The Art of Self-Promotion (without being a bragger!)

Last week I did a presentation for Lean In with Vodafone on The Art of Self-Promotion (without being a bragger). The lovely audience of ladies who attended in the room and virtually were very engaged and full of questions.

That made me think it would be a good topic to talk about in this week’s blog.

So what is self-promotion?

If you imagine yourself as a brand like Ben and Jerry’s (especially the cookie dough one!) The product is obviously good, but if it hadn’t been well marketed and promoted, it wouldn’t have been nearly as successful.

The same is true of you.

Self-promotion and getting visibility can be about sharing your successes with your boss and seniors. It is also about; building relationships with people in other areas of the business, taking new opportunities, speaking up about your ideas and opinions, commenting and posting on social media, networking and doing presentations.

I know a lot of my clients struggle with the idea of self-promoting as they fear being seen as a bragger or being judged in the same way as a boasting colleague.

However, there is a big gap between being a bragger and not speaking up. If you move a few steps forward into that gap you will still never be a bragger, despite how uncomfortable it feels.

The first step towards self-promotion is to identify what you want to promote.

What is your USP (unique selling point), the thing you want to be remembered at work for, or personal brand?

To find this, think about your values, your strengths and your personality. What are the words that feel strong and authentic to you?

When you know what you are promoting, then decide which opportunity you want to use to start sharing your successes and gaining visibility. Begin with something not too far out of your comfort zone.

It could be dropping in on your boss to update them about progress, emailing colleagues with your learning points from a recent success or speaking up about an idea in a meeting without knowing if it’s 100% right.

Be curious about how it feels to have shared. Congratulate yourself, and then move on to the next challenge.

This was a very brief insight into self-promotion. In today’s workplace culture being visible and sharing successes is an essential part of your job. If you’d like to find out more about how you can raise your profile and market your personal brand. Then do book a free call with me at www.speakwithjo.com.

Jo x