Influencing Skills: Do You Know How Valuable You Are?

Owning the value of the difference you make.

The expression ‘talk is cheap’ is a very powerful one. The idea that words mean less than actions was the intention of this expression but in actual fact, talk can be expensive, it can be valuable, it can be discounted and it can also be cheap. It all depends on the words you use and the value you attach to yourself, your subject and the value you attach to what you do, as you talk about it.

It’s one of the big dilemmas people face when asking for a salary raise, going for a promotion or preparing for an interview. Understanding and owning their value. That word ‘value’: the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance or preciousness of something.

How do you describe the importance or preciousness of what you do when you’re discussing your role or what you actually do in your business?

Do you talk about your day-to-day actions for example, how many people you contact, how many calls you make, the number of emails you send? Or do you talk about the difference you make, the importance or preciousness of what you do and – crucially – what ‘what you do’ does? That’s where the magic is; that’s where the value is. It’s not about what you do – the value is found in the outcome, the result of what you do.

OK, so here are a few quick and dirty examples of the difference between what you do and what it does – it’s easy to spot where the value is:

  • Do you “manage a team of 30 people in an energy company” or do you “lead a team of 30 people who save £/$ millions in wasted energy for our customers”?
  • Do you “make hundreds of calls a week trying to attract new customers” or do you “save our company £/$ thousands in marketing by speaking to potential customers and making sure they’re a fit for our business”?
  • Do you “make sure all our clients get updated information about what we do” or do you “build relationships with our clients which mean they keep doing business with us”?
  • Do you “own a consultancy business servicing the insurance industry” or do you “save the insurance industry £/$ hundreds of thousands by taking on their risk servicing needs”?
  • Do you “do all the admin needs of busy entrepreneurs” or do you “enable busy entrepreneurs to focus on the business of their businesses whilst I cover all their day-to-day admin needs”?

And, it’s the difference that makes the difference if you’re promoting yourself, your business, your work – it’s about the value or worth attached to what you actually do. So let’s make sure we talk about it – talk can be valuable too.

Let’s make it your time to shine, in your own way. When would now be a better time to go for Promotion, Recognition and Rewards?

About the author:

For more information and immediately helpful tips on how to connect and be valued and heard in business: www.kaywhite.com

Here’s a helpful, immediate Gift for you. Q is for Questions – A downloadable PDF of a chapter from my # 1 best-selling book The A to Z of Being Understood.

Use the chapter to lead conversations, to be more compelling when you first meet someone and – crucially – connect with colleagues, clients, customers by the power of your confident questions.

 

About the author

Kay White is our Show Up & Sparkle blogger. Known as the Savvy & Influential Communication Expert for Ambitious Women in Business, Kay shows professional women how to attract promotion, recognition and rewards at work without feeling they have to ’sell their soul. Kay shows her clients, who are corporate career women at all different stages of their careers, how to naturally attract more income and opportunity all while being true to themselves. Combining strategic moves with influencing skills plus compelling and assertive language and powerful mindsets, Kay draws on her own 20+ years corporate career in the very male-dominated world of London insurance broking. She started at 18 as a Secretary and left as a Director to start her own business. Hosting an annual 3-day Event for corporate women “Show Up; Sparkle & Be Heard LIVE” Kay encourages and shows women how to be the best, most valuable version of themselves. Kay is author of the Number 1 Best-Seller “The A to Z of Being Understood” and you can connect and find out more from Kay at : www.kaywhite.com.
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