Self Promotion
How can you promote yourself for a positive impact, but not reflect poorly on you?
Dear <<First Name>>,
Reading Time: 1 mins 52 secs
Self-promotion works - but only when done well. And there's a cultural overlay that means it has a different impact in different cultures.
So, how can you actively promote yourself in a way that has a positive impact, but does not reflect poorly on you? Here are ten tips.
First Impression
How you come across when people first meet you is an act of self-promotion. Do they see you as smart, attentive, polite, and eager? Or sloppy, bored, rude, and cynical? And, while first impressions do stick, you can create new impressions by making and maintaining a shift in how you present yourself.
Record Achievements
Get used to recording the things you are proud of. This will help build your confidence and give you a familiarity with the things that will help you promote your capabilities and achievements. Most important, you'll be able to select the 'one thing' that is apposite to any situation. Long lists of achievements are what sound like bragging.
Practice Bragging
Did I say bragging? I mean sharing your achievements. Practice the way you can share something so you can be concise and precise, without belaboring the point. And also so you can do so with confidence.
Reframe Bragging
And the best way to feel good about your self-promotion is to stop seeing it as 'bragging' and start to regard it as a service. This is you sharing valuable information about your capabilities.
Accept Praise
When people offer praise, neither brush it off, or elaborate on your success. Simply accept it graciously and thank them for it.
Give Credit
Where others have helped you, give them full credit. If you are confident enough to credit others for your success, people will know you are a good person to work with.
Praise Others
Be generous in your praise for other people. No, this is not about fishing for compliments in return. It's about... generosity. People like to observe it.
Offer Help
When you offer to contribute to an effort of some kind, it's a gentle way of putting yourself forward and promoting your capabilities. And, in helping, you are doing some good too, whilst also showing generosity.
Take Point
When you are part of a team and helping already, there may be a time you can step forward. It's not about seizing leadership. Rather, you can offer to deploy your abilities in a leading role for a short time to accomplish a specific task or part of the job. Again, this combines genuine help with showcasing your talents.
Make Light
Finally, humor is a brilliant way to show humility. Rather than saying: 'I had to stand in the rain for 2 hours, but I did it for the team', how about 'when you asked me to do this, I didn't realise I'd need my swimming costume'.
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