Think As Inc

IDENTIFYING YOUR PRODUCT

January 28, 2010 on 6:24 pm | In career coaching, life coaching | 2 Comments

Every business has a product (or service) line to offer its customers.  Do you know what your product line is?  Do you know what value you add to your employer, your relationships, and your community? 

If you are already a business-owner, you are probably used to identifying your value proposition so you can do effective sales and marketing.  But as an employee, you may not have the mindset that you have a specific product line to sell.  This puts you at a disadvantage in today’s labor market, where employers want to hire candidates who know how to impact the bottom line.  Therefore, it is critical that you identify your value:

YOUR VALUE IS IN YOUR JOB DESCRIPTION.  Write a job description for all that you do.  Focus specifically on what results you produce.  If you are a receptionist, your tasks may include fielding phone calls, but your value is really in being the first line of contact for your employer (marketing) and in managing incoming calls (organizing).  Your product line then is a good first impression and a sense of organization.  Where else can you sell your services?  Reception is but one client.  In what other jobs might these skills add value? 

YOUR VALUE IS WELL-KNOWN AMONG FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.  Ask colleagues and close friends about your best attributes.  Specifically, find out what you are the go-to person for.  Everyone understands the concept of go-to people.  On a personal level, if you’re blue, you want your funny friend.  On a professional level, for your heavy analytical project you want the number-crunching dynamo on the team.  What do your friends and colleagues go to you for?

Even if you are accustomed to identifying your value at a professional level, it is helpful to take this to a personal level.  When you focus on what makes you a good spouse, friend, citizen, then you offer the best to your personal customers as well.