I got interviewed for a podcast this week.

It was slightly weird because instead of talking about an area I was an expert on, I was asked to talk about my “entrepreneurial journey”.

I have to admit I didn't find it easy. I just don't see myself as an entrepreneur.

Calling me an entrepreneur is a bit like calling someone who jogs twice a week an athlete I feel. 

Anyway, we were talking about mistakes I'd made during my business career and I mentioned that one thing I struggled with (and still do) is self-promotion.

As I talked I realised that the reason for “not putting myself out there more” wasn't some kind of fear of failure or rejection. It was simply that when I see people who self-promote a lot I just cringe. Frankly, I don't like them.

Sorry.

So the reason I don't humblebrag or plaster my Linkedin feed with gushing testimonials isn't that I don't think it works. It's simply that that's not the person I want to be.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe it's a British thing. Or maybe you feel the same?

Maybe you don't want to be the business equivalent of the boorish guy down the pub telling everyone how brilliantly he played at 5-a-side. Or the over-competitive parent telling everyone who'll listen how smart little Johnny is and how he's way ahead of everyone else in his class.

Maybe you want to be a humble person. A person whose achievements speak for themselves.

Unfortunately, achievements tend to be quite quiet. You need to do something to get noticed and to get the attention of clients.

So are we faced with a choice between feeling good about ourselves and getting noticed?

Luckily, I don't think so.

One thing I've found that works even for those of us who hate self-promoting is that instead of promoting yourself you promote your ideas.

Promote your expertise. Your breakthrough thinking. Your better way of doing things.

I'd find it impossible to talk to a stranger about how great I am at marketing and how they'd benefit from working with me.

But I'm very happy talking to them about Value-Based Marketing and how it can help them. Or the 3 steps to building authority. Or the keys to successful email marketing.

In fact not only am I happy talking to them about those ideas that could help them – I feel good about it.

Which means I'm likely to do it and to do it well.

And if those ideas click for them. If they implement them and get results…

…then it's done a lot more for me than any claims I might make about how great I am or any testimonials I might wave in front of their face.

It's easily enough to fuel a successful business. Maybe even to the level where I'd consider myself an entrepreneur :)