Selling yourself is something that everyone needs to learn.
Whether we are trying to get a job, or get a date, or get a gig for our new band – our lives are filled with situations where we are seeking to persuade someone or “win them over.”
Often times “selling” comes with negative connotations. We imagine sales people as greedy, dishonest, and willing to say anything just to get a sale – but the truth is we are all sales people to some degree. And we need to be.
All selling means is to communicate the value of something. So “selling yourself” means communicating your value – and that’s an ability we can all benefit from.
The truth is it doesn’t matter how skillful or talented you are at something if you don’t know how to sell yourself to others.
When I was working at a music and arts venue in Brooklyn, I discovered so many amazing artists, musicians, writers, fashion designers, comedians, bloggers, and entrepreneurs, but so many of them didn’t know how to sell themselves – or even worse, they didn’t believe they should have to sell themselves to succeed.
But to the contrary, many times you’ll find that people who have far less skill or talent are more successful just because they are better at selling, not anything else.
That can sound frustrating and depressing, but it tells you why “selling yourself” is so important.
If you truly believe you have a skill or talent that makes the world a better place, then you should work twice as hard to make sure other people know about it.
And why wouldn’t you?
The chances are slim that you are just going to be randomly discovered – so you have to put yourself out there and get people’s attention!
Are you comfortable with the concept of “selling yourself?” Or does it make you feel a little sick and uneasy?
For a long time, I wasn’t comfortable with selling myself.
Like when I first started this blog, I was very scared and weary to share it without feeling like I was “shoving it down people’s throats.”
Instead, I had a “build it and they will come” attitude. But I noticed that no matter how much building I did, and how much work I put into my craft, it didn’t matter if no one ever found it.
Of course, there’s a balance between healthy self-promotion vs. spamming people. But that doesn’t take away that selling yourself is inherently important to success.
If you don’t believe in selling yourself, what you’re really doing is selling yourself short.
You’re not asking for what you’re really worth, because you’re too afraid to show people what you’re really worth. As a result, you’re forcing yourself to settle for less.
It’s important to become comfortable with the idea of “selling yourself.”
To Sell Is Human is a great book by psychologist Daniel Pink about why “selling” is a natural part of being human. It shows how to become a better “seller” in your everyday life whether it’s in work, school, family, or relationships.
Be more comfortable “selling yourself”
Becoming more comfortable with “selling yourself” is ultimately a change in attitude. And it’s a change that is going to take time to get used to and familiar with.
We are trained by society and culture to think of “selling” as inherently ugly and dirty, so it takes time to shed those negative connotations and be honest with ourselves about what “selling” really means.
Here are healthy things to remind yourself:
- “Selling just means to communicate your value to others.”
- “The most talented people still need to learn to sell themselves to succeed.”
- “You have to show people who you are – they won’t just discover you.”
- “Selling can be done in an honest and ethical way.”
- “You have a right to take up space in this world like everyone else.”
- “Selling is about expressing your strengths, not taking advantage of others weaknesses.”
- “Identify your enlightened self-interest – where your values and other people’s values overlap.”
- “Everyone needs to ‘sell themselves’ to some degree.”
I hope this article convinces you that “selling yourself” doesn’t have to be a negative thing, and that it can often be necessary to truly reach your full potential.
Try to keep these ideas in mind – and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there the next time you think you deserve better.
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