Shut The Hell Up You Self-Promoting Turd

May 12, 2009 · Comments

Chris Brogan in a nifty shirt“With our award-winning process designed to meet your business needs, we feel confident that you’ll love our forward-thinking solution.”

What? Shut up! Just stop it. I don’t know why we have to revisit the lesson, but let’s do it, just to be clear: everything you know about a nice dinner party applies to all business communication. Here’s one: your host, unless he’s a true asshole, doesn’t spend the entire dinner talking about himself. (see also, that guy.)

You want to promote your company? Get out there and empower people. When I was an aspiring high school garage band guitarist, I’d read every article by my favorite bands. If Eddie Van Halen or James Hetfield or Chuck D was using a piece of equipment, I’d think, “That’s how they sound so amazing,” and I’d make a note of that as something I might want to save for.

No company could pay for the kind of bond my eyes made between the musician and his tools.

I was a big Dungeons and Dragons guy in high school (in other words, a loser). My friends and I would make epic storytelling happen four or five times a week in my basement. There was no ad TSR could have made that would have sold us on why their stuff was better than some other game. We already knew. Because they’d empowered us to be the masters of our own destiny.

Here’s a truth: If you have to tell me you’re the best, you’re not. If you have to write that you’ve got an award-winning something, you’re worried that I don’t know you have game. If you’re selling the best whatever-it-is in the world, stop talking about it. Start telling me how I can use it to make me into a superstar.

The best, most magical thing that can ever happen in marketing is catching your customers bragging it up about you. Give them the mic, dammit. Give them the stage. Make them the center of your damned world, not your stupid “drive yourself to Maui” user-generated video contest.

Believe me: you have been granted the very best tools in the whole damned world to both discover who’s bragging about your company, and then to give them the stage. Do it. Stop your own internal promotions.

Oh, and if no one’s raving about you, that might be another problem entirely.

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  • I write for a business newspaper and I'm working on a story right now about this super successful company here in Charlotte. They are known for their outstanding customer service. I was taking a look at some of their competitors' websites and saw that they were dripping with self-promotion--"100 % customer satisfaction!" or "More than 80% of our business comes from referrals!"

    I went to the website of the successful company, not a single word of self-promotion. Just a lot of "How can I help you" language.
  • My own personal favorite is when someone describes themselves as a "Thought Leader" in a particular industry. Makes it easy for me to identify them as a self-absorbed twit with nothing of interest to say.

    I also love resumes where people tell you of awards they received in college (or high school), articles published in trade magazines, and stuff their mom has behind little magnets on the fridge.

    WTF are you doin' for ME today, fella?
  • Batman
    Great stuff. Going to rethink The Blatant Self Promotion Tour as a result....
  • It's a lot harder to turn the megaphone around and hand it to the customer, than to climb to the top of the mountain and shout. If you take the chance and hand it over to the customer, Sneezer as Godin would say, it will pay dividends. Great post.
  • suzi w.
    this totally reminds me of the movie "My Best Friend's Wedding" when Cameron Diaz is running after that guy she wants to marry and her friend that she's complaining to says, is anyone chasing after you? Like wake up and smell the wedding bells, they're not for you. Thanks for not being "that guy."

    xo, suzigurl
  • Nice work done ..especially great way 2 describe your post !
  • cq
    so you think everyone should have / maintain their own blogs in which they just let people say whatever they want about their company?

    meaning... they have to have actual accountability? huh... doesn't seem all that logical to me. i mean, imagine a world in which corporations were responsible for the greater good of humanity rather than legally required to invest in maximizing their own profits.

    hm... maybe we just need to legally define profits as for the good of humanity...

    well, this sounds like socialism. now i'm confused again.
  • Chris, it seems as if you may have hit a sore spot!

    Thank you again for recognizing the turds for who they are.
  • malcolmoutloud
    Most people never get this, I've been mentoring executives for 25 years and you're right on with this one. Put your best out there every day and let the chips fall where they fall. As for the people on twitter that are overselling themselves, is anyone listening to them or really give a shit. Malcolm Out Loud
  • dbriere
    Chris I have a question: What do you do if you are in the point in your company's lifecycle where you have lots of great enthusiastic clients, but THEY feel that they have something special that everyone else doesn't -- connoting a strategic edge -- and don't want to talk about it to extend their strategic advantage? While we have it in our contracts that customers have to do joint marketing (case studies, white papers, news release, etc.), they really stall and don't want to do it. And it's not because they don't like it ... it's the opposite. When we go to talk to people such as yourself, we get the response in this article, which essentially is, "If you are so great how come I've never heard of you?" We're caught between a rock and a hard place. Eventually, we'll break loose and have enough talkers to carry the day, but there are periods of a company's development where you can hand the mic to your customer and they just don't want to talk! A lot of startups go through this stage and would benefit from your advice.
  • So maybe it doesn't have to be your customers talking about you, but then, make the stories about something different than how great you are. Instead, make the stories about something great new customers can do with you. It's the self-promotion part that's at issue here, not talking in general.

    Hope that made sense.
  • "Start telling me how I can use it to make me into a superstar. "

    I've been learning this more and more. It's not about the products we offer, it's about helping people be successful with our products (and others). Customers WANT to do great things and just giving them the tools is NOT enough - they need to know how to use the sward to with the fight.

    I find that moving beyond tools to success is a cultural thing to some extent. It takes work to build a mindset of showing/building success into people who do consulting work.

    http://twitter.com/franswaa
  • Chris, what you say is sooo true. But it is not only applicable to companies, it's applicable to people too! I just wrote about your posting in my blog as well, feel free to check it out.
    www.beyond.jobs
  • Yknow, back in the day, in worked at a big PR firm with bog Fortune 500 clients. No one I ever met, on the client side or on the agency side had even an inkling of this concept. As a result, neither did I.

    When I ditched that world and become an online entrepreneur, it took me about 3 days to figure it all out. "Of course it's not about me! Of course it's purely about my customers and their wants and needs!" Good lord, what blinders I had on. What blinders the vast majority of marketers still have on.

    Thanks for this -- maybe it will shake the blinders off somebody, somewhere.

    Jon
    http://cbiclubhouse.com
    the Community for Success-Minded Children's Book Writers
  • These are some great points and some conclusions I've recently come to. As a society we've all become jaded by the obvious self serving promotions that come our way everyday. It's devoted followers of products that make the most impact. Take the moleskine notebook for example. My most viewed photo on flickr is of a moleskine notebook that I took with my cellphone. Over a thousand views. That's marketing; they didn't come to see my cheezy photo; it was the notebook. BTW the fb connect thingy didn't work for some reason...
  • A-MEN!!!!

    Enough said.
  • Katetalbot
    I believe it was David Ogilvy who said "don't tell me how good you make it, tell me how good it makes me when I use it". A good reminder that, in the eyes of the consumer, product benefits are more important than features. Thanks for a great post!
  • shanegibson
    I'm not a big fan of the self-promoter either who's favorite subject is them. I also was a Dungeon Master in high school, is D&D the common thread?

    All joking aside I think that people who lack social intelligence also lack the ability to see themselves as they truly appear or show up as in public or online. This something as a trainer I have always struggled to help people with. Some people just don't get it.
  • dbifulco
    Chris - another great post. I was laughing and nodding my head as I read this, thinking how ironic it is that so many marketers are totally missing the point. And, when have we EVER had more tools at our tingertips (literally) to encourage people to talk about us.

    Also speaks to the issue of how many people are using tools like Twitter to blast out "me, me, me" messages rather than really engaging people and listening.

    Lots to think about.
  • Chris, I agree with you (because @tdempsey told me to, nah.) What strikes me most about this notion is that the blogger universe (me included) tend to relate things to people as it relates to them simply due to the fact that they don't have the discipline or the time or patience to talk to folks and get an actual quote or two or to find out what they're really thinking about an idea. From my perspective, that comes partially out of a respect for their time and partially from the fact that what I'm interested in talking about now is not in their current mindspace.

    What's more, bloggers (me included again) tend to promote ideas that are covered over and over again. Challenging people to consider something that might be on the fringes or lateral to prevailing opinions appeals to a very few; yet, that's where true innovation occurs. Watching the twit stream and following bloggers, I keep coming back to a short list of about 20 or so folks who cover something that fits my personal needs (someone who is significantly "been here, done that.")

    Personally, I would like to read more blogs about case studies and less about ages-old, crusty advice on what people should already know like lists (how to get more twitter followers, the top 100 wordpress themes, get rich quick schemes, how to SEO, repeats of headlines that most have already seen.)

    Most avid blog followers are "so over it"; yet, the most highly read blogs and twitterers post on exactly those things!

    Hopefully, folks will take your post to heart and call a customer or two today.

    http://twitter.com/johnstack

    Best, jws
  • Wow...I agree on so many parts of this post. I've really had to change my thinking from coming out of a Fortune500 to nothing...just silence and and empty email inbox.
  • Dave Falconetti
    Don't forget to include many poser photos and videos of your branded self-- jeez are you transparent
  • Dear Chris,
    WOW! This article sums up for me why I've grown to enjoy your commentary and insight: Because it's straight from the hip genuine, truthful, with personality that can't be bought.
    My undergraduate degree was in communications management (a social view of management). I was taught, 'communications is two-way and the goal is build relationships...' Of course, some instructed to build a blow horn bigger than the other guy so that your 'message' for your client is louder than the next dudes. However, regardless of another being an 'ambassador or advocate for your brand' or simply a genuine 'referral' in the making, thanks for reminding us that it's about relationships that say, 'hey, you take the stage.' If where patient, we'll learn something from those that we've built a relationship with.
  • A smart person once told me the most interesting people in the world are those who ask others about themselves and then listen. They have the greatest impact on others because they make THEM a priority. Same for people who are described as having charisma or warmth or likability. They all do the same thing: they focus on other people - making them the center of their world. And the people in their world love them.

    What if we built businesses around this idea. Imagine the impact.
  • Chris - I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on how crowdsourcing can be a means of giving consumers the mic. Or any other means that you feel are effective.
  • jimbursch
    I think companies get that kind of copy when they pay someone else to write for them.

    I suspect that if they wrote for themselves about themselves, it has a much better chance of being/sounding genuine.

    Perhaps that is the lesson -- don't outsource your story telling.
  • Chris, you nailed it on the head

    Here’s a truth: If you have to tell me you’re the best, you’re not. If you have to write that you’ve got an award-winning something, you’re worried that I don’t know you have game. If you’re selling the best whatever-it-is in the world, stop talking about it. Start telling me how I can use it to make me into a superstar.


    This is the reason why, our pride, that people don't keep coming back. Pride gets in the way. Let's use our humility to make others feel like kings.

    In what ways could we make people feel like kings on our blogs, media platforms?
  • owen chapman
    This blog is THE MOST sensible thing on the entire internet. You don't need to denigrate yourself, you just need to SHOW you have game.

    ANd if you really ARE the best, don't worry . . . people talk.
  • Sam
    As always, you're perfect. I mean really. Who could have said THAT better?! There is nothing better in my world than seeing/watching my clients grow. I seldom get a lot of credit for it, but beam & glow like a mother hen when I see them excel, achieve, prosper and meet goals of success. Best part? They KNOW I love them and am totally on their team. They always come back and send their friends to me too.
  • But I AM special! Mommy and Daddy told me so! Now I need to tell the whole world.

    Seriously, it really is about sharing information. Talk about yourself as appropriate, but be a great resource too.
  • I enjoy and employ social networking in my business.

    However, there are many times when spending money on Adwords makes more sense especially when I have a product to sell instead of promoting myself. Frankly, I have an awful time selling even information products on my blog. Lately, it's been difficult using any method.
  • Anna
    So true! I just started doing door-to-door sales and it is killer. I work with dvdprods.com, a really great company that helps young businesses. I know I am young and still unexperienced, but even I know that sales are closed faster through referrals than cold leads. The only way to sell anything is to show them how much BETTER life will be for them once they have it!
  • Self-absorbed marketers and business will always be looking for their next gig. They create a following through excitement that only last until people get upset and don't get what they were promised. My experience in the industry is that those that promote themselves the most also execute the least. They don't think about all the details as they are all about promotion.

    Building businesses that last takes a Hub Mentality (http://www.kgaps.com) where we are just as concerned about connecting to clients as impressing them.
  • There's a reason it's called "social" media — there are some social acceptable behaviors that are starting to emerge. There's nothing worse than getting cornered at a cocktail party by a guy that doesn't want to chat, but wants to add you to his Amway downline, or push insurance, or a million other things.

    Folks that just push their business, affiliate or otherwise, on social networks are the online equivalents of those party boors. I believe (maybe hope?) that the networks will weed them out.
  • jeffcutler
    This one line sais it all... everything you know about a nice dinner party applies to all business communication.

    I love that sentiment.

    Thanks Chris!
  • "Here’s a truth: If you have to tell me you’re the best, you’re not."

    That's it in a nutshell. And it explains why I get so turned off by people with Twitter profiles that proclaim themselves gurus and experts.
  • Kim
    "Here’s a truth: If you have to tell me you’re the best, you’re not."

    I completely agree. I dated a guy once that insisted he was extremely laid back....ugg.
  • me, me, me, you, you, you, us, us, us.....maybe someone can create a song. I've been on twitter for just a few months only...it is very noisy...but the good thing is you can be selective with the kind of noise. I love learning what the shiny new tool is to "get out there in internet marketing", but the more I see and learn, the more I just prefer to keep it simple.

    So I guess being confident is like a good song. If it's good, people will listen..if not they'll change the channel or turn it off. If people would utilize their innate talents in better ways, there would be much better music. But instead many are trying to be what they are not. That's why there's so much bad music.
  • The toughest part a lot of new marketers have with self promotion is getting their products into the hands of customers. I would often try to find people I could trade my product for theirs to get it in their hands. Once they had it, it was much easier to let them start raving!

    Now I try to avoid mentioning my own stuff. My goal is to help others become successful as quickly as possible. Period. With their success, my success will follow!

    Thanks for the reminder!

    Micheal
  • Who wants to hear about what their customers and prospects want? I want more ME in the conversation! For instance, I am incredible! I also got a merit badge before I was even a scout.

    While I agree with some of what you said, like, the words "to" and "give them the mic" - the rest didn't make any sense to me. And it's all about me!
  • Great post, Chris. I completely agree. Self-promotion is the staple of modern marketing. We need to flush it down the toilet.

    PS, "Shup" should be "shut" in your title. :)
  • You NAILED it Chris...it's essentially all about the CUSTOMER & THEIR experience with it...not the other way around. In "selling"...it's about finding what meets the CUSTOMER'S need/want/desire...not the other way around!
  • Somebody really got your knickers in a twist today Chris.

    Basically what your saying is that its about balance though no?

    Im not the best at what I do, but I know im a hell of a lot better than others and vice versa. Its knowing when to stand up and make sure your heard and when to step back and accept or admit that someone else knows about that subject or thing much better than you.

    Relatively speaking in marketing or sales its the same. Dont put yourself down, but dont big yourself up (to much) a create a pedestal which is easy to fall from. Be confident, but not overbearing and be considerate without being trampled.

    The largest problem I have is making the client understand that its all about the customer and not about them but thats half the fun I suppose.
  • This is true across all industries. I work in higher education and I think having real students and people talk about a program or the school in general is far more powerful than a campaign that says 'Come to XYZ College. We have the highest employment rate." or something like that. There is a lot of power in authentic messaging. Companies and other institutions need to find their most vocal advocate and have them share their message instead of it being a traditional marketing message. People will promote a product, company or school if their experience is worth sharing. Good ideas again Chris.
  • TC
    Does this link count as crapping on your website:

    http://iloveclosing.com/2009/05/11/dictionary-o...

    Cheers
    TC
  • Hey, Chris. Your mention of Chuck D reminded me of meeting him at my previous job and inspired a blog post called "What Chuck D taught me about social media."

    http://davidbthomas.wordpress.com/2009/05/12/wh...
  • I bet you like Weezer. Nice comments on D&D and guitars. Reminds me of myself.
    Have you seen the Chipotle article in today's adweek? It supports your idea of giving the mic to the consumer.
    http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/a...
  • bcavanaugh
    Marketing is "open mic night" isn't it? Maybe marketing is about creating a venue for the voices and not a message for the campaign... Thanks, this will help me with an important task today.
    @bcavanaugh
  • Scott
    Uncanny - just as I finished reading the post, a co-worker came into our area and started telling us how great he is at his job.

    His "brand" is well known in the office and he really is good at his job, but seriously, he is a "self-promoting turd." So, we just don't deal with him unless we have to.
  • jaymacintosh
    Inspiring post indeed!

    Marketing is about relationships (i.e. we want more of the right relationships with people who are loyal advocates) and relationships are characterized by how people/groups/brands relate (there's that word again!) to one another.

    For a slightly different take on how companies "relate" to consumers, check out Marty Neumeier's illustration at http://digg.com/d1gigD

    BTW - enjoyed meeting you Chris at the IMS in SF!
  • Also, in the musician article example, it's likely that Hetfield and D were getting sponsored for their endorsement. And, they were being interviewed because a PR person pitched the story to the magazine.
  • Thanks Chris for a great post. The photo looks familiar. Chicago skyline from SOBCon?

    I reckon that what you're sharing about is to being a LEADER...

    L = Learner with a beginners mind
    E = Ears to hear, a listener
    A = Adaptable and flexible
    D = Direction, vision and purpose
    E = Enroller, able to inspire
    R = Responsible for results

    Now I just think I'll just listen...

    Griff
  • Thanks Chris, another great post to bring folks back to reality. It's needed time and again.
  • You said it so perfectly, Chris: "If you have to tell me you're the best, you're not.".

    The companies that ARE the best and are confident in that are the companies whose customers speak for them. They don't spend money on trying to sell themselves to potential customers - the customers sell their friends on it.
  • cavcopy
    Right on, brother! Right on! Granted, I am the choir on this one, but I certainly believe we can't shout this from the rooftops enough.
  • I was totally with you until you said D&D players were losers. :)

    And then I was right back on the bus after that. Thanks, Chris.
  • Trista
    That has to be the best title to a blog post ever!
  • The thing is Chris, "that guy" or gal...often gets enough of what they need with those tactics to keep practicing that type of promotion. I am turned off by much of it as are most of your readers in this thread but some people live by that and preach it from the mountaintops. So, when it's effective I don't know that they will ever have the motivation to change, unless they ultimately see what they are missing which perhaps will one day be the case.
    Angela Connor | @communitygirl
  • Yep, you need to let your customers have the mic. But you also have to find these customers first. And, to start with, you're only going to do that via self-promotion in whatever form that takes. Some have it down well; others less so. The key factor is finding what works.

    Having evangelists doesn't always work. Look back at the Sega Dreamcast versus the Playstation 2. Without a doubt, the Dreamcast had the best games at the time and some incredibly vocal fans. BUT... Sega didn't shout about the Dreamcast from the rooftops.

    Compare that to Sony and their bombardment of ads; their huge sponsorship deals with the hip companies; their constant stream of games released, regardless of quality. The end result? Sony had more on the shelves so the PS2 was deemed the better choice.

    Evangelists are great, but they don't always win the battle for you. As too many companies have found out, sadly.
  • Agree, having your customers talk about you and promote you is the best type of PR you could ever get. Then channeling that and rewarding them by more communication, content, and a quality product will only further it.
  • dl
    Chris I think it is time to start those "epic storytelling" sessions again. D & D just instigated you to entertain each other...but the key was not in just your decision and story...but interacting with others decisions and stories. It was in the collaboration. I would argue...the decisions and expression you told through those stories and sessions was fun for few and work for others... it was the relationships between you that was what sold you.

    It is a specific demographic that wants to play with their inner characters.(Often the population that created them out of social necessity/survival - as you say "losers" lol...like myself lol). I would say the curve of the general population does not create internal worlds and expression like that (or at minimum on a grand or detailed scale) necessarily. I would say the vast majority of the population wants their coping system of entertainment -cooked, served and escorted to them.

    It is those who don't want that, that should start (at this time in history) getting back into cooking. So again...what say you start having those epic story sessions but in new "architectural story" categories.
  • Amen.
  • On the other hand, don't go to far in the other direction, denigrating yourself. One of the best bits of advice I got was from a psychiatrist friend who said "don't bad mouth yourself, there are always enough other people willing to do it for you."

    Taking it a step further, aren't your more impressed with those that speak not of people (themselves, stars, successful friends), not of things (my iPhone, Mac, car) but of ideas? Especially ideas that might make life better for someone (you, yours, them, theirs or just the world in general)?
  • "The best, most magical thing that can ever happen in marketing is catching your customers bragging it up about you. Give them the mic, dammit. Give them the stage. Make them the center of your damned world, not your stupid “drive yourself to Maui” user-generated video contest."

    To be honest Chris...I desperately want to go to Maui and if you have an awesome amphibious vehicle that can take me there, I'm down.

    All kidding aside, love the assessment that you should just shut up and give your customers the mic. Not enough of us do that.
  • marklukach
    this is kind of an ironic post coming from a guy who has his own name printed on a t-shirt that he's wearing, and has his name and face tattooed all over his website.
  • I'd love to comment but first let me tell you about me.
    Seriously I unfollowed 6 people yesterday on Twitter when I saw the same "ads" several times for a "guaranteed income ... in your home business..crap". I agree people need to know something about you; hobbies, work, family but it can be done in a conversational tone not with a bull horn. Think about your conversation at a friends cookout with Jimmy Buffett playing and margaritas; now use that same tone online. Eventually the people that want to know your story will hear it and they will remember you when they have a need for your service or product. Till then enjoy the party and stop selling life insurance at your aunts funeral.
  • DnD: Early breeding ground for your superpowers. Good to know. :-*
  • Love it.

    I teach small businesses SEO -the basics that they can do themselves and dont need the big guns. And it works. It always about empowerment and education in my books, what ever you do and want to be known for.
  • I am almost laughing too hard to comment coherently. Someone please share this with their copywriters and internal marketing teams. Just go to a Loyalty Marketing conference and see how many "best in class" providers are in the exhibit hall!

    Break the mold, take a chance, win big.
  • *nodding head*

    Again, how you interact with your consumers, potential clients, etc. has changed and your canned sales process doesn't cut it anymore. Be innovative and different but be so in a way that pulls in your community, not pushing that hideous marketing message at them.

    Results will vary...but results by doing the latter will vary far worse.
  • MB
    I really like your point and your blog. Count me as someone that raves about the info you provide.

    But...I got a good chuckle this morning while reading this post and seeing the picture of you in a t-shirt with your name on it. I'm not sure if that was on purpose or not...
  • Well that title DEF got my attention. :) Thanks for outing those who continue to be 'marketers' instead of 'communicators'.

    @jesskry
  • Rachael_Dror
    So social media is not for everyone? True enough article but there are some products, services & companies that are not going to generate online customer buzz.. Is blogging and social media just not for them? I work with a kick ass criminal defense attorney who has saved many a pot trafficker from a lifetime in jail. His clients are obviously not going to brag about their criminal behavior. How should he go about promoting himself online?
  • I only have one small point to make today (for a change). This is all just as true for individuals as it is for companies.

    :)
  • Sharon Hearty
    Chris, thought provoking blog and if only more were like this in their thinking and action. But alas they are not. So we are up against this, those with awards, the bigger and seemingly better guys, big brands, services etc. Businesses and individuals are brought up on 'winning' & 'achieving' and making sure you use this to your advantage - it's good for your cv for your pitch to a potential client etc. It shows your peers you are excellent at what you do. We are shaped by society and our culture and this shows today in what you are explaining - the unfortunate thing is that those in positions of influence and decision making look for this in a funny way (if not overtly then they dig for it) it gives credibility in a fashion we know and take for granted. I am with you on your thoughts but crumble a bit when I realise there are others up against me in business who are rich in awards; letters to numerous to mention after their name and full of their own self promotion - they get the work (most of the time), they shout loudest - there is no risk as they come with so much 'wonderful baggage' or so it is perceived. So much of what is the norm would have to change. Sharon Hearty
  • While I understand and agree with the underlying message: Substance, actions and added value in the real world verses words, retrospectives and self promotion; it is important to note that not everyone is Chris Brogan.

    A valuable lesson I learned at school (carrying on the theme) was from my GCSE Art teacher. She saw me trying to copy a wonderfully, naturally talented classmate of mine. She made me stop and said "You are not Gaylard. What he is doing comes naturally to him, it is part of his unique style. Be true to yourself and work within your own skills and resources"
    Chris, this comes naturally to you. It is great advice, and leaves us in no doubt about your feelings on the subject.

    Other people or organizations may have different requirements. It is conceivable that, no matter how wrong it is, a company may have a policy of only hiring creatives who have won awards.

    Absolutely we should be out there making things happen, building our reputation and getting people to recommend or promote us. However we also need to tailor our pitches and our promotions to the audiences we are selling to while ensuring that they relate to who we are and what we can do for the client.
  • I quite agree with your premise that no one is me. Here's how stories work: the storyteller weaves with you, and you (the listener in this case) get to decide whether or not you can identify with any bits of the story. Some of us want to be the storyteller's narrator or hero. I want to BE Batman. But, as it turns out I eat at McDonalds, am not a billionaire, and have both parents quite healthy and alive, I'm not Batman.

    And yet, I learn from Batman's story the kinds of things I *can* take away and I do those things.

    My stories are not intents for you to be me. They're intended to share perspectives on how the next web is working in its attempt to humanize the universe.
  • Absolutely re stories. They are part of what makes us human. Hey I too want to be Batman, and for a few years in my childhood I was.
    My comment here was not meant to be anything other than a reminder that we must be who we are. We need to promote ourselves according to our personal strengths and according to where we are within our lives. You have done that for yourself through hard work and dedication. Your actions and reputation speak for themselves. This did not happen for you overnight.
    Others may need to get there through self promotion and saying the right thing to the right person at the right time.
    As long as you can back that up through action and ability and you are sincere, it might help a person get to the stage where their actions can speak for themselves. It might allow individuals to work on the projects that will show their worth.
    In the meantime there is the immediate need to sustain oneself and to find the opportunities that will allow them to prove themselves.
    But yes, opportunism and overkill on the self promotion, cliched marketing speak is a turn off
  • Fantastic advice! I know of a couple of people who could use it ;-) Thanks
  • Good advice, being new at blogging I was following a couple of people who started off being very helpful with good advice, unfortunately this has now become very tedious as they both just heavily promote their stuff and flood my mailbox with more "last minute deals" and products I must buy to become a great blogger. To be honest I wouldn't mind so much if the product was of value, a little promotion is ok, too much becomes a bore
  • shefaly
    Chris: Ironic that this post appears on a blog. That is the catch-22 of self-promotion right there in front of us :-)

    Successful influence on companies' strategies or whatever it may be that rocks your boat is like doing charity. It is best kept quiet and the results are their own reward. Self-promotion the way it happens on the web - and in a lot of traditional marketing - is not how business is generated on an ongoing basis by anyone.

    As for "Oh, and if no one’s raving about you, that might be another problem entirely.": sometimes it depends on the nature of one's work.

    If you do work that is confidential in nature, for companies that do not publicly own up to using consultants/ external advisors, then I am afraid the clients just would not give a shout-out to the world about you. In such cases, repeat business, better rates and references to other discreet clients are the "shout-out". As their advisor, I should also pointedly not discuss what I do for them. Which means I have no option but to talk in abstract terms.

    If you have real influence, much of it is below-the-line anyway. Some of my most well-connected contacts are not on LinkedIn, do not blog or tweet, yet their introductions are meaningful and value-generative. No shout-out needed there except the occasional lunch where they graciously pay.

    Now to locate and to have such mentors is definitely worth shouting-about ;-) Isn't it?
  • A lot of the people you find self-promoting the heck out of their stuff (without pointing out how it helps you) are spammers and people with weak products who rely on hitting a small percentage of the masses. There's nothing wrong with self-promoting as long as you're upfront about it and showcase how it helps the people on the other side. If you're just saying your the best and don't show how you can help others be the best then what's the point of us listening/buying/reading?

    One of your bests posts, throw it up in the Best Of section right at the top!
  • This is probably the best post (out of many great posts) I've ever read on here. So true and highly entertaining.

    I have a friend in his mid 20s who is still trying to emulate great musicians and spends a fortune on guitar equipment.

    So I think valuable lesson from Chris. Who cares about telling us about award winning approaches, show us exactly what you have that can help us be great. Actions speak louder than words.
  • Kevin Ross
    Couldn't agree more - and isn't twitter getting more like this every day! Although, did no-one spot the irony that the author of this blog is wearing a t-shirt with his own name emblazonned across the front. Priceless.
  • That was the point of the picture. : )
  • Yeah, I caught that, too. Pretty damn funny.
  • Exactly, I am realising the more questions I ask the more I know, and it kinda goes without saying "give value". I know I myself get sick of those that self promote, its amazing it see this written in copy.
  • With you all the way on this one, Chris
    JB
  • You can't go wrong not talking about yourself!
  • Go for it Chris!

    You make a great point. I have a philosophy on the straplines and marketing messages that businesses should use. I believe that a most effective message is to say something that competitors could credibly say the *opposite* to.
    In other words, it defines the product and differentiates it rather than goes on about how wonderful it is.

    Crude example: One could claim 'Delivers to the East' where a competitor could equally claim 'Delivers to the West'. Microsoft recently badged 'Your Potential, Our Passion' - I could envisage a competitor using 'Our Potential, Your Passion'. Look at Apple: they're using 'Small Talk' to promote their new iPod Shuffle. A competitor could equally use 'Large Talk'.

    It maybe subtle, but it helps customers make a choice.
  • Chris,
    I am so loving this!
    Thanks for the straight talk!
    You are the Dude of tell-it-like-it-is!
    With gratitude, Dyann
  • Pssst, Chris... you've got a 'best of' link in your top menu. ;)
  • Re "and if no one’s raving about you, that might be another problem entirely"... Ya think? And that is the essence of the problem but "that guy" never sees it.

    I follow a fairly well known blogger on Twitter just to see what he's reading, what he's up to, etc... Unfortunately in the past month, his tweets have turned into a river of never ending self promotion. He has turned into "that guy".

    So sad. He's lost my interest & my respect, especially since he should know better.
  • Simply perfect, I spun through this like it was honey on Grandma's biscuits.

    Why is this stuff so hard for some people?
  • "Here’s a truth: If you have to tell me you’re the best, you’re not."

    Just about the most salient point in marketting. The louder you shout the more deaf your audience becomes. They'll listen to their friends telling them about a product over you shouting about it from billboards, it'll greatly increase their buying intent just as you had with the bands of your youth - you considered their use of a product a personal recommendation, not an advertisement. If you empower people they'll become the "friends" of your brand and much more effective voices than a corporate sales patter - just like the Coke Facebook page .

    Great article Chris.
  • Hi Chris - You're a "hub" type person (see Network Theory). You generally give good advice but your perspective is actually a minority one.

    "Get out there and empower people" works for people like you but not for everyone. The rest of us need the kind of advice we can actually use. My advice is: "stay still for a moment, stop rushing around, let them come to you, work quietly" which possibly is a more effective admonition to those endless blurters of marketing-speak which wind you up good and proper.

    Nice to see the skullcap hairdo.
  • You're not wrong, Dean. I do tend to write things as if the world is me. But hey, what can I do on that front?

    But essentially, the biggest point is: don't make it about you; make it about your customer. Do you concur?
  • I try not to think of people as customers - in fact, I avoid using marketing terms of reference, even in business.

    I come from an expressive background - like yourself - and we both know there's nothing more painful than a monologue being delivered to an audience which is "not there" - a communication which misses the point and thereby fails. Your point was exactly the opposite of this, and thus was effective.

    Then again, as writers - which is something we both are now - we write what needs to be written. If you consider your reader too much, your material almost always suffers. Best not to worry too much about your readers, in fact, and actually just satisfy yourself.
  • I think we're actually talking about two (at least two) different things here. If I am writing copy, for an ad or a client, then I absolutely have to consider my audience at every line. If I am writing on my blog, which by definition is editorial in nature, then I am writing to satisfy myself and the world be damned.

    To get back to Chris' original point, anyone that deals with consultants has had that meeting where the consultant basically just brags about their accomplishment non-stop for the lenght of the meeting. Those that do so rarely get hired (at least not by me). The good ones come in and tell me what we could accomplish together. That's how I know if they are any good, not by their bragging but by their ideas and how they can help me.

    And those consultants don't need to brag to anyone because their satisfied customers recommend them constantly and they have more work than they can handle.
  • Arrogance and self-centered bragging is a turn off, right? However, marketing obsessives are also a turn off. "Get out there and empower people" was the phrase I picked up on. Subtle, but important.
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