More Advice From Jay Abraham

Here are three things people can do to market themselves more effectively:

1. Develop a unique selling proposition. That's sales talk for find what is unique about yourself and play it up. Today, in our very competitive world, what it really means is figuring out the clearest, most powerful solution you can bring to the marketplace. The marketplace, if you're working for someone else, is your employer. If you're in business for yourself, then the marketplace is your intended customers or clients. You've got to be able to present to them that you're not just the best alternative, you're the only viable solution they can choose.

2. Eliminate the risk. In order to own the world, you've got to realize what's keeping people from beating a path to your door. Usually, it's because they're reluctant to take a risk. In anything you do where you've got to persuade someone else to embrace your point of view, one side is always being asked to assume most of the risk. If it's an employer, for instance, and she makes the decision to hire you, she's risking all the things that could go wrong if it doesn't work out. If a client buys from you, he's risking his money on your product or service. If you can identify the other person's risk and then devise a way to reduce or eliminate it, you own the world. You make it easier for people to say "yes" than "no," because you've taken their risk out of the equation.

3. Take the leadership role. Adapt a strategy of preeminence, which means taking the authoritative role of advisor, counsel, or trusted friend. Shift your focus from falling in love with your job, product, or service, to falling in love with your client. Try to do everything you can to make life easier for them and help them be the best they can be. When you serve your customers with that focus, you increase your own value.

Looking for a New Job? I Dare You to...

• Learn everything you possibly can about the company to which you are applying. Get a copy of their annual report. Talk to people who work for the company. Talk to some of the company's customers. Look up the company in Standard & Poors. Check newspapers and magazines for recent articles about the company and the industry in which you're interested.

• Skip human resources and go right to the top. Call the president, chairman, or CEO of the company. Studies have shown that more than 82 percent of CEOs were in sales at some point in their careers; therefore, they respect someone who has the courage to make a "sales" call (which is what you're doing when you're trying to get a job) right to the top. Even if you don't get through to the CEO, you can get a recommendation of someone else in the company to call. Then you can say, "Mary Fox of the CEOs office suggested I call..."

• Dare the employer to hire you. Say that you'll work 30 days for free. Say this: "I know that you are probably looking at other candidates who have more experience than I do or have a more compatible background. But I ask you to hire me for 30 days. Then watch my work ethic, my passion, and my innovative thinking. If I'm not worth more than the salary you're offering for this position, then you can let me go and not pay me a penny. But when I prove to you that I can deliver, give me my 30 days' salary and keep me on board." I guarantee you'll be the only candidate to make such an offer. So first, you've differentiated yourself from the competition. Second, you've shown a strong belief in yourself and your abilities. Third, you've already demonstrated your passion and persistence by everything you've done to get your foot in the door.

  Selling yourself to others only proves that you have confidence in yourself and are willing to stand behind your beliefs. When you don't believe in yourself, you're only selling yourself short.

  —Dorothy Leeds,
  author