Shameless Self Promotion 101

Shameless self promotion gets a bad wrap mainly because of the word "shameless," which according to the online Merriam Dictionary means:

Hmmmm, not very positive it is? So let's take out the word "shameless" - now its just, "Self Promotion." Anything wrong with that?  As a phrase, it sounds better, but in reality it's all in your execution that determines whether your self promotion is in fact "shameless."  

So how do you promote yourself without being shameless? It's pretty easy actually. Promote yourself authentically.

Authentic self promotion is win-win. It means you're not just out there to promote and brag about yourself but to connect with people in the expectation that both parties will be positively changed in the course of the relationship. It means you're earnestly willing to work with people to find out how you can discover new ways to do business together.

Here are a few excerpts from the book, "Confessions of a Shameless Self Promoter"

Studies have found that self-promotion is directly related to success. All successful people are self-promoters, from Madonna, to Dennis Rodman, to Howard Stern, to Jimmy Carter. Some do it with more political acumen or integrity than others, but we all must self-promote to succeed.   

Undeniably, there is unethical self-promotion. We've all been witness to it, and maybe even lost business because of it. But that's not what we're discussing. You can do shameless self-promoting with class, ethics and truth. As Will Rogers said, "If you done it, it ain't braggin'."

Natural self-promoters are those people who don't hesitate to show the world what they can do and have done, and for which they receive recognition in the form of money, fame or service to others-their rewards for many sales. We can emulate what works for them, regardless of our goals.

So, there you have it - go forth and self-promote AUTHENTICALLY. It's a grassroots marketing tactic that works!