Showing Your Value Without Bragging

There’s an age-old saying, and one that my dad referenced often, “Actions speak louder than words.” My dad wasn’t referencing marketing when he leveraged this adage, but it works just as well in communicating professionally as it does in non-professional life.

Early on in running my business, I worked with a multi-faceted construction and development company. We had a project that needed some public attention, and it was an adjustment for them to be more outward-facing in their daily work. They had always been quite happy to just do good work and never went out seeking accolades the way other firms in their competitive space often did. However, this campaign required some awareness building, and that meant they had to be more open about their work and the reasons behind it.

My job was to balance their humbleness with appropriate recognition in a way that positioned them as a leader, not a bragger. Here are some of the things we did to achieve that.

Focusing on the Outcome

The goal for the client was to focus on the value of the project, and there were many for the immediate community and the surrounding area. Our communications connected the project to future opportunities and how others would benefit from its completion. We gave them a preview of what this project could deliver, which was based on our engineering and consulting firm’s planned outcomes. We kept it simple and directed people to where to find more information if they wished.

Recognizing Others

A development project doesn’t happen alone; we had many people outside the company who helped us in achieving this goal. When we had the opportunity, we shone the light of recognition on them and how they saw what we saw in developing this project. That helped us maintain the humble tradition of the company, while also recognizing the efforts of people who were participating in the outcome.

Highlighting Company Value Nuances

The project had many reflections of company values, from being environmentally responsible to using local resources to bringing more opportunities to a community at no taxpayer cost. As we talked, wrote and spoke about the project, it was easy to focus on those elements that were important to the company because they also benefited the region. It kept us with a positive message and a soft sell approach on being a socially responsible company.

It’s About You, Quietly

Marketing is about getting the word out about what you have to offer so that people who want or need what you have feel confident about being your customer. Most people talk about their excellent personal attributes, as if every communication is a resume of sorts. The real value, and the deeper value, comes from being quietly confident.

Words matter a great deal when you want to achieve this level of marketing value. You can show your worth without being braggy, and you often raise your profile the highest when you speak about yourself less.

Resources

Get lived experience entrepreneurial advice in two books.

Forward Thinking for Your Business is geared to established businesses wanting to improve their marketing and is available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada, or contact Jennifer directly for bulk orders.

Forward Thinking for Future Entrepreneurs is focused on people looking to become business owners and who want to benefit from the advice of other entrepreneurs. Available on Amazon US and Amazon Canada, or contact Jennifer directly for bulk orders.

Work 1:1 with Jennifer. Email her at jennifer@fwdthink.ca or call 613-312-7824.