5 Ways You Undersell Yourself as an Introvert and the Universal Skill You Need to Develop Now
Summary: Underselling yourself can be a major obstacle in career advancement, especially for over-thinkers, perfectionists, and introverts. Learn to recognize behaviors that you might be underselling yourself and increase self-understanding. Confidently communicate your value and open doors to new opportunities in your career journey.
It’s not who we are
Underselling presents a particular challenge to over-thinkers, perfectionsists and introverts. We have identity and belief statements that say we’re not supposed to “sell” ourselves.
“Jessica, if you figure out how to help people stop underselling themselves, you would be a millionaire! Everyone needs this” is what one of my clients shared with me as she was building her case for promotion for a senior level (L7) role at Amazon.
When trying to make a change like switching careers, getting a promotion or starting a business, the last thing we need to do to get in our way is undersell ourselves. Yet we sometimes do.
Underselling presents a particular challenge to over-thinkers, perfectionsists and introverts. We have identity and belief statements that say we’re not supposed to “sell” ourselves. It’s not who we are.
How do we know we’re underselling ourselves? Let’s start there.
5 behaviors that mean you’re underselling yourself
When earning credit from others, you downplay it. Positive feedback and achievements are short-lived because you don’t feel the credit is deserved.
Your perfectionism side says you're not ready for _________. Imposter syndrome feelings happen when you don’t fully believe in yourself. In truth, feeling like an imposter means you care enough to do things the right way.
You're not sure how to articulate your value. You have no idea what makes you unique. You feel like you’re just like your peers, and that no one would choose you first on their team.
You're afraid to say anything or toot your own horn. Cat has really got your tongue. You worry how it will sound. You worry about what people think. You worry you might offend others. You don’t want to come across as a bragger.
You've never asked, "What brings out my best?" You work so hard that you rarely recognize your own achievements and how much you grow and learn in a short amount of time.
Knowing your value is a universal skill
If you’re thinking that underselling only happens now and again, carefully read the list below. From job seeking to seeking a promotion, knowing the value you bring is a universal skill for each transition point in your career.
If you’re underselling yourself, you may be undermining your professional and career growth at every major step. Here’s what knowing your value looks like at various key points in your career:
First Job :: What you're willing to learn.
Job Seeker :: Why you're the best candidate.
Career Changer :: What else happens with adding passion & purpose.
New Hire :: What opportunities you create in your first 100 days.
Promotion :: What's the untapped potential within you.
Leadership :: How you inspire and influence (gain buy-in).
This also applies to entrepreneurs:
Business :: Why your business exists. Why someone chooses you. What happens when they do.
So how do we better understand our value? By developing the universal skill of self-understanding.
Uncover hidden strengths
❇️ When you need a little structure to this soul searching for changing careers, developing as a leader or starting a business, self-discovery exercises in my book, Finding Passion can help.
We go deep into what you really want to see your strengths, your future and who you’re becoming more clearly. Build your new personal or business brand with confidence that it aligns to your passion and purpose.
Develop self-understanding
Put your investigator hat on and look at the themes in your career. Look at what worked and what didn’t. Ask yourself these basic questions such as:
What is my secret sauce?
What brings out my best?
When did I shine brightest?
When you know that, you know very clearly what you bring that no one else can. And if you can’t find the clues, working with a neutral sounding board can help you translate the data points into your value proposition.
Recently, a mid-career leader client worked on her brand statement yet couldn’t see how she was different than the other guys. She reflected, and in our coaching, I summarized back to her. The facts were obvious - she’s the only female leader in a male-dominated industry. What she brings is her deep client advisory expertise. She’s effective because of her talent to understand and get to know her clients as people. She’s all about trust and not transactions.
She created her personal brand statement which she later shared is the new foundation for aligning to where her career goes from here. She’s actually changing the story of putting herself out there.
And so whatever happened to my client wanting to advance at Amazon? After a few months of practicing her pitch for the promotion and getting deeper into the feedback of leadership and peers, she got promoted! Now, she believes in herself and closed the gap between her public acknowledgements and her internal dialogue.
So the next time you undersell yourself, stop. Remember the value you bring, and you’ll no longer be getting in your own way in your career.
Final thoughts: Can we please not call it “Selling myself”?
YES! I agree the term "selling yourself" brings an ick factor. I've coached many professionals on how to reframe the meaning into something that works for them.
Here’s an example: rather than say you need to "sell yourself," what changes when you say...
“I want to share my gifts with the world.”
Do you want to overcome underselling?
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Finding Passion Resources
❤️ Get the self-discovery book (on Amazon, B&N and other retailers)
❤️ Start the course (8 week Finding Passion digital program)
❤️ Finding Passion personal coaching program for career change
