subject: How To Sell Yourself And Get Noticed? [print this page] Should you sell yourself at work? Should you sell yourself at work?
Yes? No?
What do you think the answer is?
Well, let me put it this way
If you want to move up the corporate ladder and get noticed, yes you should.
Selling yourself simply refers to showing others what you are capable of and promoting your skills and worth to others. In a work context, selling yourself could refer to letting your peers and superiors know about your skills and the reasons why you exist in the company.
If you work for a large company where it is easy to get lost, self promotion becomes even more important if you expect and want to get noticed by your higher officials.
Despite the necessity of being able to sell yourself to others, for many people like myself it does not come naturally. Shyness and lack of self-worth are just a few of the obstacles that can potentially get in the way. To overcome such obstacles, I suggest focusing on the following:
Present Yourself Professionally
Everything you do and say creates an image. You always want to present yourself with professionalism. This includes everything from your appearance to how you speak and how you shake hands. Its always best to play it safe and follow formal business etiquette. Though things have relaxed quite a bit in most professional environments, formality is never viewed as unprofessional. When attempting to sell yourself, it can be a big added bonus and creates a good impression.
Speak up in meetings.
How many times do you attend a meeting where you say nothing and let others do all the talking? Contributing during meetings is a great way to sell yourself and to get noticed by others. If you have something to say, say it. Not saying anything and not getting involved in meetings can be misconstrued by others as proof of indifference on your part.
Offer to work on a project or task thats tough for others to manage
Once I worked on a complex project that other project managers had already tried and failed completing. I started working on the project and quickly managed to turn around the project unlike my predecessord. My efforts were recognized which had many benefits including appreciation from my Boss and opportunites to get to know other people in the company across different teams.
Be consistent in producing good work
There is no better way to sell yourself than by consistently completing good work but no one will know it is from you unless you tell them! Ensure that your reports, articles, thesis show that you wrote them, document them with your name on them. Where possible make sure your boss (and their boss if appropriate) sees what you are doing. There is no better way to sell yourself than by consistently completing good work and having a reputation of doing so, remember your reputation will preceed you!
Be Positive
Can you remember the last time you received poor customer service? Did the person look bored, disinterested, wanting to be anywhere but there serving you? Dont 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
You must be aware of your own self-worth. This means you believe in yourself, have faith in yourself, and have confidence in yourself.
Be true and real
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.
