So we talked in part 1 of this post about why self promotion is important, expected and in fact needed so we can leave our corner of the world a better place, not to mention our careers and businesses. Okay, fine, so how does one go about it then? I’m glad you asked.
In order to feel confident about promoting yourself (your business, career, etc.), it’s important to get very clear on a number of things first:
- Beside and along with your business/career goals, what do you want your legacy to be? What do you want to be a part of that’s bigger than yourself?
- Why is that? What does that do for you and for others?
- What are your strengths? What makes you uniquely qualified to do what you’re doing? (Dig deep, no time for self-doubt here).
- What is your one, highest, most important self-marketing goal?
Once you have these organized in your head, it becomes a lot easier to self promote because you are armed with your own personal ‘what’ and ‘why’. You basically have put yourself on a mission and it’s hard not to listen to a man on a mission!
The next question becomes ‘how’ to do it. There are hundreds of ways to self promote everyday. Below are listed some major categories to work within. Pick those that work for you and try some new ones that make you stretch; you’ll be glad you did.
- Use breakfast and lunch as a time to meet with people.
- Dig in and learn about social media so you can use it – it’s not going away.
- Join a Mastermind Group.
- Reconnect with old colleagues, classmates, and friends.
- Get in touch/introduce yourself to people you admire but don’t know; they’re just people too.
- Volunteer or join a sports league and don’t forget to actually have fun.
- Begin a personal project that you’ve always wanted to do; it will put you in touch with new people.
The critical piece in all of this is to be genuine, to be real, to be you. Relax into it. Life and business are ongoing; there is no magic bullet to solve things once and for all. Promoting yourself is one of the key steps to becoming the man you’ve always wanted to be. Do it with confidence.
