If you’ve been in business for a while, you’re probably pretty good at what you do. And, chances are, you’re committed to becoming better.

Great!

But if you’re like many business professionals, you’re not as good at telling others how good you are. You may, in fact, be your own best kept secret.

Not so great. The problem with that is this: it doesn’t matter how good you are if you’re the only one who knows. The most important sale you’ll ever make is the personal one. You can’t do the best job of selling your stuff unless and until you do the best job of selling yourself.

Some of the most financially successful business professionals aren’t necessarily the best at what they do. They’re simply the best self-promoters: the best personal salesmen and saleswomen.

You can’t overestimate the power of the personal sale, and the importance of differentiating and distinguishing yourself.

Start your "self-sales" process with a compelling personal commercial, preferably one that includes an "Only" statement — as in "I’m the area’s only financial planner who…" Then, craft a powerful online profile. A killer bio on your website and in social media is your most valuable, vital and versatile personal promotion tool.

Finally, gain visibility and credibility by sharing your expertise in the media and forums followed by those you seek to influence. Use videos, podcasts, blog posts, social media commentary and live presentations to address the challenges, changes and trends in your industry. Include information where ever and whenever possible about your industry experience and accomplishments.

No matter who signs your paychecks and what your official job title is, you are the marketing director of your own personal corporation. As such, you need to realize that, first and foremost, you’re not selling products and services. First and foremost, you’re selling yourself.

It’s never been easier to get elsewhere the products that you sell. But the one thing buyers can’t get elsewhere is you.

It’s not enough to tell those buyers that you sell nice products. It’s equally, if not more, important to explain why they should buy them from you. Point out that when they do so, they’ll benefit from your experience, and the customer service, industry insights, product knowledge, and other skills you’ve gained over the years.

And discuss the relationships you build with your clients. Explain how you partner with them to save them, time, money and stress, and help them handle any product-related challenges.

Unfortunately, all too many business professionals steer clear of blowing their horns and tooting their flutes, for fear they’ll come across as braggarts. They should focus, instead, on the fact that self-promotion is a prospect education method. It’s a way for you to inform perspective buyers about how you differ from others they may be considering.

Sell yourself, not just because it’s an important way to attach value to who you are and what you do. Sell yourself because you’re too good — much too good — to be your own best kept secret.