Guest Post: The Linchpin to Self-Promotion

Today's guest post comes from Lea Ann Hutter, principal of Hutter Design here in Los Angeles. Lea Ann, another graduate of the Marketing Mentor program, is currently a participant in Marketing Mentor's new Monthly Marketing Group Check-In (PDF with info downloadable here). If the wisdom in this one little nugget is any indication, I'm guessing that the collective intelligence of the group must be pretty staggering.

I think the #1 thing that prevents people from effectively promoting themselves is their inability to answer the "What do you do" question. If you can't clearly describe what you do, then no one else can either. A clear blurb not only informs others, it guides the way you think about yourself.

A very good tip Ilise gave me a while back was asking, "How does this get me to my goal?" I believe that self promotion fails without a blurb that a person truly believes in and is committed to. Once you have that, it's the guideline that everything grows from and is measured against. It's the heart of all answers to all questions.

This is how I'm feeling about my choice to specialize in web UI. It has given me new purpose, direction and focus. I'm passionate about it.