There’s a sneaky little secret that will help you market yourself to anyone. And I bet you haven’t heard of it before... Have you ever worked on a team with someone who wasn’t very motivated? Most of us have worked with someone like this. Don’t you just wish you could take that person and MAKE them do the work they need to do? Don’t you just wish they could feel the same motivation you feel to get the project done? If you’re leading a sales team, can you make them believe in the product you’re selling? If you have a teenager, can you make them happy about the family road trip you’re about to take? Well, unfortunately, you can’t. “You can’t put emotions into people,” said Lidia Arshavsky, a presentation coach at Own The Room, a communication skills training company. However, there’s good news - you CAN draw emotions out of people. And the best way to do this is by feeling the emotion first. For example, if you believe the product you’re selling is the best product on the market, your sales team is going to believe it to - that emotion is going to spread, it’s going to be infectious. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to this truth, according to Arshavsky. “What happens when you go to a job interview and you don’t feel completely confident that this is the right match for you, that you can do this job?” she said. “How is that interviewer going to feel? They’re not going to feel confident either.” In this situation, what can you do? You need to tap into the things you DO feel confident about - your ability to learn, your eagerness to join the company, your enthusiasm for the work. You need to access those things and let them radiate. “Emotions are contagious,” said Arshavsky, “let that emotion fill the room.” The next time you want someone to feel an emotion, take a step back and let yourself feel that emotion first. If you want to market yourself to an employer or market your product to your customer, you must tap into these emotions.
Everyone has heard of New Year's resolutions. You know, those promises we make to ourselves about things we'll do better in the year ahead. Sometimes these resolutions work, while other times we end up with gym memberships we never use! But have you ever heard of a career resolution? It's actually the same thing as a New Year's resolution, only career-focused.
However, with something as important as a career, you don't want to break these resolutions. That's why it's important to keep these goals manageable.
Here are four simple career resolutions that are easy to stick to and achieve.
Be Self-Aware Of Where You Stand In Your Career
BigstockBeing honest and self-aware of where you are in your career is the most important step in making strong career resolutions. If your career is going nowhere and you're unhappy, then it may be time to consider a career change, which will take you down a different path entirely.
But if you're happy and in good standing with your career, it's a lot easier to set goals for the year and build out a long-term career plan.
Find A Way To Grow Your Career
BigstockCareer growth is a very broad spectrum that means something different to everyone. It could be something as simple as improving on a weakness or building on a strength. It could also be learning a new skill or taking on additional responsibilities at work.
On a larger level, it could be seeking a promotion or moving into a leadership role.
Whatever the goal is, make sure it includes growing professionally. The worst thing you can do is stay the same! If you're not growing your career, you're dying—and becoming a lot less valuable to your employer. There are always ways to upskill!
Better Serve Your Professional Network
With current colleagues, former colleagues, and other professional acquaintances, you've probably built a solid professional network through the years. A strong professional network can come in handy if you lose your job or are looking to make a career change. However, you shouldn't just rely on your network when you're in need!
It's important to find ways to offer value to your network. This could include checking in with members of your network from time to time. Exchange messages on LinkedIn to see how they're doing or share relevant content of interest. If you can help someone in your network going through a career challenge, you should!
Maintaining a strong professional network is like an investment. If you want it to pay off, you have to put some time into it and be consistent.
Take Care Of Yourself
Bigstock
Working on your career is hard work! It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Whether you're working to grow your career or looking for a new job, it's important to find balance.
Your family and health always come first, so make sure your career goals don't interfere with that. If you want to set aside time during the week to work on your career that's fine, but don't miss important family events or milestones.
Don't let your career goals get in the way of your health goals. Go to the gym, take a walk, or go for a jog. Balance is key to maintaining healthy career and life goals. Sometimes you just need to adjust that balance as you go.
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.