Self-Promotion…Boastful or Visionary?

When we come across people who are boasting about their accomplishments, puffing themselves up with self-admiration, and walking around with a big head, we think “Self-Promoter”, which is why self-promotion has gotten a bad rap in some circles. But this kind of behaviour isn’t self-promotion; it’s self-adulation. It’s completely different.

Self-promotion isn’t about talking about your accomplishments, or about how much money you have, or how much your clients love you.

Self-promotion is the art of spreading a greater vision.

It’s about ideas.

Nobody cares about your accomplishments, but they sure might care about your ideas. Think of some of the famous people you have heard of – Ghandi, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Oprah Winfrey, and Thomas Edison – all of whom were great self-promoters. But it was their vision, a conviction to their ideas, and action toward achieving their vision that caused them to become so well known.

People want to look and feel good. Talking about your accomplishments won’t inspire them. But talking about your ideas can. Sure, not everyone will be inspired by your ideas to think and take action, but your ideas will inspire something.

Effective self-promotion has four phases.

First, you need to be sure about what you stand for. If you can’t inspire yourself with your ideas, you won’t be able to inspire others.

Second, develop your vision and start telling people about it. Be as clear as possible, use strong and descriptive language, and try to separate yourself from the rest of the noise. Paint a picture of what the world would be like for people if they embraced your ideas.

Third, build a tight community of followers who believe in your message and who can help you solidify it.

Finally, take your message to the Centres of Influence, those people who have a greater reach than you, and tell them why it is in their best interest to promote you. If promoting you can make them look good by helping others, they will promote you.

For every self-promoter, there are thousands of followers out there. You just need to find them.