When you are a service professional, you are selling your services, but really you are selling a lot more than that …you are selling yourself.
Understanding your own value as a professional is one of the most challenging things that a small business owner has to do.
In fact, a lot of small business owners I know don’t even realize that they have to sell themselves. There is a huge misconception among VAs particularly, that their services or skills are the thing that will sell them to a potential client.
While it is your service offerings that clients need, they will most often decide to work with you, simply because you are YOU.
And being YOU means being unique … different than the others that offer the same services that you offer.
We often say in the marketing world that people do business with people that they know, like and trust.
Relationship building is the fastest way to get new clients — good clients — and part of that is selling yourself to them.
But how can you stand out from others when you might all provide similar service offerings? Simple … just be YOU.
Here are a few tips that you should consider when selling yourself to others:
1. Value – think of the value that you are bringing to the customer. Your level of expertise is yours — not someone else’s — so get really clear on what you know how to do, and how it can help the client.
2. Values – think about your own personal values. What is important to you, and how does that translate to your business? For example, if you have a family, is it important for your clients to also have a family? Things that are important to you come across in your personality, and can make quick steps to a solid relationship with any potential client.
3. Integrity – be really clear about who you want to work with. Don’t work with people who don’t fit into your ideal. It is important not to compromise your working boundaries or principles just because someone wants to pay you.
Selling yourself is not as challenging as you think, but it does take some planning and skill.
By considering your own value, what is important to you, and staying in integrity with those things, you will find great clients that you can build long term relationships with. And they will appreciate you more too.
Work on your marketing message with selling yourself in mind, and it will work harder for you.
Stand out from the crowd simply by being YOU. Doing a little homework to articulate just who that is makes things easier with all of your marketing copy and efforts.