Posted: 3/7/2014 | Career	Comments
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While it’s true that most people fear public speaking more than death, many of us have trouble promoting ourselves or putting our expertise out there, especially if we tend to be quiet or an introvert. 

For introverts, someone who recharges themselves by being alone and internal, it can feel difficult to put yourself out there for all the world to see. We might feel that we are somehow forcing something on someone else or imposing ourselves on someone, even when we just think of talking about what we do.

Even if you are an introvert, here are a few ways to consider sharing yourself, your products, or services with the world so that you can live your mission more fully:

• Shift your focus from selling to serving.
• Can your product or service ease someone’s suffering or struggles?
• Can it help others heal and grow or gain knowledge and experience?
• Can it increase their happiness, income, or success?
  

When your focus is on how what you have to offer can help or transform someone’s life or business, then promotion can feel more like offering to help someone, than trying to sell them something. This can make it a little easier.

• Self-promotion doesn’t have to be about bragging. It can be about telling the truth. If you’re good at something, you’re simply letting others know what you’re good at, and why.
• If you’re not promoting yourself because you don't feel you know enough, then figure out where that comes from.
• Do you actually need more training in the subject you are teaching or sharing? If that is true, then get the preparation you need to become an expert.
• On the other hand, if you really know your stuff and this hesitance is from not feeling good about yourself, then get the help you need with that.

Keep in mind that self-promotion is a skill that with practice can becomes easier. If it doesn’t get easier with practice, then you might want to see if there are any beliefs or fears that could be getting in your way.

If you believe that promotion is somehow pushy or wrong, or feel as if it’s arrogant, then it’s important to explore your thoughts and feelings to discover what your specific beliefs are, and to become more aware of what thoughts and feelings arise as a consequence of those beliefs.

In order to begin to truly unwind and let go of those beliefs, it’s also important to discover how they were formed.

• Were you taught these beliefs by your parents or other caretakers?
• Are these cultural beliefs? Or did you have a bad experience selling lemonade or girl scout cookies as a child? What happened and what did you conclude about yourself?
• Bringing greater awareness to whatever’s holding you back, helps to loosen and lighten its grip on you. 

Introvert or not, the world needs you to do what you do!

Please share your thoughts. Your comments make a difference for us all.

For further information on accessing your wisdom, happiness, fulfillment, and peace you desire, click here to learn about Dr. Howard's Multiple Award Winning Book "Your Ultimate Life Plan: How to Deeply Transform Your Everyday Experience and Create Changes That Last."

photo credit Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net