Self-Promotion

Hey Friends today I am quoting a wonderful article By Susan Wilson Solovic it is about how savvy professional women promote themselves. 

Susan Wilson Solovic is a women of many talents, she is an award winning entrepreneur, media personality , amazon top 100 bestselling author, sought after keynote speaker etc.

Solovic has written four bestselling books: “It’s Your Biz”, The Girls’ Guide to Power and Success; Reinvent Your Career; and The Girls’ Guide to Building a Million-Dollar Business.

Perhaps you're one of those people who gets personal satisfaction out of a job well done. Maybe you sincerely believe that if you work hard and produce a quality product, the rewards and recognition will come. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.

Talent and brilliance alone won't get you to the top. You need to launch a personal marketing campaign for yourself. The goal is to "wow" them.

We women aren't good at tooting our own horns because we're taught that good girls don't brag. While boys grow up vying for the limelight and learning to one-up each other, girls are taught to share the glory. We aren't supposed to be the center of attention. Therefore, in business, we sadly watch as we're passed by time and time again for promotions, high-visibility assignments, committee chairs and so on because we don't draw attention to our accomplishments.

"One woman I used to work with was always tooting her own horn, and I didn't like it. Then, one day I realized that I was impressed with her track record. Subsequently, I realized you really have to do your own PR work. For a lot of women, including myself, that's hard. But you really have to do that if you want people to understand what your contributions are," says Juanita Weaver, a creativity consultant based in Washington, D.C.

"Nobody knows you better than you. There's nothing wrong with letting your manager or others know about your successes. But as women, not only do we fail to draw attention to our accomplishments, but we tend to downplay them," says Sharon Hadary, executive director of the National Foundation for Women Business Owners, based in Washington, D.C.

Self-promotion can be accomplished in an artful and tasteful manner. You don't want to appear too opportunistic, nor do you want to become a legend in your own mind. The best advice is to watch and learn from others.

Let the Right People Know

Does you boss's boss know what a great job you're doing? Does your sales contact keep his or her supervisors apprised of your company's performance record? Will anyone be aware of your accomplishments if your supervisor or company contact leaves or gets promoted? If you can't answer yes confidently to these questions, then you aren't doing a good job of marketing yourself. You need an action plan.

"What I try to do personally is document what I do, and let people know about it. You have to recognize that it's okay to say you're good at something, and by documenting things you've done, you can show them on paper," says Catherine Garda Newton, a former IBM executive. "I also regularly update my resume because it forces me to look back at what I've done and keep it firmly in my mind. I also can evaluate better whether I'm moving toward where I want to go."

Seek Ways to Tell Your Story

If your company has staff meetings, always be prepared to highlight your results. Utilize internal memos and weekly or monthly progress reports as methods of keeping associates informed of your accomplishments. Use opportunities to remind your customers of your performance record. Rather than bragging, you'll appear competent and professional for keeping everyone informed.

Be Generous with Your Praise

Make certain your business associates, employees or team members receive recognition for a job well done. When you're quick to sincerely praise the good work of others and allow them to bask in the limelight, they'll readily do the same for you. You won't have to say a thing about yourself because your associates will enthusiastically carry your banner.

Use External Sources

Enhance your credibility and stature by writing an article for a trade journal or business publication. Establish yourself as a resource with the media -- someone they can call when they need an authority to quote. Send out news releases announcing your business successes. Share published articles with business associates and customers. Of course, always make certain you have permission to copy printed materials so you don't infringe on a publication's copyright.

Write a Dazzling Bio

Create a personal bio that will wow readers. If you aren't a good writer, hire someone who can do it for you. Even though I've been a marketing professional for more than 20 years, I hire marketing professionals to write for me. These professionals have the objectivity to make me sound great. If you choose to do it yourself, make certain that you highlight your achievements and experience as well as any awards or special recognition you may have received. The goal is to look like the superstar you are.

There's a delicate balance when it comes to self-promotion, and you don't want to be guilty of overkill. But when used appropriately, a personal marketing campaign can create magic for you and help you get where you want to go. Marketing yourself is like marketing your business -- if no one knows about your product, who will buy it?