Develop The Skills You Need to Sell Yourself...#6

Everything is a sales pitch.

Raise your hand if you graduated from college/university feeling unprepared to sell yourself or your ideas ?. During the rigorous academics, most programs don’t prioritize teaching practical sales abilities. The curriculum should reflect this importance.

I know so many of us feel this way, tossed into the workforce feeling wholly unprepared to pitch our skills and ideas. We leave school with no real sales training, despite needing it constantly to land jobs, secure investors, and influence colleagues.

Selling ourselves induces this daily anxiety. Networking events seem foreign and intimidating. We feel pressure to be pushy salespeople - but that just isn't us.

“Your ability to do well in life depends on your ability to sell others on the things in which you believe!” ― Grant Cardone, Sell or Be Sold: How to Get Your Way in Business and in Life

So, what core skills do we need to master the art of selling in professional and personal realms? Here are my 5 tips:

1. Focus on emotional intelligence – Dale Carnegie said you can make more friends in two months by being interested in others than in two years trying to get them interested in you. Build rapport.

2. Listen intently - Uncover others' motivations, needs, and interests. Tailor your ideas and solutions specifically to what they value.

3. Give your full attention - Remember details that show you care. Smile warmly. Make people feel valued.

4. Reinforce strengths - Uplift and validate people's skills and ideas. Being generous and offering praise opens doors.

5. Bridge disagreements - Don't argue for the sake of arguing. Find common ground. Sandwich criticism between compliments to smooth reception.

Whether you are pitching investors or selling your skills in an interview, leading with emotional intelligence trumps manipulation. Selling, at its core, is about forging human connection.

What tactics have you found effective for selling yourself or your ideas? Share your thoughts!