How can I describe it when you want to "sell" your personal image?

Question

How can I describe when you want "sell" your image, sell how good you are at your job, for example?

What phrase or idiom can I use for that?

Here in Brazil (Portuguese) we have a metaphor like: "He sells his fish...", which means that the guy did his job very well.

Is there something like this in English?

Answer 1

I think you've asked two separate questions:

What do you call selling your image?:

Selling yourself or Self-Promotion

Then, I think you've asked for some idioms associated with this activity that mean you've been successful at selling yourself.

If it is an entertainer you can say:

He puts asses in the seats.

If he's a salesman you can say:

He could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.

If he's a lawyer or businessman you can say:

He's a rainmaker.

This last one means he brings in money and clients with his mere presence. (i.e. He makes it rain money.)

Answer 2

I think in the US we would say sell yourself or market yourself.

LinkedIn uses the terminology market yourself a lot.

Answer 3

Many of the phrases have negative connotations, especially those with the word "sell" or "promote" in them. "Marketing" is considered better, even though many people (ab)use it to mean the same as sales or promotion.

One positive contemporary catch-phrase is to build (or establish) a personal brand.

Answer 4

Are you looking for the term promote or self-promotion?

Meaning: self-promotion n 1. the act or practice of promoting one's own interests, profile, etc

Answer 5

This is going to be a culturally sensitive area. To "sell/market/promote your image" has a slightly different meaning (to me) than to "sell/market/promote your abilities or capabilities". The former would be more for celebrities ("famous for being famous", just turning up the spotlight on themselves), while the latter would be more of what you can do for a customer or client.

Answer 6

Hustler

an aggressively enterprising person; a go-getter.