I was giving a conference on How to Develop Your Personal Brand to newcomers from the Philippines. The question period was focusing on my comparison of a personal brand to a product. Many felt uncomfortable with the idea. Bea, an attendee’s comment to me was: ‘Aline, I am a person not a product. I am not for sale’.
Are You A Product?
One of the biggest challenges for those who are trying to get a job, is their inability to separate who they truly are from who they are as a product. There is you, fallible, fearful, and unsure— and then there is the “you” that you’re selling — experienced, witty, professional.
Selling Yourself Like Nike Would
When you are selling the “you”, you sell your strengths, accomplishments and expertise. You sell the bright side of “you”. Think about this: once a Nike’s running shoe leaves the production line and gets in the retail stores, the customer sees and feels the best of the running shoe. Initial design trial or production trial is not shared with the consumer. Once the running shoe is ready for sale, it’s at its perfect stage. The stage at which YOU decide to buy it.
Employers Are Buyers Too
When you are selling yourself as a product you show up as the perfect candidate to the employer. You show up as a commodity the employer would want to buy in order to be successful.
Like an Apple or a Coke, you get “on stage”. You are no longer hiding. You are visible to those looking to hire you. Don’t be afraid to dress the part! Get the employer to touch and feel what you are all about. Sell your features and get the employer to buy-in.
Steps To Getting Started Right Away
FIRST: list your strengths, your skills and your accomplishment.
SECOND: get out there and sell your uniqueness with potential employers.
THIRD: be “on stage” as many times as you possibly can.
FOURTH: get employers to buy-in to what you offer.
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