How to sell your skills using a burger

From one to many
Gone are the days where you need just ONE unique, snazzy (elevator) pitch to stand out. Perfected and ready at the tip of your tongue. To leave the receiver with an idea of who you are, what you do and how you create impact. Quickly.

Today, you need several pitches up your sleeve. Ready to use depending on the context and audience.

Why?

The job market is changing, particularly in Denmark where I live. The future belongs to entrepreneurs, freelancers and consultants working on a short-term contract basis. And many jobs are not advertised. So using your network to get potential leads has become the norm. There is also more competition, especially if you have just graduated or find yourself in a new host country. You need to keep your options open and be prepared to work towards your dream career on an untraditional journey.

You also have more (transferrable) skills than you realise. And you are the sum of all your experiences – personal and professional. Take a holistic view of your life, and you will discover numerous skills and hidden strengths which add colourful stamps to your passport of experience.

Get clear on your messages
Your burger is built around key messages. What makes you stand out? This can be a really tricky one to answer. And sometimes you might need to do a bit of digging. I invite you to put pen to paper and explore some of the questions below:

• What are you mega proud of?
• When have you been in complete flow?
• What have you created that has made a difference to you and others?
• When did you do something that scared you and turned out OK?
• When did you last step outside your comfort zone?
• What superpowers have you developed along the way?
• What do you want to be known for?

Now get specific
What are your unique skills? 
List your professional, personal and social skills.

With these skills in mind, answer the following:

• What tasks do you solve?
• What responsibilities do you own?
• What actions do you take?

For each skill, ask yourself:

• How do you make a difference to customers, colleagues, clients and stakeholders?
• How do you make a difference in terms of quality, profits, time, structure and wellbeing?

Now build your burgers!
The burger model will help you explain HOW you add value. Be prepared to create different burgers for different audiences. See your burgers as a portable skill box you dig into as and when needed. Focus on one skill at a time. And practice in writing first.

Message – top bun
(The most important thing) I can help you ….
Use words which allow the receiver to create a picture

Explanation – filling
I can do this because ….
Be concrete with the value you can add
Use a clear example where you have done this before
Highlight an area of expertise / knowledge you have to solve a particular task

Message – base bun
Repeat the message focussing on the value you add to the receiver (company / individual)
Summarise the value you can add and what this means for the receiver.

EXAMPLE – storytelling as a skill

1 Top bun 
I can help you tell powerful stories about your brand across diverse media

2 Filling
I can do this because I am a creative writer with several years of storytelling experience – internally and externally. My stories motivate, engage the audience and inspire action.

(Specific task) I wrote a series of articles to support a culture change campaign at xxx which added value by …

3 Base bun
In summary, my powerful storytelling skills can bring your brand to life, help your company stay visible, engage your customers and increase your sales.

Good luck! And please share your success stories. 

Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash

Model devised by Mette Rix, Performance Adviser, Denmark