A lot has been written about selling yourself and your business. We are fortunate to live in a world where we benefit from other peoples experiences and successes. We have easy access to this information via the internet, articles and books. Whilst this is a valuable resource, we often overlook our most important resource – ourselves.
Two years after I co-founded a specialist IT recruitment consultancy in London in 1990 I decided I should attend a course that would teach me ‘how to be a successful recruitment consultant’. I was very intimidated by the people in the room and was convinced that I was the least successful. As the course progressed I realised that yes, I had a lot to learn about process, techniques etc, but I also learnt that I was already doing a lot right. I discovered that I was the highest biller in the room. This astounded me, as I had no ‘formal’ training, I didn’t use the buzz words and I didn’t have a role model / mentor to guide me at the time. I had stumbled across a winning formula, finding my own unique way of selling myself and my business.
This allowed me to aim higher than the perceived norm. I didn’t set a cap on what I could achieve, because I wasn’t aware of what the industry benchmarks were. Not only did we build a very successful business, I also rose to be one of the top billers in the industry in the U.K.
So whilst valuable resources are out there for you to use and learn from, don’t bury your most precious asset- YOU.
And now for some practical tips.
Building relationships
The most important strategy for successful selling relies on building long-term relationships and collaborative partnerships. We build relationships with people, not companies. It is vital that you are taking care of your customers’ needs. And you have to constantly review what their needs are. Too often we can fall into a false sense of security of ‘knowing our client’. Needs change as businesses change. Look over your client list and check how current your knowledge is of this client’s needs. A question I always ask myself is ‘where am I failing my client?’ When this question is asked from a place of complete curiosity golden information is obtained.
Passion
Have you ever been stuck in a room listening to someone ‘selling’ their products and services in a monotone voice? Annoying isn’t it. Now think of a time you were listening to someone who was excited about what they did. You probably got a sense that they loved it, and probably didn’t feel ‘sold to’. Feeling someone’s passion and excitement increases your interest and involvement and is a powerful motivation to find out more about what is on offer.
What is it that you love about what you do? Think back over your career – what are the moments that stand out for you? When you’ve come home from work with a big grin on your face, satisfied with a great day’s work and feeling fulfilled, what happened that day? Use these examples to reaffirm your passion for what you do.
It is also important to take a moment to think about why you do what you do? What is your business mission? Being clear about this enables you to effectively communicate this to the people you meet and make the task of selling yourself and your business easier.
Sound Bytes
Research tells us that you generally have 10 seconds to convey your message before you either capture or lose your audience. Develop 3 -5 sound bytes that you can use for any occasion. An effective sound byte will give a description of who you are and what you do, and have the person wanting to know more. It doesn’t have to be catchy; sometimes it’s better if it’s not as it will sound more genuine and sincere. Once you have some sound bytes, say them out loud a few times. You may find that you don’t use them all the time, but they will be there ready for when you do need them.
Contribute
Contribute to your industry. Join networking groups, mentoring programs and your industry body. You can write articles, attend seminars / workshops and get together with colleagues and friends from other companies and compare notes.
Contributing your time and energy without the expectation of what you will get back in return pays dividends. You get to exchange ideas, get support from colleagues, learn and have fun. It keeps you fresh, interested and motivates you.
It also helps build both your profile and credibility amongst your peers, customers and potential customers.
Reframing
Where do you go when you read the title: Selling Yourself and Your Business? I found myself laughing out loud because it gave me an image of dark street corners and cold nights. The very phrase has a negative connotation for me. I realised I needed to reframe Selling Yourself to make it work in a positive way. In my experience women in business have never been 100% comfortable selling themselves. So, let’s look at reframing.
Reframing is an easy and important skill. Selling yourself can become: promoting yourself, sharing what you are passionate about or sharing the benefits of what you believe in. By reframing a concept from the very beginning, you change the impact this has on you. This in turn changes the impact that you have on others. Coming from a place of purpose, passion and self belief will have a dramatic, positive effect on the people you meet and ultimately on the results you seek for your business.
Fun
Having fun is one of the most important ingredients. How can you play more at work? When I started my first business in the U.K, I initially worked from home. I bought some taped office noise to play while I did my cold calling. It made me laugh and always changed my mood into a positive one. I had found a way to have fun whilst performing a task that I didn’t particularly enjoy and it had a positive impact on my attitude and my results. I had found a way to play.
