Sales reluctance is a real thing. And it is even worse when the product you are selling is yourself.
We’ve all been taught to be modest, to be humble. So it goes against the grain for most of us to “sell ourselves.” We may feel like we are tooting our own horns, or bragging, or even being manipulative.
There is a way around that feeling… It is a minor adjustment, but it can be huge in terms of how you see yourself in the act of personal marketing.
The key: shift your thinking from “selling” to “helping.”
When you think about helping someone with your skills or your services or your products, it is a powerful motivator. When you think of “selling” that product or service, some people feel like they are manipulating a sale. The difference between helping and selling is that you become other directed. It takes the pressure off.
I recently had a conversation with an attorney who entered the real estate 
selling field. She admitted to me that she actually felt embarrassed to tell her contacts that she was in real estate. When she and I talked about what was different about her skills relative to the skills of other real estate sales people, she said “I have a law degree! – I know contracts, and I can help people avoid issues in the selling or buying of their homes.” In shifting the way she thought about her new profession to that of helping her clients where others couldn’t, she found more motivation.
Think about your current situation, and how you can “help your way to success.” By helping, selling comes naturally. Give it a try.
Note: This is our second post in a 10 part series dealing with personal marketing strategies. Many people struggle with the idea that they have to sell themselves, either corporately or in their own businesses, and these posts are intended to help them get over that hurdle. Watch for these posts in the next few months, or subscribe to our blog to receive them automatically in your inbox!
