Sell Yourself, Part 1: Take After The Donald

Have you thought about how others perceive you? Do they think you are trustworthy, lazy, maybe sarcastic? Do you really know? This is an extremely important concept when dealing with people, especially in a business sense.

Whether you realize it or not, people are judging your character by your appearance, body language, personality, communication ability, and those you associate with. Strive to live up to the standards to those you see as most successful.

This may seem like common knowledge; however, few fully grasp it. Take a look at Donald Trump - he acts, dresses, and speaks in ways that attracts new business partners and reassures current ones. Can you imagine seeing The Donald in a torn up t-shirt, using Ebonics? That would never happen. He has thousands of people a day depending on him to maintain his image. While Donald Trump may be an extreme example, you must realize that others’ perception of you is something you should take seriously.

The first step is to simply be conscious of the fact that others may perceive you differently than you perceive yourself. You should also be aware of the fact that you never know when an opportunity to network will come up. You could be at the mall, working out, at work, or filling up with gas. Always be prepared for this situation. Always be ready to sell yourself.

5 Tips To Better Sell Yourself

1. Maintain excellent hygiene.
2. Always act in a way that your potential business partners would approve of.
3. Be polite, courteous and understanding.
4. Keep in mind what you may be communicating through your attire, no matter what the occasion is.
5. Look those whom you’re speaking to in the eye, and most importantly, be confident!