It took a while for me to figure out that it’s okay to talk about and sell “me“. Look at anyone who has ever been successful. They’ve all exhibited some sort of shameless self-promotion at one point or another and understand the value of marketing themselves and gaining visibility by talking about who they are and what they do.

You have to be willing to plug your personal brand whenever and wherever possible. Take every opportunity. No one else is going to toot your horn. It’s you that has to create the spark that will ignite your fire. Let me give you an example…

The Light Up Pen

I worked in retail sales for a couple of years and I had a natural gift at selling things. I remember working at the cash register one day and my boss asked me to try and sell a bunch of light up ink pens that had been collecting dust on a nearby shelf. They were $8 each and I couldn’t imagine that anyone would really want to buy them, but I liked the idea of a challenge.

The first thing I did was move all of the pens next to the cash register. I made them noticeable, but more than that – I made them accessible.

Each time someone approached the counter I would make a pitch about the pen. I’d talk it up and show the customers just how great it was. I’d even hand them the pen to sign their receipts with. Some would actually make another swipe of the ol’ credit card just to have one.

Had the pens stayed on the shelf, these customers would have come and gone and never noticed them. I wasn’t afraid to make the sales pitch to every single customer. It didn’t matter if I thought they would actually buy it or not. I took advantage of every opportunity and one out of every three customers walked away with one. By the end of the day, I had sold 38 of them.

It’s all about exposure.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short

When you’re selling a product, you talk about it. You position it so that it’s highly visible. It’s no different when the product you’re selling is you.

Now, there’s an unfortunate amount of narcissism required in order to successfully promote yourself, but keep it in check. Don’t over do it. No one likes a person who talks endlessly about themselves. They hate it even worse when you don’t talk about them or to them. Make sure you interact, communicate, and engage your customer or audience. If you give them what they need, they’ll give you what you need.

I bookmarked this article from remarkablogger.com a few months back and have read it several times for inspiration. It’s great piece on self-promoting without being that guy. Take a look – it’s worth the read.

Let’s Talk About It

Photo source: remarkablogger.com