05/30/2023
Continuing from my last blog, the question I have for you this week is “How do you make others realize your value?”
I was watching a Ted conference video by Casey Brown, a pricing consultant. She has a very clear message “No one will ever pay you what you’re worth. They will only pay you what they think you’re worth.” You may have a number of great qualities, amazing talent, and educational qualifications, but if you do not market them properly, you will be valued at their estimate, not yours!
There are two aspects of her statement that are very important. The first is, do you know your value? Have you done a thorough introspection to list down all your hard and soft skills? We love to plan practically everything in our life. But rarely do we plan for personal development. Something that comes very normally to you, may be a very difficult skill for someone else. It is vital to not only do this once but to make it a regular routine. For example, every year you can earmark some time for your self-evaluation and assessment. We all evolve as a person over the years of our life, and it is important to recognize that and amend our self-image on a regular basis. It also helps to develop a plan to acquire more skills, knowledge based on current or future needs.
The second aspect of her statement is “How can I convey my value to my target?”. The target can be my current or future employer, a client, or it can be anyone I am trying to influence. According to Casey, it depends on how you position your proposition. It is not just about you bringing something to the table, it is mainly about conveying how your efforts/ talent/ experience will benefit your target. How can you create a niche for yourself? How can you put in that extra effort to be the only SME in a certain field? How can you be one of the very few go-to people having specific software expertise? Make yourself a problem-solver rather than just a solution provider. While there are many who can provide options, there are very few who can successfully deliver.
I hope these questions will stimulate your drive toward self-awareness and self-development. Feel free to reach out if you need any support.
Wish you a wonderful week ahead.