Marketing Yourself for Success
Introduction There are many excellent books available that provide life and careertransforming skills in self-esteem, communications, professional protocol, business image and etiquette, career transition, customer service and networking. This book is designed to provide you with a compilation of information, motivation, and confidence-building skills in ALL of these areas. Keep it handy for quick reference. Share it with those around you. The wealth of information shared in these pages will empower you to intentionally build a successful brand, NOW! YOU are a powerful brand! Sit back and enjoy learning a myriad of techniques for positively influencing people, making an excellent first impression and increasing the bottom line! Start practicing all of the techniques in this book for immediate and lasting results. In today’s competitive business environment, good manners, proper speech patterns, careful grooming, and professional communication skills can make the difference between getting ahead and being left behind. Although it is often not fair, the fact is, even in business relationships, we still judge people by how they act, speak, look, and write. This is particularly true when we are considering hiring someone to represent our company. Our professional manner, communication skills and attitude wield a powerful influence over their decisions to create a partnership with us, and to purchase our products and services. All forms of etiquette affect others, whether clients, colleagues, suppliers or friends. In this global economy, the winner may very well be the one with that extra bit of polish. The salesperson who makes an impeccable impression at the table, on the phone, on sales calls and even online, is often the one to seal the deal. Opportunities 7
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are lost due to a lack of soft skills, even when technical skills are superb. That is why even technical people are being sent to professional protocol classes to help them better relate to, and communicate clearly and comfortably with, the rest of the business world. Although many colleges teach ethics, few teach business etiquette, a very vital ingredient for success. I compared notes with other presenters who provide professional development programs for college students and they experienced the same conversations during classes. The majority of young men and women slouched in their seats, wore faded sweatshirts and jeans with ragged cuffs. As we discussed the importance of a professional image and good business etiquette, they commented that many professors said it was not all that important to “look professional” as long as they had the necessary skills required for the job. Unfortunately, particularly in industries that handle our money and important business transactions, if we don’t look the part, we won’t get the part! Future business executives are sometimes referred to as the McManner’s generation due to growing up with two working parents and a steady diet of fast food. How do they manage in terms of professional behavior? Should they possess those finer details in manners and professional communication that bring success on the business social level? Should these details be carried over into their work life? Keep reading and find out!
Reaching the Brass Ring! Several years ago, I read the story of how the term “reaching for the brass ring” originated. This phrase has always symbolized reaching for, and achieving, one’s goals. The carousels of long ago were huge circular platforms with hand-carved, brightly painted panels, and beautiful wooden ponies that bobbed up and down on thick, shiny brass poles to the sound of calliope music. Children were so excited for the opportunity to reach out and grab a fist-sized metal ring from a dispenser suspended just outside and above the carousel. Most of the time, they would get a 8
Marketing Yourself for Success
black ring. How joyful they were when, every once in awhile, someone would grasp a “gold” one, the brass ring! That brass ring came to symbolize adventure, passion, joy, and having what it takes to achieve our biggest hopes and dreams. We all want to achieve those dreams; however, our lives often take a different course, filled to overflowing with work and relationships that leave little or no time to pursue our original goals. We often begin thinking about all of the reasons why we cannot attain those dreams due to any number of circumstances. Some of those reasons may be legitimate for a season; others are based on fear or lack of selfconfidence. The more time and energy we expend entertaining those reasons, the farther we get from grabbing our own brass ring. We must focus on building our own successful brand and acquiring the knowledge, skills and ensuing reputation of meeting every customer’s needs. We achieve this by confidently showing that we are the most skilled to best solve their problems. Now is the time to build business and personal relationships, exuberantly grabbing onto that brass ring and NOT letting go! That being said, may this book provide the tools to recharge your battery! Allow it to equip you with inspiration, confident communications, and professional image and protocol techniques and many exercises that when completed, can give you the competitive edge. Now is the time to dust off those dreams so let’s get going!
Rule of Thumb:
The single biggest factor that determines whether people take us seriously is our opinion of ourselves, and it affects every area of our lives!
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Chapter 1:
Success Starts on the Inside First Step, a Self-Image Checkup What does self-image have to do with our success? Everything! In the working world, our level of self-esteem plays a crucial part in having the career we truly want. What is self-image? It is how we see ourselves, how we believe others see us, and how we allow ourselves to be treated. Self-image affects not only our ability to get ahead in the working world, but in how well we get along with our family and those we come into contact with every day. We often limit our success by the way we think, how we interpret ourselves and the world, based on our past experiences. We get exactly what we expect to see, expect to hear and expect to experience. If we expect more rejection, failure, and discouragement, that is what comes knocking on our door. If we expect greater success, satisfying business relationships, or making Partner in the firm, guess what? Our energy and focus takes us towards those goals. Unfortunately, some individuals follow the same format of defeat for a lifetime, unable to still reach their goal because they were not able to in the past. Why? There are any number of reasons, such as a myriad of personal struggles, lack of finances, limited education, their own personality traits, or the people closest to them causing hindrances. The list of characteristics and circumstances is limitless. How did these obstacles develop such a paralyzing grip? One of the biggest ways this can happen is because we often determine our worth by perceptions taken on from others. Perhaps, since childhood, we were told that we couldn’t do something because we were not as smart as a sibling, neighbor, relative, or another 10
Marketing Yourself for Success
student in school. Maybe we were shy and cute, and “powerful people aren’t cute.” Any of those beliefs can cause us to stop trying for the brass ring and instead, keep us going around in circles on the merry-go-round of life. What about the man who was raised to act tough in order to be manly, and now struggles with how to communicate in an assertive, yet positive manner and not be overbearing? All of these misconceptions hinder us from building the kind of business and personal relationships so vital to our success and happiness. Maybe you are not confident trying for a new or long-time business or personal goal, the one you have wanted since way back in junior high. Do not minimize your own skills and abilities by comparing your credentials to others. Instead, nourish and feed all of the wonderful attributes you have to offer. A competitor’s years of experience might intimidate you from trying for that big client, but maybe your enthusiasm, healthy humility, passion for excellence and superb people skills far surpass what he or she has to offer. Remember, even if your present talent, bank account or size of staff is not enough to get you to the finish line, but it can get you to the next step, and the next. The end result? Either owning a thriving, successful business or flourishing in the career you have always dreamed of! Keep in mind, when allowing the same limiting thoughts to be entertained, you cannot expect to produce anything differently from what you have experienced up until now. Perhaps it is time to assess what changes can be made in your current business plan. How can you increase your knowledge and benefits of every product and service? What local groups and online social media you can become active in? Stop and think of what would be the most beneficial. Need some moral support? No one can do it alone. Surrounding ourselves with people of like mind builds us up. We can all share helpful ideas with the kind of positive energy that it takes to succeed!
Exercise: Carefully answer the following: What can I do that is outside my comfort zone and will help grow my business the most? 11