How do you market yourself effectively?

It doesn't matter whether you run your own business, are an employee or job seeker, if you market yourself well, you will achieve success. Marketing is about finding your unique abilities and being able to communicate these to others effectively.

You may have heard of the saying "people buy people", so take the opportunity to let people know why they should promote you, employ you or buy from you. Here are my tips to market yourself effectively:

1. Write down a list of your strengths and skills and use these as selling points when you meet new people. What is unique about you? What sets you apart from anyone else? How can you make sure you market yourself at every opportunity?

2. Develop a succinct message that you can share with others that takes about 10-20 seconds to deliver. In business, this is known as an elevator speech - who you are and what you can do for others. Design and practice your message.

3. Remember that every time you communicate, this is the opportunity to make an impact. Make sure that anything you put in writing, such as a letter or CV is clear, concise and easy to read. And remember to include the strengths you have identified above.

4. You also communicate by what you wear and whether it is appropriate for the occasion. You may wish to research the dress code and give yourself plenty of time to decide what to wear. Choose your outfit wisely with the appropriate accessories, and remember to clean your shoes!

5. Make a great first impression. People tend to make a first impression of you within the first few minutes of meeting you. When you meet new people, use appropriate eye contact, a firm handshake, and smile!

6. Preparation is key. Whether you are going to a networking event or a job interview, it is important to prepare in advance. Plan the journey before you leave, know who you are going to meet and plan what you are going to say.

What do you do to market yourself effectively? Let me know – add your comments below!

Are you a good salesperson?

This article was taken from the April Self Discovery newsletter. Find out more at http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

As a coach, one thing that I learnt very quickly is that I need to be a business person as well as a coach.  This meant learning about running and building a business, and my research into this subject prompted me to write a book about my experiences based on spending time with the experts.  One of the things that you need to do as a business person is to be great at sales, but to be honest, it's never been something that comes naturally to me!   

But one of my mentors said to me recently is that I am doing a disservice to my clients if I don't ask people for business.  How can I help clients if I don't do this?  How can I grow my business and help more people?  When I heard this sentence, the penny dropped and then I realised that it isn't just important to me. Did you know that being a great sales person equally applies to you and your career too? 

So what do I mean?  Well if you are already employed, you will constantly be growing your strengths, utilising your skills and seeking promotion if you want to get ahead at work.  And to do this, quite frankly, you need to be able to sell yourself too.  You will need to know what makes you tick, how you can stand out from the crowd and be better than other people in your field.   

If you are currently seeking for a job, I'm sure you already know how important it is to be good at selling yourself.  You'll be attending interviews, networking with others and going out of your way to find the right job for you. 

But what if you are not very good at sales? 

Many people will put themselves under stress or pressure when in a new situation like putting yourself forward for another job. You'll remember all the times in the past when you didn't get things right and won't feel comfortable going for that new job or promotion, but sometimes it takes that bit more courage and conviction to put yourself forward, so here are some tips for you: 

1. Don't concentrate on the negative situations from the past or the times when things haven't gone so well.  Although you can probably vividly remember all the times that people have criticised you, make a list (either mental or physical) of all the times where people have praised or complemented you. 

2. If you are not confident in selling your skills, start by taking it one step at a time.  Firstly write down your strengths, your skills and your capabilities and then find examples of how you have achieved each of these.  This will start to give you the confidence to take the next step. 

3. Just get on and do it. If you can, get yourself a coach who will champion you every step of the way.  Or alternatively find someone who will encourage and support you and bolster up your confidence when things don't go to plan.  Learn from rejection and build on the positive outcomes that take place too.

How to get what you want

This article was taken from the March Self Discovery newsletter. Find out more at http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

One of the things I notice both professionally and personally, is that we often worry about things that might go wrong, put ourselves down when things don't go to plan, but rarely celebrate our successes. We say to ourselves, 'well I made a mess of that then', 'that didn't go very well' or something along those lines. In a way we set ourselves up to fail as we don't give ourselves a pat on the back or a positive affirmation.

Everyone has goals, aims or objectives that they strive for in their work or life, whether these are conscious or not. You may want to earn more money, drive a bigger car, have a nice house or just enjoy your life and work.

But without a clear plan or strategy to get there, it makes it more difficult to achieve. I know from experience that it is easy to drift along, but if you make conscious decisions in your life, you are going to live one that is inspired and that you enjoy. Using a personal example, when I was writing my book, many people said to me that they want to do the same one day, but by knowing my goals, it enabled me to get what I wanted.

Here are some strategies I use to enable you to get what you want.

1. Know what you want rather than what you don't want

The most successful people in life know what they want rather than what they don't want. But I know from spending time with my clients is that many people find it hard to see their way forward. They know what they don't want to have in their life either in the present or the future, but until they know what they want, it makes it difficult to have a clear plan to make any changes.

But on the other hand if you do know what you don't want, it is a good place to start. If you don't want to be out of work/stressed/fed up with your job, etc, go ahead and ask yourself what do you want instead?

2. Have a plan and take action!

When you know what you do want, work out how you can change what you want in your life or your career. Then take action.
Make sure your goals are specific, which means that the activity has a clear purpose, that you can achieve it realistically and that you have a timeframe in which the activity has been completed, as well as any key milestones in the project.

3. Keep a journal to record your successes

I often advise my clients to keep a journal and the purpose of this is to record the things in your life that go well. It takes 21 days to develop a new habit so take some time to keep a journal before you go to bed or first thing in the morning.

Think about:

What has gone well that day?

What have you learnt?

Who has been your inspiration?

You have a motivational record of what has gone well whenever you need a boost and can also remind yourself of how far you have developed your skills.

4. Enjoy the journey and the successes you have along the way

If you are always striving for the next big thing, you will never take time to enjoy the individual successes along the way. Take time to focus on the things that have gone well and the good things that have happened to you. Just like you would break a large goal down into manageable chunks, do the same with your successes.

Is it time for change?

This article was taken from the February Self Discovery newsletter.  Find out more at http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

There are various times in your life when change happens. For many it is when a new year starts, after a holiday, or when something happens in your life to make you sit up and reassess your life. And I recognise that change isn't always easy.

I notice with my clients that when they face major change such as a relationship breakup, redundancy, or make the decision to leave a job, they go through a range of reactions. These tend to be along the following lines:

1. Denial - "it can't be true" or "I can't believe it"

2. Blaming others - "they shouldn't have done that" or "it is their fault"

3. Blaming themselves - "I should have known" or "it's my fault"

4. Accepting the new situation - "where do I go from here?"

5. Committing to change - "I'm going to do something about this"

6. Creative problem solving - "what am I going to do next?", "what are my options?"

7. Persevering and overcoming obstacles by being persistent - "I can do this!"

Some people will go through these stages quickly, but often they get stuck in the early stages of the model, and feel negative and sometimes depressed about a situation.

So the trick is to work through these different areas to reach stage 4 as soon as possible and set a plan to move on.

But often it takes more than just willpower and you need to confidence to take the next steps too. So here are my top confidence tips to skyrocket the change you want to make this year:

1. Believe in yourself and that you can manage the change - remember when you've done it before, so how can you do it effectively and efficiently again this time?

2. Get support to move you to the stages where you can think clearly and come up with options for your future.

3. Commit to taking action. Use a partner or a coach to agree what you are going to do and by when as this helps you to remain positive about the change that is taking place.

4. Consider and brainstorm the following question: What could you do if there were no barriers or constraints?

5. Recognise when you are slipping back along the change continuum. Accept how you feel and when you are ready, take steps to move forward.

How can I help you?

My role as your coach is to help you to recognise when you want to make change and help you to move you away from situations you don't want, and then put you on the right path for your own career success. If you recognise yourself in any of the first few stages above, just give me a call for a free consultation.

Your mindset for career success

This article has been taken from the Self Discovery newsletter (January 2011).  To receive your February copy, please register here and get your free career health check - http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

I have recently been sharing with you the practical tips you can follow when facing job change or redundancy. You may have seen in a previous blog post that Sara told us about her husband's redundancy.  She mentioned that practical steps were great, but that it doesn't prepare you for the frustration or emotional feelings you have about this type of situation.

And with my clients I know that the practical tips can only help so far. When you are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, unclear or any other negative emotion it can be hard to feel motivated to find the next job. Or if you are fed up with your job, you can only see the difficulties of making the next step rather than the positives.

If you have been following my newsletter for a while, you will know that I have been writing a book on the mindset for success over the last 18 months (which will be out very soon). Although this is written for new coaches who want to run a successful business, many of the principles about mindset apply to all of us - whether you want a bigger business, a better relationship, a more enjoyable career or success in any part of your life. Here are 7 of my top tips to get your mindset for success.

1. Know what you want rather than what you don't want

OK, I know this can be a challenge. If you are in a job you hate, it is difficult to see the possibilities out there. So take it one step at a time, identify what you don't want or don't like and then ask yourself the question - what do you want instead?

2. Make sure your goals are clear

Goal setting or planning is an art. I've often heard people say to me, I want to achieve that within a month, but the problem is unless there is a date on it, that will always be a month away. What do you want to achieve and by when?

3. Get your support network in order

If you're having a bad time at work, who can you talk to about it? One of the comments I get from my clients is that they feel they can talk to me without worrying who will hear about their frustrations. So knowing who you can confide in can help your mindset. But make sure it is someone who will give you positive messages rather than bring you down.

4. Take responsibility for your career

You are never going to advance up the career ladder or find the job of your dreams if you just think about it. Take responsibility for your actions rather than just talking about the difficulties you have in your job.

5. Honk your horn!

Don't hide your skills and strengths. Tell people about what you can do and how you can help them. Give people the opportunity to appreciate your value and expertise.

6. Get a coach or mentor

If you are serious about getting the right mindset for success, find someone you trust to help you to achieve your career or other goals. This might be someone like me or someone you trust within your network or organisation.

7. Diversify your networks

It is well known that the best way to get a new job is through a contact or acquaintance, so expand your networks and ask for their help.

Want to use this article in your website, blog or newsletter?

You are welcome to use this article in your website, blog or newsletter, provided that the article is published in tact, the links are live (if it is published online) and you include the information below with it:

Karen Williams specialises in career coaching and works with people who have reached a crossroads in their career. She helps them to re-find their direction and the confidence, focus and clarity to find the job they will love. To achieve greater success in your career, download your career health check at http://www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk/.

Great career networking article

I've come across the following article this week and I thought you would enjoy it.

In this article, Neil Munz-Jones offers his top tips to help you develop your career through networking. He talks about how networking can help you become more attractive to employers and place you ahead of the competition.

 

Click here for the full article.

Top 5 tips for coping with redundancy

I thought you would be interested in this short article of mine published in The News today:

"Portsmouth based career coach, Karen Williams, gives her top 5 tips on coping with redundancy"

1. If you are at risk of redundancy, start looking for jobs straight away. You can register with employment agencies, check out vacancies online, keep an eye on vacancies in local or specialist magazines and papers, and contact competitors who may have similar jobs available.

2. Don’t be afraid to take a career change or set up your own business. Once you have identified your strengths, skills, qualifications and knowledge, talk to people in your desired profession and find out how you can transfer your skills into that area and re-train if necessary.

3. Consider your ideal new role. What is most important in this role? If you would like a certain amount of money, flexible working or a particular level of responsibility, be aware of what you will accept in a new position.

4. Brush off your CV and make sure that you have a personal profile or summary that clearly outlines your strengths and skills and how you stand out from the crowd. If in doubt, get someone to check it for you as they may see things that you don’t see yourself.

5. Use your networks wisely. This applies to both social networks and people you know personally and professionally. Talk to the people you know and find out what contacts they have in your desired field. Then remember to follow up on these contacts, as this is one of the best ways to get your ideal new job.

Karen works with career changers and people facing redundancy to help them to find a job they will love. You can find out more about Karen at www.selfdiscoverycoaching.co.uk.