In this three part series, we’re going to talk about a common fear with many faces, faces that wear the terminology of PR, Branding, Marketing, Public Relations, Publicity, Promoting Yourself, and Self-promotion.
Fear of Promotion, Fear of Self-Promotion or Fear of Promoting Yourself … no matter what you call it, it is an attitude. And this attitude makes up a large percentage of the underlying discussions around the failure for you to succeed in your business.
The Small Business Association reports that the top two reasons businesses fail in the first two years are poor management and lack of promotion. I would make it three, adding attitude to this critical measurement.
I founded my PR, Branding, Marketing and Publicity Company The Raleigh Group, in 1980. Through my best selling books, seminars and information products I’ve mentored millions of people who are just entering the business arena, seasoned veterans, and the scale markers in between.
There is no doubt in my mind that the difference in why some succeed at self-promotion while others don’t ultimately comes down to the attitude they create around and about self-promotion. It’s all about marketing yourself. About branding your name and message. About doing publicity and public relations about yourself, your business and your message.
Attitude is a crucial part of self-promotion. Specifically, whether the player, you, comes into the arena with a preconceived attitude of fear of promotion. If so, this attitude will definitely influence the win, lose or draw.
If your chosen profession depends on promotion, I would like you think about the following statements. If you are in business to revenge a teacher or relative who told you that you would never succeed; if you are not a people pleaser by nature; if you would rather not deal with people and their needs, well then, I would say that you can count on having a difficult time succeeding in your PR, marketing, branding and public relations efforts.
Do you harbor a fear of promotion?
We are taught from birth not to talk to strangers. How in the world can you promote yourself if you can’t or won’t talk to strangers?
We’re taught not to blow our own horn, to keep our thoughts to ourselves. There is a saying, “the poppy that grows the tallest gets its head chopped off the fastest.”
It doesn’t matter if your business is in the planning stages, established a short time or long time, I suggest that you take a moment to look deep into yourself and define what your view of promotion truly is.
People who come to me for Media Training and Media Coaching for Talk Show appearances ask me all the time if you have to be brassy and shameless to excel at self-promotion? And I tell them absolutely not. But what does help is an unbridled enthusiasm, passion, and belief in what you do, in what you offer. That will make your PR, branding and public relations efforts easier.
Most of all, I suggest you develop an attitude and a belief that the media is there to joint venture with you, to do business with you, to help you make money and be successful.
Here’s to your many successes.
Promote & Prosper!
Raleigh Pinskey
P.S. One way you can insure effective participation with the media and erase the fear of promotion is to have the tools that will help you promote yourself. The international best selling book 101 Ways to Promote Yourself is available at http://www.promoteyourself.com/store/index.html
