Get better at learning how to toot your own horn.

I did some business and marketing strategy with a woman who introduced herself simply as “an athletic coach.” So I figured she was a freelance coach with a few local clients. It turned out that she actually had a crew of coaches working under her that she had trained in her own licensable methodology. She had a thriving team and company that worked with high-performance athletes from all over the world. She was not just “an athletic coach.”

“Okay, let me be you for a minute. I’m going to just state the facts,” I told her, about to do some branding Kung Fu on her empire. “I have an athletic performance company called Power Racing,” she could stop there, just that small rework would make a world of difference in how she presents herself. But let’s take it out a bit farther, “…My coaching team and I design training programs for athletes . . . mostly Ironman competitors, but we do take on other types of cross athletes — and from anywhere in the world, actually. It’s part science, part motivation.” Done.

“Wow, I sound great!” she said. “And, it’s all true!”

So let me refine this Burning Question. How do you usually tell people what you do? And if you’re not giving yourself full credit for your work in the world — whether you’re rocking a cash register or leading a team of twenty — How can you light it up when you say what you do?

Let people see the full scope of what you’re doing. You can be modest and powerful. Factual and engaging. Facts + feelings = genuinely compelling.

Danielle LaPorte is the author of  The Fire Starter Sessions: A Soulful + Practical Guide for Creating Success on Your Own Terms. An inspirational speaker, former think tank exec, and business strategist, she is the co-author of  Your Big Beautiful Book Plan. DanielleLaPorte.com is named one of the top 100 websites for women by Forbes Magazine. Find Danielle on Facebook+ Twitter @daniellelaporte + at her digital temple: DanielleLaPorte.com

Image: Beverly & Pack

The post How Do You Say What You Do? (Give Your Self Credit) appeared first on EcoSalon.