How Do I ‘Sell’ Myself Without Tooting My Own Horn?

So often designers tell me they don’t like selling because they think they have to brag about themselves, and that makes them uncomfortable because they don’t want to sound salesy or conceited. The problem is, your client won’t hire you unless they know what you can do for them.

One of my favorite ways to do this is by telling client stories. People are wired to enjoy stories, so rather than bragging about yourself, you’re telling a story about someone else. It just so happens that you’re the person who helped that client.

This is why client stories are so powerful, and my favorite non-salesy way to win a client:

It places the emphasis on your client, rather than yourself
It allows your prospective client to put themselves in the other client’s shoes and imagine themselves experiencing the same result

But if you do it the wrong way, it could come across as salesy. Here’s what you should focus on to ensure that it comes across the right way:

It needs to be a relevant client story. The example must be similar to your prospective client or they won’t be able to relate, or worse, they might think, “that’s great, but how does that pertain to me?”
Focus on the relevant problem your client had and how you uniquely solved it.
Paint a picture of the finished space – how did your client feel about it? What did it do for them? Be descriptive.

Your prospective client needs to know that you’ve helped other people like them before, and if you do it in the way I just described, you’ll give them exactly what they need to hear to HIRE you.

To learn more authentic ways to get your Ideal Clients to HIRE you, join Maria Bayer & Gail Doby for a complimentary teleseminar, “Discover the Secret Formula to STAND OUT from Other Designers & Communicate Your Value So Your Prospects Are Willing to Pay TOP DOLLAR For Your Services!“ on Tuesday, September 25th at 6pm EST (5 pm CST/4 pm MST/3 pm PST).

Maria Bayer, the Authentic Sales Coach for Design Success University, shows interior designers how to take charge of their clients and make more money without being sales-y.

About the Author

I'm a super energetic person that has lots of new ideas always floating around in my head. I own two businesses, Dandelion Interiors and Minutes Matter and enjoy both of them. One business satisfies my need to use my creative design talent and the other satisfies my need to help others to develop their technology skills. I absolutely love my church, my family, my two granddaughters, technology and cooking.