The Background to Selling Yourself

Selling Yourself: How it started

The year was 2008, the recession had started to bite and our traditional marketing work was drying up fast as clients cut their budgets. We needed a new strategy to grow let alone survive. I had a speaking slot at our Chamber of Commerce breakfast and decided to put together a new presentation that blended traditional sales theory against the emerging backdrop of social media. It was well received and generated new leads that converted to consulting sales. What struck me though was that people of all levels and backgrounds still struggled with the fundamentals of selling themselves.

When an opportunity came up for me to develop a regular weekly club to support unemployed executives it became even more apparent that in difficult times the ones that can really sell themselves well were the ones getting the new opportunities. Other delegates equally skilled yet not so adept at selling themselves were constantly looked over.

So I checked some possible domains and SellingYourself.co.uk was available. That was the eureka moment when I realised not only do I have a training course that would be in demand I have a brand and a business with real potential. Selling Yourself could be used by individuals to develop their personal selling skills but it could also be used by organisations looking to improve the interpersonal communication of their people, managers, leaders and teams.

Since then the course has been delivered to traditional business and sales professionals but also to artists seeking to sell their work and degree students looking to become more employable.

The time has now come to fly the flag for Selling Yourself and especially in the UK where our modesty prevents us from selling too hard. Having worked for numerous US companies I am aware that culture does effect the degree to which we 'sell ourselves'. What is overbearing to some is natural to others. The beauty of The Selling Yourself Programme is that it it allows you to develop a style and selling personality that suits you and the opportunities you face. Yes you need a degree of assertiveness to be successful but you also need sensitivity and empathy. I hope you take the programme and allow yourself to become the best you can be at Selling Yourself, after all you are the only one that can do it!

Best Regards

Mike Watson
Founder and Author
The Selling Yourself Programme

About the Author: Mike Watson

With a career spanning nearly 30 years Mike has worked in a variety of sales, sales management and board level roles, as well as running his own businesses in marketing, training and design consultancy.

With a degree in Business Studies, Mike’s career started in sales with Dun and Bradstreet in 1980. With Managing Director level experience for a variety of companies, Mike has generated multi-million pound business growth as well as considerable experience of managing companies through recessions.

Mike’s experiences and career have given him a unique insight into how selling skills are critical for achieving personal, career and business objectives in tough and ever-changing times.