Why should I hire you? It’s a simple question and one that you need to be able to answer quickly and confidently.
Decide what you are going to offer, and be specific. I believe that the more you can narrow that down and focus on it, the better. If you’re good at what you do and you focus on that, you will become known for that and referrals will almost inevitably follow.
Work out your elevator pitch – you need to be able to quickly and easily describe what you do to people. And don’t worry if what you’re offering isn’t unique, it doesn’t have to be. What’s important is that you do good work and provide value. As long as you do that and you get your message out there, you will find work.
No matter how good you are, you need to sell yourself. Not in a used car salesman way, you just need to show that you will provide value. I have never been a salesman, but I’ve always managed to sell my services. How? If you show that you provide value, you don’t have to sell – people will want to buy. Selling implies an expense, adding value doesn’t. If you can save a business $100,000 and you charge them $20,000 to show them how, they are saving money, not spending it. That’s the key.
It can be tempting, especially when you’re staring out and need the work, to take on anything you can get. If it’s absolutely necessary then do it, but only if it’s absolutely necessary. As I said at the start of this post, the more you can focus on one area and become known for delivering results, the easier it will be to find work in future.
Cheers
Dino