We live in a very noisy world with millions of people demanding attention. If we have a product or service that we really believe in and we want to share it with others, we have to compete with all of that crazy noise. Sometimes it can feel so overwhelming or intimidating to promote our work. We have to constantly post, pitch, and praise ourselves until others catch on.
Not only do we have the external noise to deal with, but we also have to contend with our inner-voice. You may have thoughts like, "Who am I to be doing this?" or "Why would anyone want to listen to me?" These limiting beliefs clutter up our head and make it even harder to get our work out into the world.
People aren't going to know how talented and amazing you are unless you tell them. And sometimes you have to tell them over and over again. This requires some serious, shameless self-promotion. Here are 4 tips about how to do confident and authentic self-promotion so you can build a purposeful and profitable business:
1)It's all about the Mission
Guiltless self-promotion comes from a true understanding of your mission and what unique value you bring to the world. Your work is not about you, it's about the people that you serve and how you transform their lives. You need to develop a strong sense of self - grounded in your mission - and you need to keep that in the forefront of your mind. Have a strong sense of who you are and know that what you are doing is valuable, worthwhile, and creating something positive in the world. You may get negative feedback or backlash from the external world about the work that you are doing - forget about it. You know what you're doing and why you're doing it and that's all that matters.
2)Tell your Fear to Take a Backseat (and Shut Up!)
It's freakin scary to speak our truth and put ourselves out there. You never know who is going to tease, ridicule, or reject you. All this worry and fear prevents us from being vulnerable and authentic - we stay guarded and hidden because we think that it's safer to be that way. Wrong! If you keep your work a secret, you are not only hurting yourself but you are hurting all the people who could have benefited from your gifts. You are not bragging- you're sharing information that can change a person's life. You have to acknowledge your fear - then push it aside - and get on with your mission. Use affirmations to manage your self-talk in a positive way and cultivate a mindset that helps you move forward with confidence and ease.
3)You're Only as Strong as the People Around You
We all have a family member or friend that looks at us sideways when we talk about our passion - (s)he is the last person that you want to confide in when you are feeling nervous about self-promotion. Surround yourself with people who can hold the big vision for your life and work. You don't have to do this alone. Find a mentor that can guide and support you. There are lots of decisions that need to be made along your career path. It's totally normal to be scared or confused when you are doing something new that you're never done before. That's why you need to have a safe, loving community (like the Women in Wellness Club) that can help you stay on track, avoid pitfalls, take risk and get back up when you fall down.
4)Let Go of the Need to Please
You are never going to please all the people, all the time. The degree to which you try to make everybody happy, is the degree to which you are going to suffer. If you are being authentic and true, the right people will find you, resonate with you and buy from you. And it's worth mentioning here -- just because you are not trying to win everyone's approval, doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater. Self-promotion should be appropriate and professional - especially if you have a license in social work, psychology, medicine, and so on. We can use self-promotion (and self-disclosure) to help others without compromising our business if we do it with care and grace.
The truth is, people who are comfortable with promoting themselves are more successful in business and during their careers. It's your job to focus on your mission, cast fear and people-pleasing aside, and surround yourself with like-minded people so that you can create the visibility and credibility you need to move forward. Magic happens when you put yourself out there. You were born to shine!