To Attract Attention, You have to Show Off
Recently, a client of mine complained, "I'm really good at what
I do. I shouldn't have to market myself." In fact, he is quite
good at his profession, but the problem is that not enough
prospective clients know about him. Like many professionals, he
is reluctant to talk about his accomplishments. "It feels like
bragging," he says. "Doesn't it make me seem unprofessional?"
If thoughts like these often cross your mind, ask yourself this
-- who are the biggest names in your profession? In your line of
work, who might be considered unquestioned experts, those with
maximum credibility? Now, how did you get to know about those
people's work? Did you read an article or book they had written,
hear them interviewed, learn about them on the web? Or perhaps
you were told about them by others who had heard them speak or
read their words.
The point is that these well-known people became well-known
because they showcased themselves, usually in multiple ways.
They shared stories, examples, and ideas about the work they had
been doing with a wider audience than just their friends and
family. You know about their work because they showed it off.
And I'll bet it never occurred to you to call them
unprofessional for doing it.
Showing off your work doesn't have to sound like, "Ta da! Aren't
I great?" It doesn't have to contain even a hint of bragging.
There are a host of very dignified and appropriate ways to let a
wider audience know how good you are without ever saying so.
Here are a few you might try.
1. Writing articles - Putting your expertise in writing
and sharing it with publications your target audience reads is a
powerful -- and very professional -- way to let more people know
about your unique talents. Submit your articles to both print
publications and web sites that serve your niche and watch your
visibility grow.
2. Public speaking - Appearing as a speaker allows you to
broadcast your expertise with three different audiences -- the
people who attend your talk, the people who are invited by the
sponsoring organization but can't attend, and the people you
tell about it before and after. If standing in front of a room
makes you too nervous, serve on a panel of experts instead.
You'll get to sit behind a table and speak from notes.
3. Media interviews - Being interviewed by magazines,
newspapers, or on radio and television can spread the word
quickly about your capabilities. Landing interviews is not that
hard to do if you remember to start small. Begin by approaching
easy targets like association newsletters, neighborhood
newspapers, and local cable programs or talk radio.
4. Telling stories - One of the secrets to effective
articles, talks, and interviews is to tell stories about your
clients. When you describe their challenges and accomplishments,
you reveal the value of your role in helping them without having
to boast about it. You can use the same technique in a client
presentation to boost your credibility without being arrogant.
5. Testimonials - Whenever you do a good job for a
client, ask them to write you a simple thank you note describing
what you did to make them happy. Then make their words available
on your web site, brochure, or other marketing materials. Let
them tell others about your value, and you won't have to say it
yourself.
6. Building a portfolio - It's not just artists that
should capture their best work to show off in a portfolio. You
can collect photos, examples, and other evidence of your
accomplishments and display them on your web site, in a
marketing kit, or with a PowerPoint presentation. You don't have
to sell people on your abilities when they are seeing for
themselves what you can do.
7. Creating products - Packaging your work into
merchandise that prospective clients can take home and sample
gives them a compelling way to discover your real value.
Products like ebooks, white papers, and audio recordings allow
you to showcase your expertise and increase your credibility.
They can often be advertised more widely than your services can,
giving you another avenue for getting your name known.
Pick just one of these ideas to pursue and make a plan to
showcase what you can do for a wider audience. If you truly want
to spend less effort on marketing yourself, start letting your
prospective clients know how good you really are.