How to Sell More? How to Attract Your Ideal Clients? First Sell Yourself!

From chapter six of my new book Brand Sell Profit: Slay Your Brand, Sell Like a Champ, and Profit Like a Boss!

Since then, I've learned a few other things important in sales. I've learned more about conversion. I’ve learned about inbound vs. outbound sales. I've learned about the law of numbers. I’ve learned the power of addressing pain points. I've learned effective closing tactics. Let's say I've learned a lot. 

However, I think the real critical thing any rock star in sales has to get - something a lot of people never really wrap their heads around - is that the first person you need to sell is YOU. 

Although I had the look of someone who was sold on what I was doing when I worked for Robin, I really didn't. I was sold on the idea of success, getting a head start on my fabulous career, looking the part. 

You (and I) have to believe in what we're doing. We have to believe in the product or service. We have to believe that we can get others to buy what we're selling, that what we have to offer truly matters. We need to believe it matters because it will make an impact. What we're offering will change situations and ultimately lives. Does that make sense? 

Part of it is about building your confidence, but it goes beyond that. When you are your own best customer, whether you're selling a product, service, brand, or your ability, it's hard to be stopped. Distractions and rejections are less of an issue, if any. When we've sold ourselves, we tend to be unstoppable. We know what's needed vs. what's wanted. We don't second-guess ourselves nearly as much. We stop getting in our own way. 

So do you want to know how to sell YOU before you sell anyone else? Here are seven ways:

1. You need to be certain you're doing what you're supposed to be doing. If you're not certain you're doing what you're called to do, you need to explore further. Make this a priority. If you're an insurance agent but really think you're supposed to be a chef, you'll never be the best insurance agent. You can be a good agent but not excellent, because your whole heart won't be in it (possibly any of your heart). Not to mention, you will more than likely make a good income (if even that) vs. an amazing income.

2. Master your feelings. Operate in facts and action only. Most, if not all, of us, have struggled with believing in ourselves at some point in our lives. This is typically due to lies we've been told, or tell ourselves. It's also due to us getting all in our feelings vs. doing what we know we should be doing. Let's say you’re not the best at conducting presentations and you do less than great presenting to a group of investors who are considering investing in your idea. You can either ask for their feedback and identify what you need to work on, or sulk and decide you'll never be good at delivering presentations. The latter is how you FEEL, and what a lot of people, unfortunately, subscribe to. Our feelings are not always reality, i.e. “I feel selling is sleazy and just annoys people (yeah if you're being sleazy and annoying).” Feelings will have you confused, broke, busted, and disgusted if you let them. 

3. Verbally hype yourself up. I have no problem admitting that I talk to myself. I am proud to say that the negative self-talk has taken a backseat to the positive. If you're not there yet, you need to spend some extra time being your own hype-man. Kind of like Flava Flav in Public Enemy or MC Hammer's dancers/entourage. It's great to have people around us who support us and tell us how awesome we are. Whether you have that or not, make sure you're telling yourself how awesome you are. Not once or twice, but as much as it takes for you to believe it. 

4. Don't let it just be hype. Make sure you can deliver on all those compliments. Don't just say you're great. Make a decision to BE great! Don't just say you can sell water to a fish. Actually, do what it takes to sell water to a fish. Confidence comes with results. Deliver results, and watch your doubt fall apart.

5. Take ownership of your brand. Please know that either you can define your brand or allow those around you to do so. One way or another, your brand will be defined. If you don't own it, you may not like what it turns out to be. When we take the lead in creating our own brands, it becomes easier to sell ourselves first.

6. Embrace failure. I know, I know. You've heard this before right? "Fail more" or "fail better" or "fail faster."Hear me out. You haven't heard this from Rachel Wilson Thibodeaux in this way. You may need to change your view about failure. Stop seeing it as the worst thing in the world and instead see it as the blessing it often is. Shift from thinking failure to thinking stepping stone. Shift from failure to catalyst for positive change. Shift from dwelling on failure to moving closer to success. I understand you may not ever get laying-on-the-couch-with-your-favorite-blanket-while-it's-raining kind of comfortable with failure. However, you need to at least get have-to-be-at-the-repair-shop-for-a-couple-hours-but-have-a-good-book (or your laptop so you can get some work done) kind of comfortable. Make the most of it, understand that it's an important part of life, and keep it moving. 

7. Realize that being able to sell yourself first puts you ahead of most other people. Their limited thinking, circumstances, fear, or all of the above keeps them from embracing this mindset. Most people, whether they have a business background or not, are too busy resisting sales or thinking the worst about sales, to consider how powerful it can be to close the deal with him/herself. 

When Confidence Outweighs Competence

Whether you believe it or not, confidence often outweighs competence. There are studies to support this, one of which was done by Washington State University. Researchers there conducted an exhaustive analysis of pundits who predicted outcomes of sporting events. 

This analysis was based on predictions made via social media. The pundits that used strong language to make their predictions such as saying one team “will crush” the other was perceived to be considerably more confident AND attracted more followers. While some of the seemingly more confident pundits turned out to be accurate, others were not. However, that didn’t matter in terms of growing their audience. The inaccurate, but confident pundits still grew their audience. 

Confidence matters. 

This is just another reason to sell yourself to you first. 

There are certain professions that especially benefit from more confidence: stockbrokers, attorneys, publicists, sports and entertainment agents, financial advisors. Make no mistake though, confidence can trump competence for just about anyone.

I particularly want to make a plea to my ladies out there. Confidence, or the lack thereof, is a real issue for women, even women leaders. There are ladies, way too many, who second guess, doubt, and agonize themselves out of winning. If there is a way to sabotage ourselves, some women will find it.

That makes it kind of hard to be one’s own biggest supporter. It also makes it hard to get ahead. 

There is a distinct gap in confidence between men and women. Compared to men, women don’t consider themselves nearly as ready to be promoted. Women have lower expectations of doing well on tests and generally underestimate their abilities. 

Well damn. Isn’t that inspiring?

Since it seems, success correlates as much with confidence as it does with competence, imagine what we could do ladies if we just believed we could. What could we do if we completely embraced our “SWAG Factor.” That’s a “Rachelism” for that special gift we all have that supports our purpose and can be a game changer in our own, as well as other people’s lives. That is if we tap into and unleash it unapologetically. 

Want to know what doesn’t make much sense? Knowing you possess solid expertise but often hesitating to act on it. Or believing you’re more competent than your peers, yet your work not reflecting that. Ladies (and gentlemen if it applies) stop the madness please! It’s time to OWN your SWAG Factor, whether you feel it or not.

From Amazon bestselling author, Rachel Wilson Thibodeaux. Get your copy of Brand Sell Profit here. Follow Rachel here on LinkedIn as well as on Instagram @rachel.theswagstrategist, and on Twitter @swagstrategist.