Sitting through this networking event was a painful reminder of the importance of letting my work speak for itself. It made me more self-aware of how I approach conversations about my success.
Are you comfortable with tooting your own horn or do you let others sing your praises? This question came to mind as I spoke with a former dentist turned Success Coach.
Find out how the conversation went.
He had a very approachable demeanor, partly due to his great smile, which made perfect sense given his dental background.The introductory conversation started off well until he started talking about all the successful businesses he invested in and the startups he built, that I could barely get a word in. The funniest part about it was that he would start his sentences with “Not to toot my own horn but…” and then proceeds to brag about his high-profile clients and deals he closed before he became a Coach.
At the beginning I was admiring his achievements and his ambition and even complimented him, but then I quickly got tired of hearing about him boasting. I wondered to myself if I was just allowing him to make me feel insecure about my own achievements and confidence or was he just outright off-putting?
I tend to take a humbler approach when talking about my achievements, so his overconfident demeanor was really driving me away. He was so focused on letting me know how exceptional he was that he hadn’t taken the time to listen to what I had to say. He had a lot to say but his actions were telling a different story. You ever heard the phrase “Action speaks louder than words”?, meaning that you should…
let your work do the talking
I don’t know what this guy’s reputation is, but the first impression didn’t go well. He was so focused on promoting himself that I did not find him to be authentic, because people who are truly successful don’t usually try so hard to constantly talk about themselves. It comes through in their work and the way their clients talk about them. Not once did he mention how much his clients meant to him or how much they enjoyed working with him.
How to Let Your Achievements Speak for Itself:
1. Let Others do the Talking
As solo professionals, self-promotion and marketing yourself is good but there is a fine line between that and boasting. When your clients talk about and share their positive experiences with you, that typically carries more weight than any type of self-promotion. This is why testimonials and reviews from satisfied clients are so important.
2. Be Humble and Approachable
Was he approachable? Yes. Humble? Far from it. At least not at the level I was comfortable with. So maybe it could’ve just been me. My Humble-O-Meter could’ve been broken. Humility goes a long way, and his approach was far from modest.
3. Focus on Long-Term Relationships
Am I interested in staying connected with this person? No. There wasn’t really anything genuine about the conversation, which is how strong working relationships are built and maintained, by being authentic. When you show that you’re more interested in your clients work and success, there are more likely to talk about you and refer you.
Here’s the bottom line:
If it so happens that I end up having a conversation with you, don’t make me brag. Politely ask me to put away my horn because I want to build genuine relationships. I don’t want to be that person who loudly boasts about my successes. I want to let my work speak for itself and for people to remember me for the value I bring.
Chuckle of the day! 😂
What did one bragger say to the other at a party? “Enough about me, let’s talk about what you think of me!”squeeze.
Shamayne Brown is a virtual assistant and the founder of Camp Virtual Assistance.
She works with solo professionals and small business owners who are ready to invest in their business and need the support that she offers.
She specializes in creating email newsletters as well as other admin and creative design tasks.
Click here to connect on LinkedIn.
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