Confidence is Key in Self-Promotion
I have spent the better part of the last eight years helping market and promote women business owners. One thing I’ve noticed is that most of us have a really hard time marketing and promoting our businesses. Nor do we know how to self-promote.
As girls, were never taught how to brag about ourselves. We play in a cooperative manner and are more concerned with inclusion, relationships and how everyone in a group is getting along rather than about winning or losing. While this is an incredibly valuable skill and women are known to be better relationship builders, we often do ourselves a disservice when trying to compete in a world where both sexes are competing.
Note that women are starting businesses at 2-3 times the rate of men, yet no more than 10% ever hit the $1 million mark. Add the fact that women employees earn only $.77 for every dollar a man earns. I believe big part of the reason for these statistics is that many women simply lack the confidence to ask for what they need. Ladies, the first step to confidence building is as simple as learning to like yourself.
Jennifer Read Hawthorne, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, believes that learning to like and even love oneself is a lifelong process. "You can surround yourself with competent leaders, but you can never really compensate for low self-esteem. Sooner or later, you will be discovered." Hawthorne recommends several tactics for boosting self-esteem:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR PASSION. Your low self-esteem could be tied to not following your heart.
2. ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE WHO SEEM GENUINELY HAPPY. Happy people are usually at peace with themselves.
3. ASK FOR HELP. Don't try to work on your issues alone.
Warwick agrees it's important for women to pursue their passions and also believes women need to manage their expectations. The perspective that "only perfection is good enough" limits our advancement in both business and life. Once we accept that perfection is not the norm, we can have the freedom to take risks, make mistakes, and pursue our dreams.
Joy and Success-
Cindy Earl
As girls, were never taught how to brag about ourselves. We play in a cooperative manner and are more concerned with inclusion, relationships and how everyone in a group is getting along rather than about winning or losing. While this is an incredibly valuable skill and women are known to be better relationship builders, we often do ourselves a disservice when trying to compete in a world where both sexes are competing.
Note that women are starting businesses at 2-3 times the rate of men, yet no more than 10% ever hit the $1 million mark. Add the fact that women employees earn only $.77 for every dollar a man earns. I believe big part of the reason for these statistics is that many women simply lack the confidence to ask for what they need. Ladies, the first step to confidence building is as simple as learning to like yourself.
Jennifer Read Hawthorne, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Woman's Soul, believes that learning to like and even love oneself is a lifelong process. "You can surround yourself with competent leaders, but you can never really compensate for low self-esteem. Sooner or later, you will be discovered." Hawthorne recommends several tactics for boosting self-esteem:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR PASSION. Your low self-esteem could be tied to not following your heart.
2. ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE WHO SEEM GENUINELY HAPPY. Happy people are usually at peace with themselves.
3. ASK FOR HELP. Don't try to work on your issues alone.
Warwick agrees it's important for women to pursue their passions and also believes women need to manage their expectations. The perspective that "only perfection is good enough" limits our advancement in both business and life. Once we accept that perfection is not the norm, we can have the freedom to take risks, make mistakes, and pursue our dreams.
Joy and Success-
Cindy Earl
Comment
© 2012 Created by Michael Port.
You need to be a member of The Think Big Revolution to add comments!
Join The Think Big Revolution