What is Your Unique Value, and Can You Articulate It?

Reposted from the original article at forbes.com:

Mastering the Art of Authentic Confident Self-Promotion

 

People are too busy today to go out of their way to find you, recognize and reward you. The good news is, however, that you can create the visibility and credibility you need to move your career forward. You can control how others perceive you in the work environment. You can learn to communicate to others what value you bring to the table. In short, you can be visible, take credit for your accomplishments, showcase your skills, and build your reputation both inside and outside your company to strengthen your subject matter expertise.

1. Understand your value proposition.
 This is the foundation of authentic self-promotion and gives you the confidence you need to talk about yourself in a positive manner. Identify your strengths. How they have helped you in the past and how are these strengths helping you now in your current position?

What are your accomplishments? What do these say about you?

2. Communicate your value
Create your personal value proposition or value statement so that you can clearly articulate your value to others. Think strategically and identify your web of influence or power network inside and outside your organization in order to advance your career. Build and leverage these relationships and create a plan to communicate and be consistently visible to these contacts.

Self-promote in ways that management cares about by speaking the language of business outcomes when talking about your accomplishments.

3.  Demonstrate Your Value.
Once you understand your value, you can demonstrate your value to others to establish your credibility. Here are some suggestions:

• Volunteer and take on high profile projects at work or in your community. This gives you the opportunity to show your leadership and ability to work well with a team.
• Community involvement can be a great way to showcase your abilities and meet influential people at the same time.
• Sit on non-profit boards.
• Speak up in meetings and let your opinion be known.
• Take credit for your accomplishments.
• Use assertive communication.
• Write a blog that showcases your expertise.
• Teach a course at a local college or continuing education program.
• Submit articles to become a subject matter expert.
• Find opportunities to do radio/TV  interviews.

Guiltless self-promotion comes from a true understanding of who you are and what unique value you bring to your job, your community, and the world.

What is your unique value? Can you articulate it?