When is telling of your skills, talents, and accomplishments bragging—and when is it just good promotions? When you are relying on yourself to promote your home business to prospects and clients, it can be hard to know when to blow your horn—and when to let someone else do it for you.
Bragging never sounds like a good thing to do and so many of us were raised to be humble and NOT tell other people what we do well. But, when it comes to promoting our businesses, how else are people going to know what your fabulous business is all about if you don’t tell them? Well, bragging and promoting are really all in the HOW you do it, not necessarily in what you say.
Consider putting your business forth to a prospect or client as a “solution.” Think of how you can tell what you are good at and what your accomplishments are by presenting your business as a benefit and solution to the client or customer. Some small business owners prefer to use the word “we” even if they are the only one in the business because it sounds more inclusive and less egotistical. By saying something like, “We’ve been very successful helping our clients with their X problems by providing Y” you’re letting the customer know what you’re good at, while offering a benefit or solution without sounding like a big braggart.
If your business wins an award or is recognized by the chamber or commerce or some other form of recognition—by all means share that with your clientele. Add it to your web site or letterhead and let people know in a non-obnoxious way what you’ve accomplished. This will help to build your credibility and set yourself apart from the competition. The fact that the recognition is coming from a third party is good and keeps it coming across as bragging. If you were to claim that your business was the “greatest carpet cleaner in the whole world” without any sort of third-party recognition, it comes off as pure marketing and is less likely to be well-received by prospects and customers.
See Also: Choosing the Right Words to Use in Your Marketing
What Makes You and Your Business Different?