| ign="center"> | | | | help create the perception that you are always |
| Everyone knows that one of the best ways to | | | | inspecting your properties; therefore, your |
| promote goods and services is to develop an | | | | properties must always be immaculate. |
| innovative marketing campaign. A good campaign | | | | 5. Work for cheerleaders: supervisors who enjoy |
| will be informative, persuasive, provide exposure, | | | | and look for opportunities to acknowledge |
| and ultimately increase revenue. Companies invest | | | | employees for their accomplishments. They will |
| significant time and money in campaigns because | | | | motivate you to perform at your highest level |
| they help achieve desired results. Promoting | | | | and they will frequently promote your |
| yourself is no different. Doing a good job | | | | achievements to others. They will make you feel |
| â or even an amazing job â may | | | | like you are adding value by listening to your ideas |
| minimally elevate your position if peers and | | | | and suggestions. They will not take credit for your |
| supervisors do not understand or appreciate your | | | | work. They will provide coaching moments behind |
| accomplishments. To be successful in your | | | | doors and only portray a positive image in front |
| professional business career, you have to learn to | | | | of others. A cheerleader will also validate the |
| market yourself. | | | | importance of your achievements and help ensure |
| 1. Tell your story by developing and memorizing | | | | promotions and pay increases come your way. |
| an elevator speech. This will most likely be the | | | | 6. Be a cheerleader. Perception is reality and a |
| most challenging, yet rewarding part of your | | | | good cheerleader makes everything on the team |
| campaign. A memorable elevator speech will | | | | appear to be running smoothly and in the right |
| clearly communicate your strengths, prove your | | | | direction. Cheerleaders outwardly highlight the |
| value and identify significant results in the amount | | | | positives and discuss opportunities for |
| of time it takes to ride an average elevator from | | | | improvement in a private setting. |
| the bottom floor to the top floor (under one | | | | 7. Understand your audience and support their |
| minute). It is normally difficult to create, but | | | | needs. Use their language to market your results. |
| definitely worth the effort. To help ensure your | | | | For example, if the goal of your company is to |
| speech is meaningful and impressive, test it out | | | | retain the majority of its customers over the |
| on your friends, family and peers. If they have | | | | next year, you must explain how your activities |
| questions at the end of your speech, start over. | | | | will help achieve this goal. Letâs assume |
| An elevator speech should not require clarification. | | | | you work in the engineering department and you |
| 2. Now that you are able to tell your story, show | | | | find a way to save money by operating more |
| your story. Create visual representations that will | | | | efficiently; how will you tie this achievement into |
| support your short narrative. This will reinforce | | | | the goal of the company? In this situation you |
| what you communicate in your elevator speech. I | | | | might state your result as follows, âI help |
| believe one of the most effective ways to do | | | | retain customers by implementing cost-saving |
| this is by creating a one-page dashboard. By using | | | | initiatives that result in customer |
| a variety of charts, graphs, and short bullet | | | | satisfaction.â If, however, the goal of |
| points, an effective dashboard provides | | | | your company is to decrease its carbon footprint, |
| meaningful visuals of your responsibilities and | | | | you might change your statement as follows, |
| accomplishments. Examples include: the number of | | | | âI help the company decrease its carbon |
| employees/projects/square feet/customers you | | | | footprint by implementing strategies that allow our |
| manage compared to your peers, savings | | | | facility to operate more efficiently.â |
| compared to budget, improving trends as a result | | | | 8. Measurable results are desirable results. Find |
| of your management, market comparisons, and | | | | ways to measure your success, so that others |
| the status of your initiatives. Some of the best | | | | can better comprehend and relate to the value |
| things about a dashboard is that it may be | | | | you add. For example, in the statement written |
| updated regularly, shared easily, provide | | | | above, âI help the company decrease its |
| continuous visibility to your achievements and | | | | carbon footprint by implementing strategies that |
| â based on personal experience | | | | allow our facility to operate more |
| â executives love it. | | | | efficiently;â you can improve it by saying, |
| 3. Make the ordinary extraordinary. Use creative | | | | âI decreased our annual carbon footprint |
| language that speaks to your target market. For | | | | in 2009 by twenty tons and saved $100,000 in |
| example, are you a parking attendant or a parking | | | | utility costs by running our equipment more |
| ambassador? Do you run a car wash or an auto | | | | efficiently.â You are now speaking the |
| spa? Do you work at a help desk or a customer | | | | language of executives. You not only enable them |
| service center? Making these simple changes will | | | | to understand your value and relate your |
| not only reflect your true intentions and change | | | | contributions to the overall goal, but you also |
| perception, it will help motivate team members to | | | | make them look good. This is a story worth |
| raise standards and achieve desired results. | | | | sharing. |
| 4. Strategically conduct your activities. Use a | | | | The items listed above are not gimmicks; they |
| planned approach when conducting routine tasks | | | | are thoughtful marketing strategies that require |
| and special projects. Manage assignments to | | | | planning, development and implementation. When |
| provide more visibility to yourself and your team. | | | | done well, they may provide significant ROI |
| For example, if you are responsible for managing | | | | (return on investment). Promoting your strengths |
| commercial office buildings, part of your | | | | and abilities without appearing arrogant requires a |
| responsibility is walking the project to make sure | | | | thoughtful approach and, of course, substance. If |
| the grounds look spotless. If you know when | | | | you are unable to sell yourself, it will be nearly |
| your customers typically enter/exit the building, | | | | impossible for others to do it for you. Applied |
| deliberately conduct your walks during these times | | | | properly, these tactics can also contribute to the |
| to gain visibility. Although you are not doing | | | | success of team initiatives, the procurement of |
| anything different than you would normally do, | | | | funds for investments or capital items and the |
| you become more noticeable, accessible and you | | | | increased sale of goods and services. |