Member Article

The problem with self promotion!

Self Promotion And Networking

[how to promote myself as a non-exec]

General

admin | June 6th, 2015

In the Middle Ages, a herald’s main task was to travel ahead and proclaim the imminent arrival of the monarch. This meant, of course, that the intended hosts would have good foreknowledge of the king or queen’s visit [their likes and dislikes] and would go to great lengths to make sure everything was perfect and to their monarch’s satisfaction.

In today’s rather less feudal world of business, wouldn’t it be great if you had your own personal herald, whose role would be to proclaim your qualities to whomever you chose to grace with your business and present you in the best possible light before you arrived in person to clinch that all-important deal?

Sadly, the world of the harbinger has long gone.

These days, you have to be your own herald, promote your own qualities and trumpet to the world [with all necessary humility, of course] the things that make you the right person or company to do business with. It’s also important to show how you and your company stand out from the rest, how you’re not only different [different doesn’t always mean better] but uniquely placed to provide the service others are seeking. The majesty of it all!

Back in the mists of time, when a herald arrived at the intended host’s drawbridge, the host knew what they were about to get: they were already familiar with his or her majesty’s tastes and pleasures and had little or no choice in providing for them.

Not so these days. Potential clients are under no obligation to do business with you [you can’t have them hung, drawn and quartered if they refuse to sign on the dotted line]; they may not be fully acquainted with the quality of the service/product you are offering; and they may have little idea of your own merit as someone they can deal with. So it’s your job to make sure your business is fully and consistently promoted.

How? Well one way is to prioritise your networking profile, keep it fresh and current and proactive. This isn’t advocating an overly zealous approach akin to pushiness. It’s making sure your name isn’t allowed to fade into apathetic obscurity by failing to take advantage of networking opportunities. And if you work as part of a team, then the team’s profile needs to be consistently projected.

It all boils down to two simple points:

1. Work consistently to make sure what you offer is different and better than what’s on offer elsewhere. 2. Maintain your profile to maintain your presence.

Medieval monarchs took invitations for granted.

You have to work for them.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by NonExecutiveDirectors.com .