Step Out of the Shadows

As women, we often shun self-promotion. We're taught to value being humble, supportive and polite. We all know people who shamelessly self-promote and invoke widespread eye rolling. We fear that, so we stay safely in the shadows and wait for the attention to come to us.

But here's the problem with that logic: Your competitors are delighted to take the public spotlight that you shun. So while you're waiting to get noticed for your company’s good work, you're creating an opportunity for someone else.

I've spent most of my career working in PR and the last 10 years running my own firm. I believe in the power of positive promotion because I've seen it transform companies. I've also cleaned up after PR programs that didn't do so well. The trick is to promote yourself gracefully. The best self-promotion will appear to have happened without you. Here are the secrets:

Educate. Don't plug.
You've met people who plug their business before you finish shaking their hand. But smart promoters know that it's far better to educate about a relevant topic instead. This works just as well for cocktail parties as it does for media interviews. Develop interesting pieces of advice or anecdotes you can use when you meet people. If you have smart things to say, people will take the initiative to ask for your card or visit your site for more information.

Pick and choose your venues.
Bad self-promotion leads to the groan of "she's everywhere." You'll get the same response--with a much different tone--if promotion is done well. The difference is in the venues. Pick places to advertise, contribute articles, do interviews and speak that are highly relevant to your customer base or industry. If your mother isn't buying your products, forget about impressing her with your picture in the local newspaper.

Use the illusion of third parties to promote for you.
Here's a dirty little secret: Nearly every award, media story or speaking engagement has some element of PR to it. However, the appearance is that someone thought so highly of you, they spontaneously recognized you for your work. That's why using third parties is ideal--it creates promotion that appears to come from others. If you're more comfortable with promotion that comes from a third party, spend your time identifying and pursuing awards and speaking and media opportunities to turn promotion into accolades.

Be an excellent spokesperson.
As your own corporate representative, your image directly reflects on your business. If you're polished, interesting, energetic and knowledgeable, those same traits will be attributed to your company. Luckily, this is something that can be 100 percent learned. Ask trusted advisors who've seen you in action for an unbiased assessment of your skills as a spokesperson. Where there are deficits, get help.

Unless it's required, leave your photo out of it.
Nothing causes more groaning than seeing someone's picture plastered everywhere. It's fine to use it where it's standard practice--such as on a column you write or on your bio; otherwise, leave it out. This means not putting it on your home page, advertisements or direct mailings. You may think it helps people get to know your company or that being attractive is good for your business, but trust me, it looks amateurish. Remember, Steve Jobs sold a lot of iPods without putting his face on the ads.

Work on your company's total image.
Every image that a customer encounters creates an impression, from meeting you to speaking to your receptionist to navigating your website. Do an audit and make sure everything sends the right message. If one part of your company's image still needs major work, fix it before you start the promotional effort. It's said a lot because it's true: You only get one chance to make a first impression.

I've found that the best self-promoters are confident. People sense that and follow their lead. They believe what they're doing is right for their business and work on it as they would any other part of their job. Women entrepreneurs need to get out from behind their businesses and take the spotlight. If they don't, someone else will.