Sell Yourself As Yourself

Representing yourself as anything other than what you are is a lose-lose proposition. Overselling your expertise will lead to disappoint for everyone—supervisors, co-workers, clients and customers—when they inevitably don’t get what they expected. Underselling yourself means people who need and want your talent and services will overlook your value and miss out.

What Happens When You Oversell:

A while back I attended a 2-day workshop that advertised itself as a tried-and-true approach to effective communicating. The website lauded the organization’s internationally renown workshops and seminars. The marketing implied a high level of professionalism and expert trainers.

After getting lost on my way to the event due to unclear directions, I finally arrived to find it was being held in the 1-bedroom apartment of one of the 5 attendees. They immediately offered to sell me a book and shared how I could join their organization and start giving my own seminars. The material was poorly presented, and the trainers were pushy and salesy.

I left feeling duped and underserved.

What Happens When You Undersell:

A couple years ago I met a woman who has been a professional development trainer for many years and has created a unique seminar that has been measurably effect in a small region. She is looking to expand and because she believes the seminar can serve a larger audience. I completely agreed and couldn’t understand why it hadn’t already taken off.

When I reviewed the marketing materials, they were dated and didn’t represent the program as the evolving and cutting-edge resource that it truly was. Further more their pricing didn’t represent the value. The price for this 5-day live seminar was what many people would pay for an online course.

There are hundreds and possibly thousands of businesses and individuals, who would benefit from this service. Yet the branding and pricing misrepresent the value it can offer.

Get clear on what you can offer and what you cannot offer. Sell the hell out of your superpowers and be honest about your limitations.

Self-awareness not only opens doors for you. It opens the right doors for you.

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

~Oscar Wilde