How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk | LinkedIn.
From the Article:
Acknowledge others. State your accomplishments in terms of how you have helped others. If you have clients, list the ways they have benefitted from working with you. If you volunteer, be proactive in supporting your favorite non-profits. When your team wins, give credit to the other team members.
Be helpful. The best articles, blog posts, comments and discussion topics serve to help other people. The wrong way to get a new client is to say, “I’m the best, hire me.” The right way is to be so helpful that it becomes obvious to others that you are someone who adds value and brings the right attitude to tough challenges.
Beware… people are very good at spotting insincere contributions. Don’t simply pretend to help others; actually help them.
Share freely. Few things bother people more than a “teaser” article that forces readers to share their contact information before gaining access to more valuable content. I get the sales and marketing reasons for using such an approach, but a far better strategy is to share freely and make it easy for people to contact you if they value what you have shared.
Be expert. It is much better to be expert than to say you are an expert. If you have worthwhile capabilities, use them. Write a book that imparts genuine insights. Teach others valuable skills. Be calm and focused in stressful situations. Look for actual solutions, instead of simply parroting tired, old phrases. Use your abilities in ways that other people value.
When you don’t know the answer, just say so. It is human nature to fall into the trap of thinking you have all the answers. Newsflash: no one has all the answers. If you want to earn credibility, be the first to admit when you are over your head. Even better, send people to other experts who are equipped to answer their current questions; paradoxically, doing so will raise your credibility.
One last caution… don’t be full of yourself. Never use these words to describe yourself: thought leader, visionary, insightful, or genius.
