How to Identify and Sell Your Strengths

Chapter 3
How to Identify and
Sell Your Strengths
Whatever industry you represent, field you’re in, or expertise you possess, when
you’re looking for a job, you’re in sales and marketing.
■
You ’re selling a product: you.
■
You identify the target market: potential employers.
■
You price the product: a realistic salary range.
■
You position the product: draft a resume and cover letter.
■
You test your positioning with the target market: answering several
ads. If your efforts result in interviews, you’ve probably done some
decent marketing. If not, you’ll need to reassess your product, market,
pricing, or positioning, and try again.
This is precisely the process that marketing executives follow to sell laundry
detergent, pickup trucks, gourmet cat food, club memberships, and retractable
swimming pool covers.
Thus, the majority of the letters you’ll write in the course of finding your next
job will contain self-promotion. In your Ad Response and Resume Cover Letters
you will trumpet your talents. After an interview, a Follow-Up Letter will once
again reaffirm your excellent qualifications. If the hiring process seems to be
idling, you’ll rev that engine with a reminder of your unique talents. And un-
doubtedly, if you attempt to negotiate salary in writing, your special skills will be
of vital importance.
Since self-promotion is an area in which recruiters have found most people
either underwhelming or overwhelming, it pays to learn how to boast. It is possi-
ble to be modest, yet effective. The trick is to avoid speaking solely of your own

merits in every line. Instead, link your talents to the concerns of the recruiter, em-
ployer, or firm. Think of your qualifications not as merely a feature of your can-
didacy, but as a benefit to your next boss. The worksheets that follow will help you
accomplish this.
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Take the time to complete Worksheets
3-1 and 3-2 right now. The ideas you jot
down here will prove extremely useful
when creating your own letters later on—
whether you follow the guidelines offered in
the chapters to come, or simply adapt the
sample letters contained throughout the
book. Completing these worksheets will
also help you crystallize your thoughts in
preparation for an interview.
WORKSHEET 3-1:
I AM...BECAUSE I
In the left-hand column of the worksheet,
list your skills, strengths, unusual abilities,
unique traits, areas of expertise or special-
ization, and relevant personality traits. Try
and limit your entries to one or two words
each.
In the right-hand column, jot down your support points. Rather than repeat-
ing the facts on your resume, expand on them while relating something new, dif-
ferent, or additional. Consolidate your facts by adding together years in the field,
jobs within an industry, or similar positions you’ve held at different firms. Sum-
marize your career, education, experience, or personality. Follow the examples set

by the three sample entries.
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GOD PREFERRED...
OTHERS MAY APPLY
Don’t be afraid to answer ads if
you possess most of the qualifi-
cations required. Recruiters
often describe the “ideal” can-
didate in employment ads to
see whether anyone can attain
this perfection.
Your skills—and your ex-
perience in applying them—
may be the best combination
companies and recruiters can
find. Let them decide.
RECRUITER’S TIP
Go directly to Worksheet 3-1. Or, complete this and the following two
worksheets on your personal computer by using the CD-ROM enclosed
with this book. You’ll find instructions for using the CD-ROM at the
back of this book.
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WORKSHEET 3-1
23
I AM: BECAUSE I:
(your skill, unusual ability, (how you acquired this
unique trait, or area of expertise) particular strength)
I am
a skilled worker
because I

worked at your leading competitor for
_________________________ ___________________________________
over 15 years.
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
I am
knowledgeable in word
because I
studied at the Computer Training Center.
_________________________ ___________________________________
processing
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
I am
experienced in heavy
because I
was the number-two biller for John
_________________________ ___________________________________
equipment salesDeere for 3 years and a top biller for General
_________________________ ___________________________________
Motors for 10.
_________________________________________
I am because I
______________________________ _________________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
I am because I
______________________________ _________________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________

I am because I
______________________________ _________________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
I am because I
______________________________ _________________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
I am because I
______________________________ _________________________________________
______________________________ _________________________________________
_________________________________________
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WORKSHEET 3-2: SO YOU...
With that done, you’re now ready to seize a powerful advantage over your com-
petition.
In their letters, those against whom you’re competing are certain to include
the type of facts you’ve written in Worksheet 3-1—facts like “I am a skilled work-
er,” and “I am trained in using a word processor.” Although these facts may be
true, standing alone they require recruiters and employers to do all the work, that
is, to interpret what these statements will mean to the company, to discern why
they are beneficial.
You, however, can easily handle this for your reader. Simply ask yourself,
“What does this mean to my potential employer?” Instead of just stating that you
are a skilled worker, translate this fact into a benefit, such as “so you won’t have
to train me.” To the statement “I am trained to use a word processor” you might
add “so you save training time and money because I can begin being productive
for you from day one.” If you have chosen to cite the fact that you rarely take sick
days, translate this into “Because I rarely take sick days, you can count on adding
a very reliable worker to your support staff.”

Therefore, to complete Worksheet 3-2, think about the benefits you can offer
your next employer based on the statements you made in Worksheet 3-1. For each
“I am” and “because I” you wrote on the preceding page, add a corresponding,
“And what this means for you is” in Worksheet 3-2. As a guide, relate benefits to
the areas that are of greatest concern to employers: profits, productivity, and per-
formance.
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Go directly to Worksheet 3-2. Or, complete this and the other two
worksheets contained in this chapter on your personal computer by
using the CD-ROM enclosed with this book. You’ll find instructions
for using the CD-ROM at the back of this book.
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WORKSHEET 3-2
25
...AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU IS:
(what benefits your skills, special traits, or background offer your next employer,
what positive difference or improvements you can make)
...so you
will save time and money since you won’t have to train me.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
will have a worker who is productive from day one.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
get a sales representative who can hit the ground running.
____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
...so you
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
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