The product - YOU!

In most situations in life you need to sell yourself (a.k.a employ your talent). If you are one of those who will raise eyebrows hearing the word 'sell' then you will have tough time going-ahead in life. Marketing yourself is not a luxury, it's has become a necessity now and you better learn this art. Have you ever noticed that experienced salesman always sells himself and the company first. Then he will discuss the product and finally you will hear him say "Now, lets talk about how little this product will cost considering everything that you will get".

Your brand is the truth about YOU!
Make sure you always have a very well thought brief introduction about yourself. A story that reveals your talent. Like every company, every person has dozen of good stories that reveal their talent. Discover these stories and tell them well. What is your story? How can you tell it best? If you need help, ask for it. Go to a person who knows you well and can give you a perspective.

A brief summary about what you do?
Write down your answer to above question. Show them to people you trust and ask them is it clear? Is it simple? Does it inspire their confidence that you are focused enough to sell yourself? If it sounds like you do many things or too many unrelated things then your buyer may assume you may not be able to do any of them well. Always find a niche. Even if you do range of things well, find out what your inquirer needs and focus your message on that need only.

What difference do you make?
When it comes to why you be a valueable employee? Make sure you do not answer what makes you different but how what you do makes difference for the employer. You may want to read about the marketer before you pen down this answer. It needs to be a personalized one to make an impact.

Are you enviable?
Always ask yourelf - Are you a person or a company that your competitors envy? Apply this to youreslf. Ask, "If not, why not? and what can I do to change that?"

People don't think, they stereotype
If you have been to America, you may have noticed that Americans on meeting a new acquaintance will always ask " So what do you do for a living?" The answer let them categorize the person. Accountant? Stiff. Lawyer? Arrogant. Engineer? Analytical. Our mind paints a quick picture - paint that obscures our view of the unique person behind it. Everyone sterotypes, its because it is convenient and makes it easy to remember. So before you try to make a pitch/ sale, ask yourself how this person likely to stereotype me?

Visit this space again for continued series on productizing YOU .......