Why Selling Yourself Is the Smartest Thing You Can Do (Without Feeling Gross About It)

Let’s be real—someone’s probably told you to “sell yourself.”

And they’re right.

But here’s the problem: you’re probably thinking about it the wrong way.

Selling yourself isn’t about bragging, pretending, or spamming people on LinkedIn with humblebrags about your “honored and humbled” new award. (Please, no.)

It’s about speeding through something called Zero Moments of Truth – or ZMOT for short.

The Business Sales Triangle (aka: The 3 Ways Things Are Actually Sold)

First, let’s review something called the Business Sales Triangle.

At its core, business is made up of three sales. Three. That’s it.

1️⃣ Selling Your Company – This is where most leaders live: pitching the company culture, values, and leadership vision.

2️⃣ Selling Your Products or Services – If you’re in sales or marketing, this is your bread and butter. You live here.

3️⃣ Selling YOU – And this, my friend, is the most overlooked (and most important) sale of all.

Because whether you’re trying to land a client, get a new job, or build a better team, people buy you before they buy anything else.

That’s where authenticity in the workplace becomes your secret weapon.

Enter the “Zero Moment of Truth” (ZMOT)

There’s this concept in marketing called the Zero Moment of Truth.

ZMOT says people need:

• 7 hours

• 11 interactions

• In 4 locations

…before they feel like they know, like, and trust you enough to buy from you.

😧

In the olden days, that meant endless flights, steak dinners, golf outings, and those awful tins of popcorn you got at the holidays. (You know the ones.)

But today, you can skip all that. You can build trust in smarter, faster, more authentic ways.

3 Ways to Reduce ZMOT and Make the Sale

If you want to shorten that “get to know you” runway, here are three proven ways to do it—without needing an AmEx travel budget.

1. Relationships (The OG of Sales)

Yep, it’s old school, but it still works. When someone else vouches for you, introduces you, or recommends your work, your ZMOT drops instantly.

But here’s the catch: you can’t always rely on that. You can’t wait for your network to do the heavy lifting for you.

2. Thought Leadership (aka Content That Doesn’t Suck)

This is the modern version of networking. Writing posts, sharing stories, doing webinars, showing up on podcasts—these are ways people spend those “7 hours” with you without even realizing it.

When you show up online with your authentic self at work, you create those micro-interactions that build trust. People start to think:

“I know her. I like her. I trust her.”

That’s not marketing yourself; that’s being magnetic.

3. Authenticity (Your Fast Pass to Trust)

This one’s my jam. After obsessing over authenticity in the workplace for over 6 years, I can tell you this: authenticity works because it’s real. We have research to prove it!

Our research shows that:

• People who work at authentic companies have 4x higher trust.

• Employees who work for authentic leaders are exponentially more loyal.

Why? Because authenticity creates connection. It builds trust. It’s intriguing.

When you show up as your authentic self—messy, human, imperfect—you become memorable.

And that’s what people buy.

So, Which Will You Choose?

If you want to stand out, get hired, sell more, or lead better, start by focusing on the most important sale of all—selling you.

And do it the right way:

With clarity.

With connection.

With authentic leadership.

You don’t need steak dinners or popcorn tins anymore. Just a little courage…and a lot of you.

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We've got a podcast episode all about it in addition to this video below.

Erin Hatzikostas is an internationally recognized leader on the impact of authenticity in the workplace. Learn more about her keynote speaking, workshops, and other authentic programs here.