One of the classic gags in interviewing for a sales job is for the interviewer to ask the candidate to sell them a pen.
Many people immediately begin talking about the features and benefits of the pen. They are focusing on the wrong thing: the pen.
They need to focus on the person buying it.
You shouldn’t be selling anyone (including yourself) anything until you get some information.
The first words out of your mouth should always be a question. Selling “yourself” is actually not about you. It’s about creating a relationship with someone else.
So, it’s about them.
How do you sell yourself in one sentence?
Two ways:
- Make the sentence an open-ended question.
- Always ask it of the other person.
Examples (varying upon the situation):
- Where are you from?
- What do you do for a living?
- What do you love to do?
- How did you end up being here?
- Tell me about yourself (not a question but you get the idea.)
People love talking about their favorite topic in the whole world: themselves. (No judgment, just a fact!)
Believe it or not, the more you get other people talking about themselves, the easier it will be to sell yourself!