Importance of Selling Yourself

If you want to be rich, you must learn to be a salesman. Not telemarketing or door-to-door, although, careers like these are far more lucrative than the “normal” job. You have to learn the art of selling yourself; something we all do often without realizing that’s what we are doing.

If you have ever applied for a job, you were “selling” your skills/experience to the hiring manager. If you have ever asked someone on a date, you were “selling” your sex appeal/companionship to the other person. It’s like constant sales pitches to the public. People decide either to “buy” you or not, whether they do is irrelevant; the fact remains, you are in “sales”.

To increase one’s chances of being “bought” we have to distinguish the important factors. The personal needs of the buyer need to be met. You have to show them you are what they want, or better yet, need. In the examples above, a prospective employer is going to need underlying reasons why you are the best person for the job; perhaps your Princeton MBA or years of experience. A prospective significant other is going to need reasons why you are the best match for him/her; perhaps your witty character or your classy personality.

Possibly the most imperative being both your confidence and the way you look. When meeting someone new, the first thing you are based on is the way they see or perceive you; as the saying goes “The first impression is the most important”. Elected officials attempt to sell themselves to the public and votes determine whether the public “buy” them or not. Of course the topics and issues are important, but if a nominee doesn’t keep up his image, his campaign can suffer drastically.Consider the following: 

Despite being favored by most, it is believed the only reason Richard Nixon lost the Presidency to John F. Kennedy is because of their televised debate. It was the first presidential debate ever televised and thus attracted an enormous number of viewers. Richard Nixon had not fully recovered from his recent hospital stay and insisted on campaigning right up to a few hours before the debate. He also refused makeup and his beard stubble showed prominently on the Black and White TV’s. Nixon looked pale, sickly, underweight and tired. John F. Kennedy on the other hand had plenty of rest, looked tanned, confident and relaxed during the debate. Most people who watched the debate on TV believed Kennedy had won while radio listeners (a smaller audience), believed Nixon had won. As a result, John F. Kennedy won the election to become our 35th President.

Kennedy won because of the way presented himself in contrast to Nixon; where Nixon’s “that’s good enough” attitude lead to his downfall. Though, Nixon’s confidence has never been a question of debate, being tired tends to hinder one’s posture and speech and show as the antithesis of confidence and preparedness.

Those who are lazy in appearance tend not to fare as well. As the saying goes “the clothes’ makes the man”. Confidence can be mastered with both proper preparation and spaced repetition. Lastly, it never hurts to smile and a little eye contact goes a long way. Beware of underestimating the impact these have on the “sale of you”, it could make all the difference in meeting your future soul mate.