).  But for us digital immigrants…we need to get on board with using technology to its fullest.