The Art of Self-Promotion:
Tame Your Self-Marketing Fears and Build Your Business!
Kethyr's CAMEL Report
Palo Alto, California
Thursday, November 1, 2007
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The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.
— William James
If you're like most people, you'd rather do almost anything other than self-promotion. But you can't get clients consistently — and move into the upper echelons of your profession — if you don't overcome this reluctance.
Whenever I talk to "creative" types, I love watching the reaction when I initiate the "self-marketing" discussion. Eyes begin calculating the distance between the seat and the door. Brows furrow. Throats gulp. Teeth practically chatter.
Okay, enough already. It's just not that bad. I humbly offer my simple definition of self-marketing:
The successful self-marketing of a business is simply letting prospective clients know you're out there — on a consistent basis, in a variety of ways, and with a message they can hear through the clutter.
If you can effectively reach enough of the people who can hire you, and you do that until you have as much work as you want, and then repeat the process (with good results) whenever you don't have work, I say you're a successful self-marketer.
However, for many professionals, this can be one of the most difficult tasks to accomplish. It has something to do with our feeling funny about saying nice things about ourselves. But successful self-marketing has absolutely nothing to do with ego… and everything to do with exposure.
Dare to Be Seen, Dare to Be Different
No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or "get rich" in business by being a conformist.
— J. Paul Getty
As a single guy, I have occasionally browsed through the numerous online dating sites. The clichés there are rampant. Here are zillions of people, many looking for the most important relationship of their lives, and barely one in a hundred takes the time to craft a message that is even remotely creative and original.
Virtually every ad. lists such commonplace gems as "I love moonlit walks on the beach" … "Romantic, candlelit dinners" … and my favorite one to hate, "A man who's as comfortable in a tux as in blue jeans."
All of these ads. are just like everyone else's. None stands out from the others. None attracts attention.
I always want to ask: Do you think you'll attract the opposite sex by blending in with everything around you? That's called camouflage. People in the armed forces do this when their lives depend on not being noticed or standing out in any way.
If you want to be seen, you have to draw attention to yourself. And precious few professionals do regular mailing, phoning, or networking campaigns that elevate themselves above the din.
Getting noticed isn't all that hard, if you're one of the few who make the effort to stand out.
Business-Building Is Not Immodesty
People will take you very much at your own reckoning.
— Anthony Trollope
I know. You hate drawing attention to yourself. That's… immodest.
Listen. There's not a darned thing immodest about drawing attention to yourself when you have a legitimate, high-quality contribution to make to the marketplace — a professional offering that's in demand.
There are a lot of business owners in the San Francisco Bay Area that are glad I made it my business to let them know I was out there in the marketplace. And they acknowledge the difference I've made every time they pick up the phone and call me for another job. And every time they pay me.
I hate to say it, but you'd better be willing to draw some attention to yourself or you'll need to find another line of work. You're not selling some Vitamitavegimin or Abdominal Master on late-night TV. You're a professional who is marketing a professional service.
Keep Showing Up
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.
— Aristotle
Want to know the simple key to success in business? Keep showing up.
Assuming you're competent, creative, and reliable, it's all about multiple impressions. The small-biz folks who built thriving businesses just kept showing up in front of their clients and prospects in a variety of ways. And kept knocking on new doors. A "last man standing" sort of thing. It's that simple. Jump in — the water's fine… and very profitable.
Yours in success,
Sean E. Armstrong
Kethyr's CAMEL Report
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