STEP 8

GET ATTENTION BY PROVING YOURSELF

Once you get on the radar screen, you need to prove you’re more than just a blip—getting noticed is not enough. How do you get decision-makers to stop and pay attention to you? By making it clear that you are offering to add value: “This is exactly [what, where, when, why, how] I am offering to add value.” Of course, if you sell it, be prepared to deliver.

Another way to get attention is to set up a series of commitments with concrete deadlines and then keep the commitments, thus building an instant track record of reliability. These commitments can be minor—“I’ll call you on Thursday at 10 a.m.,” or “I’ll look into that and get back to you by Friday”—but they must be specific and you must complete them as promised.

For the best strategy, commit to making a concrete proposal by a certain deadline and then deliver. If your first proposal is rejected, don’t give up. Maybe the decisionmaker will suggest an approach to revising the proposal. If so, then revise away. Keep proving yourself over and over again. Eventually, it will pay off.