Have you ever met someone for the first time or went on an interview and walked away thinking you didn’t really communicate all of your skills, strengths, and talents to the best of your ability? Did you overthink what you said or didn’t say? Did you leave with regret, wishing you could go back and have a do-over?
Well, this has definitely happened to me more times than I care to admit.
Recently, I was doing some mindless Facebook scrolling, and I stumbled across an “about me” post of a friend. As I began reading all of their accomplishments and strengths, the first thing I thought was, “Wow!” The image my friend communicated was full of confidence and character that “sold” who they were and what they could offer others.
I was honestly taken aback. It made me realize all of the things I’m not saying about myself when opportunities arise.
This led me to ask myself a question. Why am I not selling myself?
Now to clarify what I mean about selling one’s self for the sake of this post, I digress to dictionary.com’s definition, “To convince another of one’s merits, present oneself in a favorable light.”
Why is convincing someone else of your merits important?
I think we all know those people who are able to land an awesome job, but after you start working with them you realize they really don’t know what they are doing. In fact, you’re scratching your head as to what made them more qualified than you? Guess what, they convinced someone, somewhere they could do the job. They were able to sell themself.
Then there are people who seem fearless. They can go up to someone and be able to walk away with a sale, a lunch, a future business engagement, or heck, for you single people out there, a date! We all know these people whether it is in life or business. These are people who have mastered the art of selling themselves.
Yes, there are some that just way overdo it, which can be a turn-off. They brag too much, aren’t genuine and think “they are all that and a bag of Cheetos”.
And while I’m not advocating for you to be “that” person, I am advocating for you to advocate for yourself.
Because if you don’t, no one else will.
And those things you really want will pass you by like a ship in the night. You are too awesome to let that ship pass you by. So here are some things I’m working on to help “sell myself” more without losing myself in the process. Maybe these things can help you too!
1. You have to believe in you
If you don’t read and remember anything in this post, remember this:
You can be your biggest cheerleader or your harshest critic, but it is your choice.
To sell yourself, you have to believe in yourself.
There is no way around this. And this is the hardest thing for people to do, myself included.
Some people have been fed an overwhelming amount of negative messages all their life whether it be from others, experiences or themselves. And if this is you, it’s time to start challenging and changing those messages. The most powerful force is belief. And you have to harness it, starting with belief in yourself.
If this is a hard thing for you to do, just think back on your life and remember all the struggles you’ve endured and survived. You are resilient. You are brave (even when you don’t think you are). You are unique (literally, there is no one else alive on the planet like you). And even if you don’t believe in you right now, just know I do.
If this is a struggle for you, click here to read more.
2. List all your strengths, talents, skills and accomplishments and OWN THEM
Get out a pen and paper. Write them down.
- Do you clean your house well=Detail oriented
- Do you keep a spouse or child alive=Dependable and reliable
- Do you make do on little to nothing=Resourceful
- Can you fix things=Creative problem solver
- Have a great smile=Approachable and friendly
- Can text, talk on the phone and check Instagram at the same time=Supreme multitasker
- Do you help others=Caring and compassionate
- Alive=Determined
Give yourself credit for what you know. Is there a special skill you have? Even if you don’t think it is special, write it down.
The funny thing about knowledge is that once you acquire it, you assume everyone else has it.
This is NOT TRUE. There is a lot of knowledge you have gathered throughout the years either through experience, failure or training, that many people do not know. Acknowledge yourself and your abilities. It will help others acknowledge them too.
3. Go forward with confidence even if you are scared
I’m not a huge fan of the “fake it until you make it” motto (although this truth has helped me adjust my expectations of myself in relation to others many times before).
I prefer, “Say it until you believe it.”
This will require practice. Take opportunities to remember and say all the things you have to offer with confidence. Think and repeat. The more you say it the more you will begin to believe it.
You don’t always have to know exactly what you are doing. What is attractive to others is not your ability to know everything, but your attitude to not give up until you figure it out.
Most people who sell themselves really well have some reservations in the back of their mind. They fear rejection, experience self-doubt, or wonder if they have anything to offer. The difference is they don’t let those reservations hold them back.
Like them, you have to fight those thoughts off, because if you don’t sell yourself, someone else will. And others will miss out on what you have to offer. So offer it!
By the way, the reason why I hadn’t been selling myself during times I needed too is because I wasn’t confident in what I had to offer and didn’t think some of the skills I had were “important” or “special”. However, through my friend owning their skills, gifts, and accomplishments, it gave me permission to own mine.
So give yourself permission!
BE INSPIRED
What do you have to offer to others around you? Own your strengths in the comment section below.
