Selling Yourself

What usually we think about the idea of “selling yourself”, as a means “to convince others of our own value”, considered a concept referred to when trying to get something – like a new job or a promotion, or selling a product to someone. To get ahead in life, you need to be in the business of selling. Selling the product YOU !!

If you cannot sell yourself as a person to others, you are going to have a difficult time selling them your ideas, your wishes, your needs, your ambitions, your skills, and your experience.

A lot people have a hard time selling themselves because they feel like it’s arrogant. People are often taught that self-promotion is vain or big headed. Truth is, it’s a necessary part of business. It’s your responsibility to make others sit up and notice your work or your product. You are your own biggest supporter. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging your talents. In fact, it’s a very wise and necessary career move.
So, how does one do it? How do you sell yourself effectively?
Be Sold on Yourself
This is the first, and perhaps most important, aspect to successfully selling yourself to others. Unless it comes naturally, this is probably also the hardest. Believe in yourself comes down to this: you must be aware of your own self-worth. This means you have faith in yourself, and have confidence in yourself.

Believe in yourself is not something that usually happens overnight. I can, however, personally attest that it is possible to change your life and gain a sense of self-worth when there was once none. If you struggle with your sense of self-worth, here are just 3 ideas that may help:
• Live in such a way that you are your own best friend.
• Find some time to reflect on what you like about yourself. If this seems hard, start with the smallest of attributes.
• Every day at least for 15 minutes indulge in positive self talk.

Maintaining a high level of integrity and a high quality of work will help keep you self-assured. You need to feel proud of your actions so don’t do things that will undermine your efforts. Focus on building your confidence and being the person you want to be.

Share Your Knowledge & Experiences. Knowledge is a valuable resource and it can make anyone look more attractive. Sell your skills by sharing your knowledge. Be willing to teach others what you know. This will not only help them, it will demonstrate your abilities at the same time. A win/win! Express yourself, you know something more than the others, it’s of great value to others.

Tell your story. People are drawn to those who are willing to open up and share their experiences. It will help you build strong connections with others. Remember that you are unique and there is value to be shared.

Be Positive and Enthusiastic:
Can you remember the last time you received poor customer service? Did the person look bored, disinterested, and as if they wanted to be anywhere but that place? Don’t be that person. Positivity and enthusiasm can both be developed, but once again it takes work. Here are a few tips to help you:
• Look for the best in people
• Associate with positive people
• Care deeply about something
• See life as an adventure
• Smile

Be Real and Authentic:
Rather than being about who you appear to be, selling yourself is about letting others know who you are as a person. For this reason, lies and half-truths are a recipe for disaster later down the line. By telling the truth, you will earn both trust and respect which, in turn, will help you build a great reputation. Not only that, it will make you feel good about yourself. The last thing you want to do is sell yourself out by compromising your values and principles.

Self-invented people are the most interesting ones of all. The difference is in the intangibles of the personality we create for ourselves. We are all works of art, or, perhaps more accurately, works of architecture with those three essential elements of core, frame and envelope. So go ahead and work on all three and reinventing a GREAT YOU.