Am I the only one who has noticed that we all seem preoccupied with proving how smart we are? So much time seems to be devoted in laying out our expertise and credentials.  Of course, it is important for a client or audience to have a basic understanding of who we are, but our instinct is to spend way too much time on ourselves or the features of our product, and way too little time on the value we provide.

I see salespeople do it all the time; particularly the newer ones.  They seem so concerned about people questioning their age, or experience, they spend an inordinate amount of time on what they do and how they do it, and they lay it on thick!

If you think I’m not talking about you, think about the last time you worked with a client.  How much time did you spend talking about what you do?  Your message will be better heard if you spend your time explaining how what you do will help your client.

I see professional speakers do this same thing. They seem very concerned about proving their mastery of the curriculum, and convincing the audience of their qualifications. They end up spending excessive amounts of time going over their credentials, and boasting of their subject matter knowledge!

If you think I’m not talking about you, try a little experiment the next time you speak to a group.  Record your presentation and when you play it back, count how many times you use the word “I” instead of the word, “we.”

Proving your value is about demonstrating the impact you can have, rather than simply talking about your expertise or credentials. It begins with a conscious effort to shift your focus to your client’s needs. Instead of talking about how great you are, focus on understanding the client’s challenges, and goals.  Personally, I think all roads lead back to the questions you ask, particularly the ones that show you’re sincerely invested in your client’s success.

However, proving your value doesn’t stop with just your questions.  It continues with the way you deliver your message.  When it comes to providing information, most of us naturally feel like we’re moving to a comfortable place, and we begin to state all of the specifics and details of the thing we’re trying to sell. The more statements we provide, the more convinced we are of our ability to connect with, and persuade, those we’re talking with.

Instead of burying people in informational statements, you will do a far better job of connecting with others if you provide concrete examples, case studies, or success stories to illustrate how you’ve helped others in similar situations.  Would you like to connect on an even deeper level, particularly with your analytical clients?  Provide measurable results that are clear, and to the point.  If possible, don’t just tell them the results, but also demonstrate the results by providing a sample of your work, or a strategy in action.

Let your results do the talking, and let your subject matter expertise tag along for support. If you focus more on your value, and less on, well, you, you’ll be perceived as both confident and humble. That’s a strong and powerful combination!

If you follow me on LinkedIn, and I sure hope you do, https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-jolles-8a459b12/  I recently started a newsletter!  It’s called, “When Every Word Matters,” a biweekly dose of tips, tactics, and techniques to boost your communication game!

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