Promote Yourself Without Being a Self-Promoter
Nobody likes that person who is always talking about how great they are, and relentlessly boasts and brags about their accomplishments. But you also have to be a confident advocate for yourself so that you get the work you want and the recognition you deserve professionally. Part of establishing your personal brand and reputation means making people understand why they should value and seek you out for opportunities.
How do you balance the need to promote yourself without sounding like a non-stop, annoying advertising campaign? In short, share facts about your work, do it in a way that demonstrates how you meet others’ needs, and connect your skills with your objectives.
Describe what you do and why it matters
When you say “I am an expert in that work” or “I’m the firm’s leading lawyer in that practice area,” these comments don’t say much about you individually as most professionals want to be seen as experts or leading authorities. A better approach is to describe your accomplishments in a meaningful way by sharing the specifics of what you do and why they are relevant to the person to whom you are trying to pitch your capabilities. In other words, show, don’t tell.
For example, if asked about what your experience is in interfacing with government regulators, you might say: “We handle a large number of government-facing matters, and in many of those instances I am the day-to-day point of contact with government representatives. When the government makes requests of our clients, I take the lead on the response, negotiating in the best interests of my clients and their priorities. Specific to your matter, I’ve worked in the past with two of the three government representatives who have recently reached out to you.” Offering facts and evidence of your work gives other people concrete information and allows them to form a better picture of how you might work effectively with them.
Emphasize the impact of your work on others
Rather than emphasize what you did, focus on how your work made a measurable difference for the company, the client, or the broader stakeholders involved. In other words, shift the focus from you to other people. One way to do this is to start by identifying the issue you were confronted with, rather than launching immediately into why you were the best person to handle the problem.
For example, you might tell a story of your work by stating: “Our client could not reach agreement with the opposing party as to the valuation of the assets in dispute.” Then, outline the process that you undertook to address this concern, while emphasizing what unique steps you employed: “After talking with the client, I discussed with our team and worked with them to identify some new analysis that we could perform in partnership with their finance team to pinpoint additional data. That information ultimately provided us with more support for the estimate.” And, to show why this was effective, you can then communicate the outcome: “The arbitrator considered this to be critical evidence which she was willing to admit, and ultimately included that evidence as support for her decision in favor of our client.”
When you center less on you and more on what you accomplished for someone else, you draw attention to the kind of results you can deliver. Clients and colleagues appreciate it when you paint a picture of why you are the best person to help them, not a picture of how impressive you think you are.
Tie your accomplishments to your goal
If you want a promotion, recognition, or a leadership role, you absolutely must speak up for yourself. Don’t be shy about what you want to accomplish and make your case that you are the right person to do the job.
Advocate for what you’re seeking to do by connecting your talents, experience and capabilities to the outcome you’re targeting. For instance: “I’d like to lead our presentation to the client for the next stage of this project. This is an important and necessary step for me as I build the portfolio that I need for promotion this year. I’m also well prepared to do this with the client. I’m familiar with their ways of working and expectations. I also interviewed personally all five of the client employees who have the key information necessary for this project work, which has prepared me to answer the client’s questions about the recommendations we are making.” When you make this connection, you give context to the person you’re speaking with and a basis for understanding your ask. You also offer the chance for them to ask questions and to engage more deeply on the things that are important to you. You’re not just promoting yourself; you’re engaging in a way that invites them to learn more.
If you’re looking to find ways to promote your accomplishments, talents and goals in a way that your colleagues and clients respect and appreciate, please reach out to me to discuss how I can help you get started on that path. Contact Laura