On Self Promotion…
I always knew one of my first online posts was going to be around the subject of self promotion, something I have not excelled at in my past (to say the least.)
The Cambridge Dictionary defines self promotion as the act or habit of trying to make other people pay attention to you and think that you are interesting, important, successful, etc
Advertising and marketing is about communicating the value of a product. I have nothing against marketing. It’s storytelling which I think is cool, but we live in a world today where people seem to 'be the product' and thus the need for 'self promotion' in order to get a raise, be noticed, sell their stuff, or 'influence' you.
There is an old saying in the corporate world called an "empty suit" - it's when a person is lacking substance, personality, or ability. Have you ever encountered someone who appears and presents themselves a certain way on the outside, but doesn’t have much substance on the inside? We all know that guy/gal...hopefully you aren't one of them. And if you really don't want to be that guy/gal...keep reading.
In order for a person to make positive changes in their lives, the change has to start from within. We all have goals, dreams, and desires, and it's easy to identify WHAT they are. It's not even that hard to be told or to figure out the process on HOW to achieve them. But what is most difficult is the WHO. To form the identity we must become in order to be the kind of person for whom these goals come easily. Being, afterall, is effortless.
Our identity is made up of our thoughts, values, principles, and the beliefs we have about ourselves. In order to grow, in order to advance, in order to rise in rank, we must first promote ourselves (from within) before we promote (advertise) ourselves (to the outside.)
We must SELF Promote before we self promote.
When we decide to change our identity, when we start seeing ourselves a certain way, when we start talking to ourselves in a certain way, we bring the future into the present. We must first BE before we can DO which then leads to our HAVE.
The Be-Do-Have model (much talked about in philosophy and made more main stream in Steven Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) relates to the need for an identity shift. Many people approach personal
growth backward—they believe they need to HAVE something first (money,
confidence, recognition) in order to DO what they want (start a
business, speak on stage, lead confidently) so they can finally BE the
person they aspire to be (a successful entrepreneur, thought leader, executive,
etc.)
But instead, they should really start with the BE. This summary is pretty short and sweet:
BE --> Embody the identity of your future self now.
DO --> Take actions that align with this identity.
HAVE --> Naturally attract the results and external validation.
Are you trying to lose weight and develop more healthy diet and exercise habits? You can try talking to youself and identifying as someone who is already beautiful and handsome and in shape. Of course taking care of your body (the doing or behavior) is something you would do with this new SELF promotion (your being.)
Are you trying to get a higher position at your company where you lead teams and get to shape the direction of the firm? You can try talking to yourself and identifying as someone who spends time thinking about strategy and motivating and inspiring people. Of course thinking strategically and inspring others (the doing or behavior) is something you would do with this new SELF promotion (your being.)
Or are you an athlete who wants to level up his performance? You can try talking to yourself and identifying as someone who practices, works hard and visualizes success like the elite players in your sport do on a daily basis. Of course these new practices (the doing or behavior) is something you would do with this new SELF promotion (your being.)
The results (the thing you want to have) will come.
I don't think self promotion (the advertising kind) is going away from our society anytime soon. But to use another analogy, it kind of reminds me of the way to have healthier looking skin. All of the moisturizer in the world isn't going to make you look younger if you aren't taking care of your health on the inside. You get what I'm saying?
But when you really start SELF promoting yourself on the inside, there will be less and less need for you to self promote (advertise.) As the old saying goes: great products need very little marketing.
And lastly, don't think I don't find this post ironic. I'm promoting this idea on a platform that is literally all about self promotion. But before I could do this self promotion (advertising) I had to give myself a SELF promotion. I changed my identity. I had to affirm to myself that as a coach, public speaker and writer, my words and ideas are worth sharing. Because they are worth sharing it's really not that big of deal to share them. Actually it's something someone with my identify would naturally do.
What will you naturally do after you give yourself a SELF promotion?
Let me know. I'm rooting for you.
Your Work in Progress,
Will