!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> Streamline Training & Documentation: Communicating the Value You Add

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Communicating the Value You Add

Back on January 6, Tessa Hood published a list of "10 Tips for Talking Yourself Up" that just about anyone could benefit from reading.

In brief, Hood's ten tips are:
  • Make it clear how what you do adds value for others — Have a compelling one-sentence explanation at the ready.


  • Make it hard to be forgotten once you've been introduced at any event, such as a networking event. — Share interesting information about yourself without going into a hard sell.


  • Practice what you preach. E.g., "If you're in finance make sure your own accounts are in order."


  • Be ready to share success stories.


  • Be proud of what you do — When talking about your job, whatever it is, sound a positive note.


  • Even when you are facing someone who doubts your ability, stay positive. You can be confident that they will be proved wrong.


  • People buy because you are offering something that will benefit them. This is fundamental to actually adding value, which is always assessed from the customer's point of view.


  • People make buying decisions emotionally, so tell your success stories in a way that brings out the challenges you faced, the intensity with which you attacked them, and the satisfaction your successful results produced.


  • Don't stint in explaining what you have to offer. There's a tendency to take one's own expertise for granted because what you do has come to feel very natural. This can lead you to understate what you bring to the table. Be sure you explain fully how necessary your expertise is for creating value in the situations you're discussing with a customer.


  • Keep building your brand — "Broadcast your personal brand in every possible way. Make it clear and consistent."
I've paraphrased Hood's tips above. They don't take long to read, so I encourage you to have a look at the original list as she wrote it.


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