Pitching Your Best Product…You! How to Sell Yourself

One of my favorite pastimes is watching Shark Tank. I aspire to be very successful one day, and also my own boss (Check out my store as it’s only the beginning!)

I love that show because it’s all about pitching your best product. Entrepreneurs submit their products and go on national TV in front of some of the country’s most successful individuals to find an investor. Some are really lucky and have many sharks fighting over their product. However, some leave having learned valuable lessons about wasting rich people’s time.

As a medical student, everyone higher up around me has precious seconds. If I am going to take up their time, it better be worth it because some doors don’t open again. Although I learn a lot about how to sell a product on Shark Tank, at this point in the game, what I really have to be good at is selling myself. I haven’t made a name for myself in the medical world, yet, because I’m still just a baby compared to what others have accomplished.

So, before they even hear what ideas or products I have, I have to sell myself first. I have to show them the few minutes they are giving me will not be wasted. I have figured out some great ways to sell myself and I’m going to share them with you. Networking 101 is all about building connections. But when you’re at the bottom of the totem pole, you might need a few more tools in your back pocket to start building. Here’s what I’ve learned so far about how to sell yourself!

Prepare for doubt

Whenever I take my big ideas to people, the first comment I usually get is, “Wow, that’s ambitious.” There are normally two inflections to this phrase. They either say it in a doubtful and incredulous tone, or they say it in an admirable tone. The former is definitely more common, but when you expect it, it doesn’t discourage you.

No one knows your bandwidth like you. I keep a very full plate, and people are constantly worried about how overloaded it is. And rightfully so. At times, I have definitely been overwhelmed and overhauled my schedule. However, the older I get, the better I am at deciding what makes the cut, and what’s not worth my time. So if I’ve decided to pursue something, I’ve thought about how, and what the future benefits are. This helps me avoid taking on someone else’s doubt because I know the course I want to take and how I’m going to do it.

And if you want to sell yourself, that’s what you’ll have to do too. If your idea is ambitious or what you want to do is new, then prepare for doubt because it’s coming. If you want to go to medical school, you will encounter doubt. Say, you want to become an entrepreneur, then definitely prepare for doubt. Doubt is everywhere, but it only matters if it comes from those who can help you get where you want to be. Those are the individuals whom you have to convince that you can do whatever it is you want to do. They have their own reasons for being unsure, but that shouldn’t impact you. Have a plan, have a pitch and keep moving forward until you find someone to say yes.

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Remember No is only the first answer

When you are trying to sell yourself, there are going to be a lot of people who start with my least favorite in the English language: no. It may not be a flat out no like you see in Shark Tank. But it’s not going to be a yes either. What I’ve learned is that no is only the first answer. However, when you find the right approach, you can turn that no into a yes.

For instance, when I applied to medical school the first time, 9 medical schools told me no. I could have accepted that and given up, but I told too many people I was going to be a doctor. I was not going to let those 9 medical schools make me look like a fool. So, I did what I had to do to make myself a valuable candidate, and then I sold the hell out of myself in my personal statement and on my medical school interviews. That is how I ended up where I am now and that’s how you’ll end up where you want to be.

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Regardless of what it is that you want to do, you may experience some Nos. That’s okay. It’s a part of the process. But that doesn’t mean that’s the final answer. Even if that’s the final answer for one person, job, vendor, etc., there are so many people in this world that make decisions, you can find someone who will help you get where you want to go. Listen to the reason behind the no, make the necessary changes, and then go back or go somewhere else until you get a yes. If your path is for you, then it’s for you. But no one ever said the path was going to be easy and straightforward.

Have your ducks in a row

The worst thing you can do when pitching yourself is to not have your ducks in a row. A few things can happen when you are disorganized and don’t have a plan. One, you waste everyone’s time, which pisses people off. The gift of time is something you don’t appreciate until you have none. So to give it to someone who is ill prepared is a sure fire way to burn that bridge. The second thing that hat happens is your idea starts being morphed and changed until it’s something you don’t even recognize anymore. This is super frustrating to you as the project lead because you end up with something you don’t even recognize.

I have had a few research projects that have shifted into something completely different all because I didn’t have a stable foundation. WIthout a stable foundation, people can push you towards what they think is best. And although they may have some good suggestions, at the end of the day your idea is yours and that’s what needs to stand out.

If you are going to sell yourself, then you need to be completely organized. Have everything down to the smallest detail figured out before you go and pitch. If there is something you can’t decided without that person, then say that, but everything that you do do have control over needs to be together . Practice pitching your idea in front of others and have them ask you questions. If there is something that you cannot answer, then you need to go back to the drawing board. Being prepared will help you be efficient, sound knowledgeable and passionate about your project, and also set you up for success when selling yourself.

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Fake it ’til you make it

Everyone is not 100% confident 100% of the time. In fact, I don’t think anyone is. However, the people who make it are the ones who fake confidence so well, they convince someone else to give them a shot. Everyone has to have a first time doing something. If you act like it’s your first time doing something, then you’re not doing a very good job of selling yourself. This is why I say fake it ’til you make it because you have to give people something to believe in if they’re going to buy what you’re selling.

For instance, a few weeks ago I helped in a flu shot clinic. I’ve never given anyone a shot. Can you imagine if I told the very first person who sat in my chair “Hey I’ve never done this before. Let’s see how this goes,” moments before jabbing their arm with a needle??

Not well. I received my training, I had practiced on an orange, but someone had to be my first arm. So when it was finally my time to get that experience I approached it like I knew what I was doing because I did. I just hadn’t been given the opportunity to show that.

And same goes for you. You have the qualifications and you have the grit. You may just not have had the experience or the opportunity to prove that to others. And that’s what selling yourself is all about. Having others believe in you just as much as you do. So, until your resume matches what you know is on the inside, you have to do whatever you’re doing like you’re a professional. Even if you’re about to pee your pants, exude confidence and others will soak it right up.

Be open to feedback

Although it’s important to push your dream and agenda forward, it’s also important to listen. When growing and starting out in a new field, you may need help. And that’s totally okay. No one can get anywhere they want to go by themselves. The best advice I’ve heard is to talk to those who you want to be like. Seek out opportunities to learn either by listening to talks, reading books and articles, or setting up time to talk with mentors. This is why I started my YouTube series Melanated and Meducated. I wanted to showcase different journeys of physicians so my viewers could see these different paths and learn from them.

If someone tells you something isn’t right or offers you a better suggestion, marinate on it. You don’t have to take it. However, if you truly want to be great, you may need some ideas from the outside. When I pitch my ideas to people, they normally have more experience and resources that can make my idea 10x better than what it was originally. And sometimes they don’t. And that’s okay because we have that mutual respect for each other that I’m going to take what I need/like and leave what I don’t.

If you want to sell yourself, that means also listening to consumer feedback. I hate being caught off guard with unsolicited feedback which then turns into me being “uncoachable”. Instead, I’m very purposeful about really wanting feedback by asking for it, and leaving little room for other’s opinions when I don’t want it. I’m able to do this by stating this is what I’m going to do and not sounding like I’m asking for thoughts. Decide what you need from others, be open, but also, don’t lose sight of what you want to do.

Don’t quit

If you don’t take anything else from this blog post, take this, don’t quit. Selling yourself is hard. You’re a great project without a track record. Even J.K. Rowling, the first person to become a billionaire from selling books, was rejected plenty of times before she was accepted. She believed in herself and her skills and she didn’t quit until someone said yes. Do yourself a favor, let someone else tell you no before you tell yourself no. There are 7 billion opportunities to hear yes when you give yourself a chance, but 0 when you don’t.

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