So, it’s International Women’s Day this week, and I thought it was only right that I acknowledge it with something personal that I know lots of women and men experience in business, and that is being underestimated.
Now, I have actually talked about this a lot before, but when I was starting out in business, I was quite often overlooked and underestimated for a number of different reasons, primarily because I was a woman and I was young – I was only 21 when I started the company. And then also being from the Northeast, I also sound like this.
I found that despite getting myself a seat at the table on a number of occasions, it didn’t mean that I was always listened to and quite often I could feel ignored. I tried to combat this in a number of different ways and one of these was always like power dressing. I’d wear all these like suits and two pieces that would make me look a little bit older and I was trying to overcompensate for the fact that I did, quite clearly, look a lot younger than everybody else in the room.
I’ve come a long way since those early years.
I’m also not quite as young as I was then. But I’ve gained a lot of confidence along the way. And now, I’m very much of the mindset that whichever room I enter, no matter what’s at stake and what’s on the table, I am the only version of me, and that is my superpower. I know that the people in that room are really lucky to have me in that room and I don’t vary off that mindset.
Now, one thing you have to remember is that being underestimated is something that lies with the other person.
And those feelings that they have are often because of prejudice. It isn’t our fault, but it’s our job to make those people sit up, make them pay attention, and make them really listen to what it is that we have to say.
I’m glad to say that there are quite a few strategies that you can adopt to make sure that people don’t have the opportunity to second guess us, even for a second. So I’m going to run through my top five tips to make sure that you don’t get underestimated.
Number one, make a strong first impression.
First impressions are everything, and it’s our job to make it count. So, when you meet someone new, make eye contact and make sure whatever you’ve chosen to wear still has a level of professionalism about it.
And no, that doesn’t mean that it’s got to be a grey skirt suit, unless you want it to be, of course, but clearly try and give the impression that you are full to the brim with confidence.
You might not be feeling that way inside, but if you can give all of that positive energy and you can really come across as being confident, it’s going to set the tone of the whole meeting.
Now, number two, be prepared.
Whether it’s an interview that you have or a pitch that you’re heading into for some new business, you’ve got to be prepared. Know your numbers, know whatever you’re gonna talk about inside out, anticipate what sort of questions that you might get asked, demonstrate that you are an expert in your area and do not be afraid to speak up if you have something really insightful to say.
But if you don’t, you don’t have to say something, remember sometimes silence can be just as powerful!
Number three is be authentic.
There is no doubt that we want to impress and we want to appear confident, but don’t let that override who you are. Because as I said, they are lucky to have you, right? Remember to set boundaries that you are comfortable with about how and what you can deliver to avoid being taken advantage of further down the line.
Now number four, you’ve got to show them what you’re made of!
There’s nothing better than showing someone why they should never judge a book by its cover. Show them examples of your work and what you’ve achieved so far. Show them what your plans are going to be going forward and how you’re going to get there.
And, if that works, make sure to deliver high quality work, meet your deadlines, and stick to any agreements that you’ve made. Within reason, don’t be afraid to take some risks to show that you’re willing to be creative and you are definitely someone who’s got that capability to think outside of the box.
Number five, build great relationships.
In any working relationship, it’s important to build rapport and connections to keep it running smoothly. A great way to do this is to ask for feedback. And that applies to anyone going for a new position or wanting to find new clients for business. Ask them what you can improve or work on. Hopefully the answer will be not much, but the willingness to learn and take things one step further will go such a long way.
Let’s recap through all those five things that we’ve spoken about. One, make a great impression as soon as you enter the room so that you’re not giving anyone a second chance to doubt you. Have bags of confidence – fake it ‘til you make it if you’re not feeling the confidence inside. Number two, prepare to within an inch of your life. There’s that well-known saying, fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and it could not be more true.
Number three, be true to yourself because you can’t keep an act up forever. And let’s face it, you don’t need to be anybody else.
Number four, show them exactly what you’re made of. And then finally, number five, make sure to keep people on side by constantly working on forging great relationships with them.
So there you go. I hope it will be one of those sets of tips that are really useful so that going forward, you are never going to be underestimated and they are gonna know exactly what they’ve let themselves in for working with you!