“Blow your own horn,” Laurel Bellows, principal with Bellows & Bellows P.C., told members of the University of Chicago Women’s Business Group at an afternoon tea at Rhapsody restaurant on May 1. The group had gathered to hear Bellows speak about employment negotiations and networking. “Subtly is good,” she said, “but recognition is better.”
Bellows began her address by asking everyone to develop a 30-second elevator speech—a quick personal sales pitch that tells others what you do and how services can be exchanged.
“Networking is a wonderful thing,” Bellows said. “It’s important to find joy in just meeting people.”
Then, she said, when the time is right, “Be comfortable asking for what you want and thinking about what someone can do for you.”
Bellows said to get ahead in the workplace:
- Develop a niche, and never stop broadening your expertise. Expertise is power.
- Gain credibility by getting results. There’s value in being known as someone who gets things done.
- Take initiative, risks, and “stretch assignments,” projects that broaden you.
When the time comes to negotiate a raise, promotion or bonus, “Sit in your boss’s chair,” Bellows said. Ask yourself what value you have brought to the company, how much revenue you’ve generated, what costs you have saved, how you’ve identified new business opportunities, and why you should get what you’re asking for.
When you get the promotion, be sure to ask for the support you will need to do the job. “Don’t let yourself be positioned for failure,” Bellows said. “Ask for things, prove yourself and make sure you’re visible,” she advised. “There’s a world of opportunity out there, but it can take some pushing for women [to take advantage of it].”
Source: Chicago Booth News
