How to Embrace Self-Promotion at Work in a Classy Way

How to Embrace Self-Promotion

Being uncomfortable with the idea of promoting yourself is not at all uncommon. We get it – it usually comes off as pushy and somewhat sleazy. You are probably thinking that self-promoting is more destructive than it is helpful.

However, this is an idea that is more harmful to your career and business and your growth as a professional and entrepreneur. Many underestimate the power of self-promotion, but many have no idea how great of an impact it can make on your success.

Like many things in business and entrepreneurship, self-promoting can be useful if done right. Therefore, the trick here to know how to properly do it. It starts, of course, in you, your attitude and your perspective on things. Let us help you out with some of these tips and advice on how you can embrace self-promotion.

1. Recognize that you cannot do self-promotion to just anyone.

In short, you have to find the right people to whom you should self-promote. Not all bosses would appreciate it, but not all would find it distasteful, which is the common fear of many people. And even if your self-promotions are, at times, not well-received, do not be discouraged.

Give up the idea that you can please everyone because you can’t – no one can. Do not beat yourself up too much over it. Instead, focus your attention on trying to improve on the art of self-promotion. There will be failures, and it’s part of the struggle and the training to become better if not the best at it.

2. Be sure you are able to provide reasons why you are worth promoting.

Self-promoting is not at all bad if you do it well enough and if your promotions are grounded on facts. No one wants a mere talker; you have to show that you are what you claim to be. You have to back your statements with past experiences and even documents if you really want your claims to be indubitable.

What might help is to take some time to think and write the reasons why you should be promoted/why you should be heard by the people you are about to approach. Make sure to provide the why’s and to foresee possible questions and even objections.

You can try talking to a close friend or colleague about it to see if it’s good enough and to hear the second opinion. Make sure your reasons are concrete reasons such as past experiences or something documented rather than reasons that are difficult to prove or worse, circular.

3. Know your worth.

How are you going to promote something if you do not even know what’s worth promoting? More than anything, you have to promote yourself to your own; you have to actually believe that you are worth the attention and time of the people you are about to approach in order to successfully persuade them.

Recognize your strengths just as much as you do with your flaws. Give yourself credit when it is due. True, pressuring yourself might lead to productivity at times, but too much of this might lead to loss of confidence. And how exactly are you going to persuade anyone if you do not even seem like you are sure of whatever you are saying?

Take the time to really think about yourself. What are your achievements? What is your ‘edge’ over competitors? What are your skills and at what level are they? Try to answer these things as honestly as you could. Once you do, you can then start to think about what is worth telling and bragging about.

4. Improve your persuasion and storytelling skills.

Self-promoting is basically persuading or influencing other people to see your worth and to think highly of you. Some are lucky enough to be naturally good at either or even both of these things, but the same could not be said to many of us.

The good news is that the persuasive and storytelling arts are not limited to nature; it can also be learned or nurtured. True, it will be extra difficult and would require more effort. However, if you persevere, it will be worth it in the end.

5. Share solid advice on your expertise.

If you want to be noticed, you will want to contribute something. Giving an expert’s advice would satisfy not only that; it will also help make known that you actually know your own game or thing.

Thanks to our modern technology which brought the Internet and social media websites to our lives, doing this is easier and more convenient than it used to be. Try starting a blog on your expertise. Bring yourself out there and establish yourself as some sort of authority figure in your field of expertise.