Episode 37
Communicating your value with Bob Sherlock
May 14, 2020
Just as companies value their products and services, you have skills and expertise that are valuable to your employer or clients. Bob Sherlock helps us understand how basic marketing principles apply to communicating our value as individuals when seeking new opportunities.
Communicate your value: Key takeaways from Episode 37
Whether you know you’re ready for a change or one is handed to you, career transitions are a major opportunity to reassess what fulfills you. Rather than jump right into the next move, take the time to define what you want to be doing and what kinds of problems you excel at solving.
We get paid in two ways. One of them is money and the other items in your compensation package. The second is the experience, skills you build, accomplishments, credentials, and other ongoing learning opportunities. If you’re no longer learning enough, building skills, and demonstrating new accomplishments, that can be a sign that it’s time to move on.
In marketing, there are five business model variables that a company has to get right. These create a paradigm for knowing your own value as an individual:
The types of customers you serve and the problems those customers have in common
The problem you want to solve for those customers
The product and/or service bundle that solves the problem
The way you deliver the solution
The way you get compensated
Those five points are behind a company’s messaging—speaking to the problem you can solve and articulating the value of solving that problem. When it comes to individuals marketing our own skills, articulating our value is one of the most frequently missed pieces that is so important to get right.
When you have a deep understanding of the problems you’re good at solving, pair that with an equally deep understanding of how much value you deliver by solving those problems. Once you know those two things, you can create powerful messaging that communicates your value.
Don’t be afraid to go narrow on your value. Rather than trying to be all things to all people, choose one specific problem that you solve very well and go all-in on it. Doing so is much more powerful, and therefore actually less risky, than trying to be a generalist.
Once you have a hypothesis about your area of focus, test it out. Tap into your network and seek feedback. Is the problem you want to solve a real problem that people are deeply concerned about solving? Test the market and be open to honest criticism.
Being clear on your value is far more powerful than a polished resume that shows your history. Whether you’re seeking an executive role or establishing your own business, people want to see how you can help them solve pressing problems.
Find Your Hidden Value
Bonus Content Download
To dive deeper into Bob’s ideas about how to communicate your value, download the free e-book “Find Your Hidden Value” from Bob’s company, Chief Outsiders. You can also join their mailing list to receive ongoing insights.
