Having A Hard Time Articulating Your Value? This Is For You...
You’re not alone. Many Leaders have a hard time articulating their value. Let alone an entrepreneur like me who stepped out on faith to start a speaking business. One of the most consistent themes I’ve seen as a Coach is top performing Leaders who have a hard time articulating their value.
I always believed in the companies I’ve worked for and seldom had trouble selling my company’s features, benefits, services, and products. When it came to articulating value in terms of my talent, gifts, strengths, and results I was like a fish out of water.
Why do we know how to sell our company’s products and services with our eyes closed, but we have a hard time selling ourselves?
Because…
- We take the time to study our company
- We go to trainings and conferences to learn how to sell products and services
- We speak eloquently about our business but not ourselves
- We’ve been told to be humble, and self-promotion is a bad thing
Years ago I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t my boss’s responsibility to teach me my value. (Although that’s one of the marks of a great Leader.) It was my responsibility to know my value.
Think about it, your company knows your valuable, that’s why they hired you. You get paid based on many factors but articulating the value you add to your company is your differentiator.
It shows that you understand how your performance translates to results. The challenge comes when you’re afraid to ask for what you’re worth or even have a conversation about money.
Here are two reasons why we have a hard time talking about money and negotiating salary.
- We don’t talk about it enough. When was the last time you talked about your salary or fee? This usually occurs when you’re first hired or you’re selling your products and services. I encourage you to practice.
- We don’t understand how our results directly impacted the bottom-line. Do you know? Understanding this will increase your business acumen and the value you add to your company.
Simple Intelligence
“Your response is your responsibility”
When you accept a job at a particular salary, that’s the value of your service to the company. If you find out that your colleague is making more money than you, instead of being upset, learn how to become a better negotiator. Maybe your colleague knows something you don’t or has a certain skill-set that you don’t.
Consistently studying the process of negotiation will increase your confidence. There are countless books and videos of experts teaching the skills you lack and there’s nothing like having a personal Coach. Become a student of yourself but most of all know your value.
Just imagine if you were better at negotiating before you got hired.
“The Complete Negotiator”, by Gerard Nierenberg, is a great book that will help you develop your negotiation skills.
When people ask, “What are your strengths?” These are some common answers.
- I’m a passionate team player.
- I’m a Leader.
- I’m a people person.
- I’m great at multi-tasking.
- I’m customer service oriented.
Here’s what most people think when they hear those answers.
- What does that mean?
- How are you different?
- How is that specifically going to help me and/or my company win?
Try something like this.
“I focus on exceeding my clients expectations by asking empowering questions and sharing valuable insights, which allows them to make better decisions. How about you?”
What does that statement imply?
- Excellent customer service.
- Asking empowering questions and sharing valuable insights (Clear Difference).
- I’m specifically saying how my strength can help you.
- And then I ask a question.
If you say “I’m a Leader.”
- What does that mean?
- How are you different?
- How is that specifically going to help others win?
Be clear, if you’re great at multi-tasking:
- How are you different? Paint the picture with your words.
- How is that specifically going to help others?
- Most importantly, in want specific context are you great at multi-tasking?
The starting point for describing your self-worth is thinking about how you help others.
- Your talents, gifts, and strengths are your treasures
- Pay attention to the problems you solve
- Your colleagues know some things about you that you may overlook
- Whatever comes easy to you and hard to others is your gift and your gift reveals your purpose
I love how the author of “Now Discover Your Strengths”, Marcus Buckingham, defines talent. He says, “Talent is the recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior.” Wow…
Email me at pierre@pierrecamp.com for coaching.
Leadership Challenge
Spend some quality time studying yourself everyday.
Take at least 30 minutes to reflect on your value.
Explore colorful ways of showing your value to the marketplace.
Practice your money talk (negotiation) with other Leaders and elicit constructive feedback.
- Why Managers (You) May Fail At Getting Desired Results
- Why Leaders (You) Should Think Before Using The Term “Common Sense”
- The Leadership Trap That May Be Hurting The Growth Of Your Company
Thanks for asking questions. You keep asking and I’ll keep Coaching.
What are some other ways you can articulate value?
I am presently going through a course with my Business Coach and one of the things we are currently discussing is "Mastering Your Psychology". I can only successfully articulate my own value if I "believe" in my own value.
I love it Pierre! These are MUST answer kinds of questions! Today all of us, INTRApreneurs and ENTREpreneurs, must BE Significant to our organizations, our customers, and our clients to be successful. Now, more than ever before, being your own brand is critical and that definitely means knowing and being able to articulate the value we offer. Thanks for empowering us Pierre!
Thank you for this article. Very insightful. You have given me a lot to think about as an Entrepreneur.