How to promote yourself politely

There is something tawdry about someone who feels the need to proclaim his or her own greatness to anyone who might be listening, so many people feel uncomfortable when forced into a position of having to advertise themselves. The problem of self-promotion for people who feel uncomfortable with the idea is addressed by Nancy Ancowitz in Self Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead.

There is plenty of good advice offered by the author. Start by identifying your strengths. Create a game plan with snack-sized goals. Use a long list of possible promotional activities to select a marketing mix of those activities you feel comfortable with. Identify your target audiences and work out what you can offer them. Expand your sphere of influence through networking. Develop your public speaking skills.

The author’s amusing quest to find celebrities who could provide quotes for her to put in the book would probably appeal to others more than it did to me, and the chapters on how to overcome negative self-talk, how to search for a job, and how to develop public speaking skills suggest that the book is best suited for readers at a relatively early stage in their careers, rather than for established professionals looking for tips on improving their marketing.