Why Fear of Self-Promotion Costs You Money Even If You’re Not in Sales
But I'm Not in Sales!
When the fear of self-promotion contaminates salespeople, it is called sales call reluctance because it places an artificially low ceiling on the number of first contacts that can be initiated with prospective buyers on a consistent daily basis.
Some salespeople only make a fraction of the calls they could. Others make even fewer. Some do not make any. They cannot. For them, prospecting for new business is emotionally out of bounds. Cut off from opportunities to sell, their sales careers sputter and gasp until finally, they suffocate.
Maybe you know a salesperson like that. Maybe you manage one. Maybe you are one.
What the Research Shows
Early in our research, we studied the statistical link between actual sales results and sales prospecting. As expected, we found that as one goes up, the other goes up too. Then we examined the connection between sales prospecting and sales call reluctance. We found them to be inversely related:
As call reluctance goes up, prospecting goes down.
As prospecting goes up, sales results improve.
Looking for a non-selling group to contrast with salespeople, we studied administrative management personnel in a large corporate office. We analyzed total salary increases and the number of promotions received by each manager over a five-year period. The results were not lifeless statistics. They were a loud wake-up call:
Those who were promoted most often and given the biggest salary increases were not always the most technically competent.
They were the individuals most willing to make their competence visible.
Beyond Technical Skills: The Human Element
To verify the findings, we repeated the research with systems analysts and engineers at a high-profile international data processing company. The results matched previous studies and the conclusions of respected scholars:
Psychologist H.A. Overstreet wrote in Influencing Human Behavior that technical knowledge accounts for only 15% of financial success.
The remaining 85% comes from skill in "human engineering", the ability to make one's value visible.
Additional studies (Stroh, L.K., "All the Right Stuff: A Comparison of Female and Male Manager's Career Progression," Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 251-260; Gaskill, L.R., "Women's Career Success: A Factor Analytic Study of Contributing Factors," Journal of Career Development, 17, 167-178.) reported similar conclusions.
The people who advanced most rapidly were not just skilled. They ensured that others knew they were skilled.
Call Reluctance Beyond Sales
Our ongoing research confirmed the broader impact of call reluctance:
Out-placed CPAs vs. retained CPAs: Those who lost their positions were less willing to make their contributions visible.
Out-placed executives tested with SPQ*GOLD®: Higher call reluctance scores correlated with fewer new job interviews.
Call reluctance, often associated only with sales, can quietly damage careers in every field.
Two Practical Conclusions
Everyone sells now. Whether you are in sales, management, engineering, or finance, visibility and self-promotion are vital.
The first warning sign of call reluctance is financial. Before you notice sweaty palms or nervous breathing, you will notice it in your wallet.
Key Takeaway
Competence matters, but visible competence accelerates success. If you struggle to make your value known, it may not just be a personal preference, it could be call reluctance limiting your opportunities and your earning potential.
Take our free EKG Survey to see how call reluctance may be holding your career back.
