self-promotion Archives - Page 2 of 5

Self-Promotion: How I Learned to Stop Shooting Myself in the Foot

March 13, 2007 by Liz

Pleeeasse Don’t Think I’m Self-Promoting

Some rare folks are pushy and opportunistic in their self-promotion. It’s as if they don’t know when they’re spouting off that the other person is a person at all.

Most folks are the opposite. We see opportunists and we don’t want to be is taken for one of them. As a result we often shy away from any attempt to talk about what we do — fearing we’d be mistaken for the opportunists that we’re not. I used to be the poster child for thinking about self-promotion like that, and it found me getting myself tangled in knots unnecessarily. Here’s how it worked, or rather didn’t work, for me when someone asked about what I do.

My mind all triggered up, I’d be anticipating the question long before anyone asked it. Naturally, I only had part of an answer flushed out in my head. I figured I didn’t want to sound like a recording, so I’d keep the answer loose and free. The truth is I hadn’t really thought through what it was I actually did. I hadn’t made it’s message a part of who I am.

That’s the place where, like the children’s game, we all fall down.

Someone would ask me, “What do you do?”

Because I wanted to have everyone as a client, I’d be faced with this mental image of impossible dimension. In a rush, I’d hear myself thinking, “I can’t possibly say everything. What answer does this person need?”

Mind already triggered, now the barrel is loaded.

Rather than ask, “What makes you ask the question?” I moved ahead blindly trying to guess what the other person wanted to know. In the dark, listening to what I’m saying and how the other person is responding, I’d proceed to get more and more intense and self-conscious. That made me more and more unfocused in my response. My answer ended up so much high-charged mush that was impossible to follow or care about.

Bang. I shot myself in the foot.

unwittingly, I became a pushy self-promoter when that was what I was trying to avoid. Shooting myself in the foot hurts. I don’t do that anymore.

How I Learned to Stop Shooting Myself in the Foot

When I got tired of patching up holes and buying new shoes. I did some serious thinking, and here is where I got.

What was I doing trying to think someone else’s thoughts? The closest I can get to that is thinking what I think the other person might think. How silly is that?
I I need to know what I do before I can tell someone else.
My fear of self-promotion was turning me into someone else.
I picked the three things I love doing most. I wrote a sentence about each one and what my participation brought to that kind of work.

Those three sentences are what I want to do and what I do well. When someone ask me that same question now, I have those three sentences in my head. I can choose one or all and choose to elaborate on them or not.

No longer am I trying to figure out what someone wants or needs to hear. I simply answer the question with what I know is a fact. I’m relaxed and I no longer limp away from conversations that start with “What do you do?”

You don’t need three sentences. You really only need one that is uniquely you.

I know I’ve asked before, but this is a slightly different situation. Now what would your sentence be?

–Me “Liz” Strauss

Self Promotion: A Winning Answer Every Time — Why is That?

March 8, 2007 by Liz

Why You?

In the comment box last month, for a post called 5 Reasons People Don’t Get Hired and the Only 3 Questions that Count Martin and I discussed questions we use when interviewing candidates for jobs. But let’s put this in context.

This is my favorite interview question. It requires a form of self-promotion.

If I had a candidate with a resume just like yours, what 3 things would you bring to the job that no one else would bring? No need to worry there’s no right answer.

In 15 years of asking that question, no candidate ever stammered. All of them took their time, gave it thought, and came back with a winning answer. No two answers were even remotely close.

No one got tied up in the confusion that usually hangs around self-promotion.

Why do you think that’s so?

How would you answer the question? What three things are you bringing that no one else would? What three things are uniquely you?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
(I’ll be gone late morning to the dentist. Don’t worry if I’m not hanging in the comments.)

Shameless Self-Promotion: What Makes It Shameless?

March 7, 2007 by Liz

The Problem

I’ve been thinking self-promotion for months. Wendy, and Jessica, and I discussed it when we went to dinner in January.

Our perceptive, observant sidebar bartender, money guy, JohnFTM has noticed, the same thing I have

you can’t swing a cat in the popular blogosphere without hitting a few clumsy attempts at self-promotion . . .

This situation is not just a problem for those of us who have to listen. It’s a problem for those of us who don’t know what it is about shameless self-promotion that makes it shameless, ineffective, and well, if not outright offensive, then certainly intrusive and unwelcome.

We need to know how to recognize shameless self-promotion so that we can sort it from self-promotion that serves our business. If we can’t tell the two apart, then we’ll always be afraid to talk about what we do. A business that goes undiscussed is a business that has no clients. A business with no clients is either a hobby or it doesn’t exist.

What Makes It Shameless?

Most of us need our businesses to be visible, booked with customers, and making money to pay the rent. With that in mind, we should know the traits of shameless self-promotion — so we can feel safe when we talk about what we do with prospective clients.

Here are some traits and tactics of shameless self promotion.

Shameless self-promoters focus on mentioning the business continuously, as a name dropper might mention famous people.
Every conversational response is a talking point about what the shamelessly self-promoted business can do for the listener.
A shameless self-promoter will sometimes forget to acknowledge that other information has been added to the conversation and will talk right past that information with the features of the business being promoted.
Shameless self-promoters are rarely listening for the purpose of solving the problems or meeting the needs of prospective customers. Their goal is to sell their product or service needed or not.
Shameless self-promoters can turn any topic into a sales pitch.
Shameless self-promoters live to move forward their own agenda. They invest in others only as a last resort to meet their goal.

The shameless part is the total disregard for others. In other words, Shameless Self-Promoters see only the game — not the relationship or the other person’s needs. Shameless self-promoters are focused on getting, not giving. Just now, a friend on the phone said that he had quit hanging around with a guy who became an affiliate marketer, because the guy couldn’t quit selling.

Most folks I know couldn’t shamelessly self-promote, no matter what you paid them. We’re so sensitive to shameless self promotion we don’t ever want to be seen that way. So we always stand as far from that image as we possibly can. Sadly the result is that we often choose instead the other extreme — not to talk about our work at all

I’m planning a post or two in which we can talk about how to talk about what we do without feeling like we’re shamelessly self-promoting.

What do you want me to be sure to include?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Don’t forget to sign up for SOBCon o7 to see the real deal in person, seats are limited.

Related
See the Brand You series on the Successful Series Page

The 5-Point Strategy to a Powerful Network

February 22, 2007 by Liz

A Networking Story

Last Sunday, we released the announcement for SOBcon 07. It’s a relationship bloggers’ event. We lived our message. We reached out to our friends for help in spreading the news — if they believed the event was worth talking about on their blogs. Most everyone we asked to help has blogged about the event. We’re so grateful.

When we reached out to the folks to ask their help, something happened behind the scenes. Certain people I wrote emailed me back almost immediately. A few called or skyped. They had questions about the event. Those people, all friends and colleagues, contacted me for one of these reasons.

They knew the people involved, and offered congratulations.
They asked for more information upon which to make their decision.

In networking terms, their friendship, influence, and credibility and my friendship, influence, and credibility were talking to each other.

The 5-Point Strategy to Building a Powerful Network

Networks of people can be powerful influencers. A network of influencers expands our knowledge and our reach by engaging the power of “WE.” The problem is that networks take time to build and require attention.

You might have heard “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

That’s not exactly true.

A powerful network requires two qualities: limited size to keep it sleek and easy to interact with, and people of like mind so that their connections and your connections are likely to be of the same quality.

Here is the 5-point strategy to build that powerful network.

What you know is important. Learn as much as you can. Know what you know. Know its value. Don’t over value it. Don’t under value it. Understand how common or rare your knowledge and skill set are.

Networks are built from relationships. Address books are filled with contacts. Relationships grow and expand as they age. They also require time and interaction to be of value. To build a top-notch network of people, choose people you would bet your reputation on — people who have your standards and similar goals. They will always connect to other people that you want to know.

Who knows what you know is important. Read that again. Who knows what you know is important.Do you know the influencers in your market? Find ways to share your expertise with people who have influence. Influencers naturally talk about people who are great at what they do. Influencers are often asked for recommendations. How might you offer them a service that would put you on the edge of their network?

Take an interest and be the first to offer a favor. When you meet someone of quality, ask questions, listen actively, and be the first to give a favor without strings. People remember sincere curiosity and true generosity, especially the first time it happens. Make friendships and relate positively to everyone that you meet.

Listen for when a mentor appears, and welcome him or her gladly. Mentors are hard to find when we’re looking. They find us and show themselves by offering advice or wisdom to see whether we recognize it. Don’t miss (or mistake) the mentors who will come your way, offering their experience and connections. They see something in you.

These five points will lead to a network that is more powerful than most folks develop. It will be a group of people within the larger group of folks we know — a network built from relationships that are thoughtfully matched. Not everyone we meet is a lifelong friend. We already knew that.

Why am I thinking of kissing frogs and a prince?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you think Liz can help you find focus or direction, check out the Personal Virtual Manager on Work with Liz!! page.

5 Reasons People Don’t Get Hired and the Only 3 Questions that Count

February 20, 2007 by Liz

The Best People

It happened to me more often than I liked.
When I was an Executive Editor, it was another Executive Editor.
When I was a Director, it was another Director.
When I was a Vice President, it was another Vice President.

Not that I think there was a pattern. Here’s the scenario.

I’m in my office, finishing up a meeting. One of the people described above calls and asks whether I have time to talk about something.

I say, “Sure, come on down (or up or over wherever my office happened to be.)”

The person arrives; sits across from me; and explains why he or she wants to hire one of the people on my team.

We discuss the opportunity that is on offer. It’s always a great one for the employee. I support it.

At the end of the discussion, I hear some version of this sentence, “You hire the best people.”

As the person leaves, I think, Yeah, I know. Boy, do I know. I get out the most current job listing for the soon-to-be-vacated position and start editing.

I would hire and train.
They would wait and hire from me.
It happened with freelance and vendor help too.

5 Reasons People Don’t Get Hired

An interview or a client presentation is a test. It’s like an oral exam in which the subject is you. When I put it that way, it seems like folks should do better than some folks seem to do, doesn’t it? What it that gets in the way?

Here are 5 Reasons People Don’t Get Hired for that Job or that Contract

Candidates feel self-conscious about putting forward their skills and talents.
Candidates don’t take the job acquisition process seriously.
Candidates miscalculate their value. This could be monetary, ability to fill the skills required, or how common or rare their skill set might be.
Candidates don’t show knowledge or interest in the specifics of the business hiring.
Candidates are arrogant, rude to the receptionist, have no energy, or are just not likeable.

You might know even more than these.

The Only 3 Questions that Count

In any meeting in which a person is deciding whether to offer work to another, only three questions matter. Though the questions never get stated aloud, all conversation really is about the three quesions. It’s best if both parties know what those three questions are.

The Only Three Questions

Can this person do the job? This question is about the job or project description — expertise, skill set, and industry experience — salary is included here.
Will this person do the job? This question is about motivation, energy, and work ethic.
How will this person fit with the team? This question is about interpersonal skills, stress management, and communication.

Prove you are the correct answer to all three and the offer is yours. It’s great branding. It’s great business practice. It’s a service to yourself and your employer/client to know what you’re really talking about when you’re talking.

It stops being a test when you have the answers.

Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Buy the Insider’s Guide to Online Conversation.

Self-Promotion as Easy as Knowing What You Do

February 15, 2007 by Liz

Self Promotion Made Easy

When people asked me why I quit teaching grade school, one of the reasons I offer is that I found myself at parties answering the famous question, What do you do? like this.

I’m a teacher, but not like any teacher you ever met.

What do you do is an opportunity to sell yourself.

I knew enough to know that I was losing the passion for my job. What I didn’t know then was that I had stumbled onto a key part of self-promotion –understanding what people will think of what I’m about to say.

When someone asks What do you do for a living? How do you answer?

If you say the name of your job, butcher, baker, dancer, writer, web developer . . ., you offer them the chance to attach to you all of the preconceived notions they have about folks with that job. You’re walkng right into their box.

Bob Weiss knows. If your answer is: “I’m a lawyer,” you’ve missed a marketing opportunity.

Bob knows that by saying you’re a lawyer, you’ve turned the conversation to the topic of lawyers and away from what you do. No possible clients will be happening. Instead you’re probably going to be hearing what people think about lawyers for the next while. You’ll be up against proving what you’re not or maybe proving what you’re as good as.

Either way,to name a job is to invite comparison.

Of course, I’m no longer a teacher. I’m an entrepreneur. My job depends on the people knowing what I do and that I do it well. So I’ve learned to answer that question with a little finesse.

When folks ask what I do I say I help individuals and small businesses find their vision, focus their business, and layout a strategy that allows them to do what they love and make money meeting their customers’ unexpressed needs and desires better than their competition does.

Yes, I have a shorter version too, but you see where I’m going. I don’t start by saying I’m the Perfect Virtual Manager. I know that would only get me blank stares.

So think for awhile and then tell me . . . what do you do for a living? If you would like to write in the comment box under a code name, please feel free to do so. If you have trouble getting it the way you want, let’s find the right words together. All of us can probably get you to a lovely description of what drives your passion for the reason you work everyday.

When you can answer the question, it won’t feel like self-promotion. It will be you talking about what you do every day.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
If you’d like to help with your brand or business,check out the Perfect Virtual Manager on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.