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Sell Yourself
Book

Sell Yourself

How to Create, Live, and Sell a Powerful Personal Brand

McGraw-Hill, 2022 more...

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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Background
  • Concrete Examples
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Right now, whether you know it or not, you sell a personal brand every day. The way you dress, talk, walk or react tells others who you are and what to expect. If you don’t like where you are now, the way people treat you, or feel stuck, it’s time to take control. Branding coach Dr. Cindy McGovern offers an intriguing overview of the concept of selling yourself. From creating a brand, living that brand and promoting it, she offers a step-by-step guide to how to sell with success. Dr. McGovern maintains that you already sell yourself; you should use that skill to get what you really want.

Summary

To create a brand, know what you want to sell.

Most people in the world can recognize Dolly Parton. They know her as a country-music star who wears lots of makeup and a giant blond wig. Dolly Parton created this signature look at the very start of her career and has used it to sell her music, movies and even an amusement park. Her look is central to her brand, and she consistently delivers on it every day. In fact, only immediate relatives have ever seen her without her wig and makeup.

A successful brand combines three actions: intentional creation, consistent delivery and selling yourself to the public. However, you have to know what kind of brand you want to embody before you sell anything.

You probably have many positive, sellable attributes that could work as a brand. Start with narrowing down those traits and interests to the ones that matter most and choosing a single message. If you try to sell two seemingly disconnected brands at once, such as a computer salesman who also has a personal fitness side hustle, you will end up sending mixed messages and dilute your brand’s power.

Instead, look for ways to incorporate...

About the Author

Dr. Cindy McGovern is a business and motivational speaker and is an expert in sales, leadership and communication. She is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Every Job Is a Sales Job: How to Use the Art of Selling to Win at Work. 


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