The Fraud Examiner

How to Demonstrate Your Value As an Anti-Fraud Professional

Donn LeVie Jr., CFE

President, Donn LeVie Jr. STRATEGIES

The biggest challenge people have when working toward professional advancement is understanding how to communicate the value their expertise and experience can bring to decision-makers. Whether it’s a new job, a promotion, or signing on a new client or customer, the message must be about how your expertise and value solve their problems. The higher up the leadership ladder one climbs, the more important it is to understand how to couch language that engages others, positions your expertise and value, and uses the social proof of influence to gain allies, advocates, clients, customers and followers.  

 When someone asks you, “What do you do?” do you simply recite your job title? Do you parrot your job description? That’s how most people answer that question, but both responses fail to extend the conversation that was started with that question. It’s possible that somewhere hidden in that conversation that didn’t happen, a golden opportunity could have presented itself for a job or signing on a new client or customer. Those in the anti-fraud field may also sometimes find it difficult to describe their job functions in a meaningful way to those who aren’t already familiar with the industry.  

We’ve all heard the advice about creating an “elevator pitch” — that 30-second persuasive sales pitch you’ve mastered about your product or service. Trouble is, the elevator pitch doesn’t work very well in the 21^st century because it’s too self-serving and reeks of sales. Nobody likes to be pitched to anymore (unless you play baseball).