Take the lead by selling yourself

Office coach

HOW can I harness my knowledge and experience so that people take my lead, so that I can influence those around me?

I recently had the privilege of working alongside internationallyacclaimed business coach Cherie Eilertsen as she led a group of franchise owners through a management blueprint.

The content of her presentation, although interesting, is not what blew my mind. According to her website, Eilertsen believes that if you are in business in South Africa today – you are in the business of “selling”. And “sell” she does!

Your question essentially relates to how you can promote yourself, your knowledge and your skills, to influence people.

Here are two key points that were reaffirmed in my consciousness while I watched Eilertsen in action, selling her knowledge and experience to an audience that was hanging onto her every word:

Establish your credibility early on and then keep reinforcing it:

At a Women’s Day presentation last year, I walked delegates through a 10-step feedback process. At the end, I invited delegates to practice by giving me feedback, following the process that I had just outlined.

One woman gave me feedback that rocked my world: she outlined that her initial thoughts when I started talking about feedback as a process were “Who is this person? Why is she qualified to talk to me about this topic?” My mistake was one of omission.

I did not take time to establish my credibility. Eilertsen, on the other hand, is a seasoned and unashamed professional at this.

Her introduction, given by the CEO, included reference to her international qualifications, her network of coaching partners and the effect she has on large audiences.

Before she got into the detail of her presentation, she gave examples of recent coaching conversations she had had, including details of where in the world her clients were located.

She was working hard to reinforce her position as a leading expert, as someone to be respected and listened to. The more you “sell” this, the more people will believe it and act accordingly.

But be careful not to overplay this, as people may think you are bragging and get annoyed with constant self-promotion.

You can “sell” more subtly by displaying diplomas, licences and awards in your office or by referring to your prior education or experience at an appropriate time.

For example, “We had a similar problem when I was chief engineer at XYZ, and we found . . . ”

You can also demonstrate your expertise by offering to be a mentor to a co-worker or by writing about your area of expertise in newsletters or on social media.

Also, apply what you know to solving problems. A colleague of mine recently expressed frustration at being offered advice instead of help by those around him.

Having to exit a number of people from his organisation, he needed help from his legal and human resources teams on the process that needed to be followed.

What he got was commentary such as “you could do X or you could do Y”. He got advice about options when what he needed was help on the right things to do.

Look at the frustrations people are experiencing and offer solutions.

Be explicit about how you are applying your knowledge and experience so they may learn from your approach, and so you can influence those around you.