Are You Making It Easy for Others to Promote You?
Curt Skene’s In2Win! Career Coaching Supplement.
Part of being successful in your search is making yourself “easy-to-market” by others who want to help you. For instance, when you are networking always be distinctive so people remember who you are, what you do and why they should care. Plan your introduction carefully as you will get more attention and support from others if they find your message interesting and your capabilities are clear.
In crowded job markets you need a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)—a concise brand statement (five to ten words) that captures interest, attention and speaks to results. Your career arsenal should also contain a full color one-page resume that acts as an influential marketing career summary. This easy-to-read overview is inviting for career influencers to get to know you without feeling burdened with too much information.
You may wish to consider creating an online video profile as this can be a powerful tool that enhances your executive presence. But be forewarned this can do as much harm as good; so put a great deal of thought into your message and how you present it. A robust social media profile is a brilliant calling card that will draw the attention of employers.
Consider key words that best represent you and be sure to use them in all of your documentation and online marketing. Try searching for your skills online and in social media sites then analyze the top candidate responses. Ask what is it that put their profile on top and do the same for yours.
Give your advocates a clear, memorable way to describe your value so they can confidently promote you.
Why I Wrote This Page
Because every time someone refers you, your story gets retold, and retold stories lose detail fast. If your pitch is complicated, it simply won’t survive being passed from person to person.
Think about how referrals actually happen. Someone mentions you to someone else, in a hallway, over coffee, in a two-line email. They’re not going to recite your full career history. They’re going to repeat whatever the simplest, sharpest version of your story is, and only that version. If you haven’t given them one, they’ll invent their own, and it usually won’t do you justice.
The professionals who get the most referral traffic aren’t necessarily the most impressive on paper. They’re the ones who made it effortless for someone else to describe them accurately in one sentence.
Action Steps
- Write your Unique Selling Proposition down to five or ten words, then test it: could a friend repeat it correctly after hearing it once?
- Send your one-page resume and USP directly to the people most likely to refer you. Don’t make them dig for it or guess.
- After any conversation where someone offers to introduce you, follow up with the exact line you want them to use. Most people are relieved not to have to invent it themselves.
In2Win! Afterthought
Curt’s current observations and updated guidance will be added here.
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