For Sale

It has always been difficult for me to toot my own horn of wonderfulness. I hate to “sell myself.”  I guess I believe that I shouldn’t have to point out the obvious.  They should just love me for who I am.

Truly the art of self-sell is skill that is needed in order to succeed.  This rings true now more than ever in these tough economic times.

Self-sell is the very essence of so many interactions.  Although effortlessly, we peddle our wonderfulness when we meet new people.  A cheerful greeting, and a warm smile: SOLD. It’s that easy.

If making new friends is so easy, why is selling your talents and skill sets made so hard and so darn complex?  And why are there are so many hoops to jump through?

• First, you must advertise by listing your work experience, achievements, and education on your resume.
• Next, you must spread the word by networking with peers and possibly recruiters.
• Then, you must talk the talk in phone and face-to-face interviews.
• You must, absolutely must, be certain to leave a lasting impression by following up with a personalized email or letter.
• You must seal the deal by negotiating the final price.
• Finally, you must sign on the dotted line.
• And then the work begins and, once more, your are selling yourself by learning to walk the walk on a new path.

The hardest part, for me anyway, is believing and conveying that I AM the most capable & talented person for the job, and that I am worth far more than they are offering to pay me.

I’ve been talking the talk for several weeks now with a couple of prospective companies. The process has been interesting. I am excited at the prospect of moving my career in a more positive direction.   I am also exhausted and therefore home for a much needed mental health day.

Fingers crossed that I will have a couple of offers to evaluate, negotiate, and finalize really soon.