Why Self-Promotion Is an Open Door to Success
Advocating for yourself is a surefire skill you need to develop for a rewarding career in sales.
Performance alone does not determine success. Some of the best salespeople, highest paid professionals, most quoted scientists and most powerful executives didn’t get where they are by being the most technically competent. Like it or not, struggling to the top on the basis of effective performance alone can be a dead end.
Today, success also requires competent self-promotion. The internet is one continual bombardment of self-promotion. With social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, it’s actually quite easy to promote yourself, company or cause. However, research shows most people are not comfortable drawing attention to themselves.
People tend to view self-promotion as a dirty word but good work doesn't always speak for itself. You have to give it a voice or someone else may claim it for themselves. There is nothing unethical about self-promotion whether you are selling a product, building a business or looking for your next place of employment. As long as you are ethically advocating for yourself and not trying to take advantage of anyone, you should always be your biggest champion.
Those who are willing to self-promote reap the rewards of success, even if they are not necessarily the most technically competent. They seize opportunities to make themselves visible – anytime, anywhere, anyhow. Those that can’t, don’t, or won’t miss out. This fear of self-promotion stands in the way of success for many deserving people. This fear can be confronted and overcome which can make a huge difference in careers and lives.
Self-Promote Like the Pros
Natural self-promoters seem to instinctively understand the need to stand in the spotlight and are drawn to opportunities for self-promotion. However, unlike most of us, natural self-promoters seem to genuinely enjoy the process.
They also are inclined to share three common behaviors:
Positioning. Positioning is how natural self-promoters get there. They fully utilize their existing contacts, networks, and social systems and remain on the lookout for ways to develop new ones. Natural self-promoters know they are not the only people positioning for the best contacts and advantages. Sometimes there’s a crowd. Strategy shifts from getting noticed to getting remembered.
That’s where style comes in. Think of style not in terms of its essence, but in terms of one of its primary functions: Style is what you do that sets you apart from the crowd and gets you remembered.
Stay remembered. Repetition is the third common behavior of natural self-promoters. To natural self-promoters, staying in the spotlight is not an impulse or a grim necessity. It is a way of life. Self-promotion is an important aspect of modern career management. Natural self-promoters know it and practice it repeatedly.
For those who want more information about self-promotion, check out our latest book Relentless: The Science of Barrier-Busting Sales by BSRP’s Suzanne C. Dudley and Trelitha R. Bryant. The idea of self-promotion is not only relevant for people in sales, but for anyone who wants to find true success. You can find the book and take our Call Reluctance® Self-Rating Scale assessment on BSRP’s website callreluctance.com.
Do you want to increase your sales revenue and build your client base?
Sign up now for our Power Up Your Sales Workshop today and you’ll learn how to:
Eliminate excuses and maximize prospecting and/or engagement activity.
Eradicate negative sales-defeating behaviors.
Clear “head trash” that is more dangerous than the current market conditions.
Find out more about BSRP’s thought-leading practices and procedures for managing Call Reluctance® and explore our range of assessments, research and sales training.
