The Occupational Adventure (tm)

5 ways to improve your self-promotion

Part of creating the career you want is spreading the word about who you are, the gifts you bring to the picture, and how you want to put them to use. In other words, self-promotion.

Penelope Trunk has a fantastic post (as always) over on Brazen Careerist with 5 tips to ratchet up the impact of your self-promotional efforts. In a nutshell they are:

1. Specialize, which means saying what you don’t do
In order to talk about yourself in a memorable way, you need to say something specific. This is why specializing is essential for effective self-promotion.

2. Stay the most focused when things look the most difficult
We each have a wide range of talents. And it’s easy to get frustrated when things are not happening fast enough. So it makes sense that we’d try something new, to see if it might work faster.

3. Be the tortoise, not the hare
Self-promotion is about building a long-term reputation for yourself. Establishing trust and respect in the marketplace. This is not something you do in a few months. So you need to get some work habits that will allow you to move self-promotion from a project type thing to a lifestyle type thing.

4. Mitigate the fear of starvation
Getting your name out there takes time. And while you’re doing it, there is a nagging fear that you won’t be able to and you will starve. You might be encouraged to hear that this is actually a feeling that is essential to grand success.

5. Know yourself, really, so you know when to shut up
Most people err on the side of not talking themselves up enough. We each need to learn the right way to toot our own horn.  However sometimes you really do have to let your actions are speak louder than words.

She has lots more to say on each of them, so be sure to visit her blog to get the full benefit of her words o' wisdom.

Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst.

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Year-in-review question #4: Who do I appreciate?

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

It's so easy to get wrapped up in MeMeMe as we look back and reflect. But the truth is, we're not in this alone. We all need others to take part in our journey, both professionally and personally.

Ask yourself this question..."Who do I appreciate?" Who has supported you in your career? Who has been an integral part of your professional journey? Who couldn't you have done _______ without? How about in your personal life? Who do you appreciate there?

For each person you list, write about why you appreciate them. What impact have they had on you and your life?

And then - and here's where it gets a little wild - tell them! Tell them that you appreciate them, and tell them why. Reach out and build on what you have.

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

An exercise in "other-awareness"

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

This morning I ran across an article outlining five ways to expand your comfort zone, and this one jumped out at me: Compliment three strangers each day for a week. As the article says...

In order to do this one correctly, you have to become fully aware of the people around you...You also have to think of genuinely nice things to say.  It is not enough to simply speak to three strangers, but to compliment them forces you to think about the person before you speak to them...Force yourself outside of your comfort zone so as to tell strangers that you noticed something good about them.  You will make their day and your own.  You may even find yourself with some new friends by the end of the week.

The line that really jumped out at me was, "In order to do this one correctly, you have to become fully aware of the people around you."

I've often heard it said that the people who are perceived as the best conversationalists are the ones who have mastered the fine art of shutting up and listening. More than that, it's the people who really engage and pay attention to what the other person is saying and where they are coming from.

That's all nice Curt, you may be thinking, but how does that help me in my career?

Simple. The potential in your career grows in direct proportion to the relationships you are able to build. In relationships you'll find the support, insights, and ability to open doors that will propel your career forward. And the seeds of relationship - whether the relationship is casual or deep - start with that focused awareness of where the other person is coming from.

Really paying attention to others has multiple benefits. At it's simplest it's just the feel-good factor. Everybody likes to be listened to. Everybody likes to feel heard.

On a more complex level, part of successful networking (or relationship-building, as I prefer to think of it) is looking for opportunities to help anyone you meet. That might be a helpful idea, or an introduction to someone you think they should meet, or sharing knowledge and know-how that would be beneficial to their journey.

But you can't help if you're not paying enough attention to discover where the opportunities to be helpful lie.

Which brings us back to why I think that line is so powerful and so potentially beneficial if you take it to heart. "In order to do this one correctly, you have to become fully aware of the people around you."

It was talking about complimenting people, but it's just as relevant and important when it comes to building the relationships that will support you and propel you forward in your career.

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM

 

How To Be That Guy

mapmaker.curtrosengren.com

When I grow up, I want to be Scott Ginsberg (OK, never mind the fact that he's younger than me). He's funny, he always has great insights to share, and he's been able to turn a nametag into a fabulous career (how many people can say that?!). If you haven't read his blog, you should.

For the past several years, Scott has worn a nametag every day. He has parlayed that experience into a fabulous career as a speaker and writer focusing on approachability and connection.

Scott has a new book out called, "How To Be That Guy: 47 Ways to Create an UNFORGETTABLE Brand That MAGNETIZES More Business." Written in typical Scott Ginsberg style (light, witty, easy to digest), it's full of relevant and easily applicable ideas to help you become memorable.

Here's a blurb from the back of the book explaining the idea behind the book.

That Guy (or Girl!) n, adj
"A businessperson, entrepreneur or service provider whose visibility, credibility, uniqueness, authenticity, memorability and approachability fuse together to form something so incredibly valuable, so incredibly cool, that customer are not only magnetized to that person, but will actively tell all their friends about that person."   

In short, what are you known for. More than that, what are you known for that gets people so wildly enthused that they'll become stark raving fans and tell other people about you?

Scott tells about becoming "That Guy with the Nametag," quite by accident. I suspect that I am, "That Passion Guy."

What would you be? (If you can't say for sure, that's a good sign you need Scott's book - then again, even if you do know, his book is worth a read.)

(Oh, and if you run over to Scott's blog now, you can catch some of the free chapters he's posted starting at the beginning of August.)

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Brought to you by Curt Rosengren, Passion Catalyst ^TM