Ok we all know that all publicity is good, but we can all use some help in understanding that marketing isn’t just pushing a company or a brand but, pushing the self. While I have been working on turning my volunteer project TW Housing into a nonprofit and going through all the forms, and tax items to do this I understand something one of my Business professors told me once. “Everyone is going to push for you to fail. It is a part of business, however, to combat this you need to learn to market yourself and your company.” Now at the time I didn’t know what that meant because I have always been talented at networking and researching so that I have the high ground when push comes to shove. But, while working on this I see what he meant.
In the financial world we have to dress for success especially in the sales and upper management arena. However, for me in Operations arena even when I had management roles because often I had to be there late nights, weekends, and roll up my sleeves and get things done and put out fires jeans and a nice blouse worked. Now that my face is out there not only in the Mortgage industry but in the social media world while trying to get this nonprofit off the ground I find myself needing to pull out close I saved for interviewing and not only be mentally prepared to go out and sell my company’s services but sell myself as a trusted “brand” so to speak.
It is an odd concept for me since I am not a sales person. I am the straight shooting, no sugar coating, hard working all go no quit kind of person. And when people meet me and work with me the trust sticks. And I work hard to keep it. Heck I am still friends with most of my old managers and coworkers both on and offline. It brings a smile to my face because one of my old managers from Bay Equity LLC once told me, “Stephanie, like me you have no inner filter. So what you need to work on is learning to internally filter what you are going to say. I am not telling you to lie, but to wait for the right moment to hit people with the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” In a nut shell she taught me that day to under promise and over deliver. And she was right.
The way this relates to my topic is the fact that even if you “fake it till you make it” or “look the part” of marketing yourself that is only half the battle. When marketing yourself you need to show that people can put their trust in you. Not just the way you look, who and what you know but how you use all of these things.
Condo Land 