In the past, I associated the word “promoter” with someone involved with professional sports figures or celebrities. Essentially, in my mind, a promoter was a person who was responsible for marketing the athlete or musician or actor outside the arena and when they were off-stage. Then, sometime last year, I met a darling woman, Camille, a self-described promoter. A promoter? I had to know more.
Truth is, it became obvious very quickly. Not only did Camille outline the virtues of several individuals who she was keen to introduce me to, after only a few meetings and interactions, she propped me up and made me feel brilliant and interesting and important. A promoter!
And, then, there’s my cousin, Judy. Judy is possibly the sweetest, happiest, smiley-est (yes, it’s a word, now!) person I know! It’s no surprise she leads a local preschool. Both the children and the parents clamor to get a glimpse of “Miss Judy” every day… many vie for one of her highly coveted (and easily acquired!) hugs along with her warm and personalized by name, “Good morning!” and “I love you!” Whenever I see her, again, she makes me feel like she’s been waiting for me to arrive and I’m the most important person in the room and I’ve just made her day. Really, it is she who has made my day!
There are others, too, who I’ve encountered — all promoters. People at the gym who are never short on compliments (“You look great!”) and words of encouragement (“Keep up the good work! Can’t believe how strong you are becoming.”) for those of us who would really rather be anywhere than at the gym. A buddy of mine who sees it as his primary responsibility to connect people who he has personally branded as “AWESOME.” It’s an honor to get his endorsement. My remarkable friend who is doing amazing things, getting recognition on a national (and international!) stage, yet, prefers to focus on the wins and work of others (e.g. she clips articles of people who she knows and, before she gives them the copy of the article, announces to everyone in the meeting what an incredible person the focus of the article is and why we should all be impressed).
The point of these examples is twofold:
- Surround Yourself with Promoters. Gosh, it feels good to be in the presence of a promoter. Sure, sometimes it’s a little embarrassing and over the top and uncomfortable. You may find yourself saying, “Enough already!” But, WOW! They sure know how to build a person’s confidence.
- Be a Promoter! I’m always on the lookout for promoters. They impress me. They are always genuine and sincere and have no shortage of ways to promote others. They are wonderful and make everyone around them feel wonderful, too. It seems they are bolstered themselves by sharing the accolades of and complementing others. They create happiness wherever they go and are, themselves, happier as a result. I, myself, am working on being a better promoter of others. It just feels so good!
And, there are many ways you can do this…
- Give someone an unsolicited recommendation on LinkedIn.
- Make an introduction without being asked – just because you see the value in connecting two great people.
- At an event, you be the one to introduce a person you already to others and take time to share their best attributes. It’s always easier to “brag on” others than to toot our own horn! Commit to being their cheerleader.
If you’ve either been the beneficiary of a promoter or are a promoter yourself, the CLC Community would love to hear from you! Please take a moment to comment or share a story about your experience and the long-term benefits it has had on you and your connections at CoffeeLunchCoffee.com.
This is such a timely piece! I’ve been making an effort to be a more consistent promoter myself lately – though I hadn’t given it that title. As I’ve struck out on my own entrepreneurial journey recently, it’s really hit home to me how good it feels to BE a promoter, sometimes even more than being promoted oneself. Yesterday, a friend whom I respect a great deal announced on Facebook that he was running for State Representative. For a moment, I was a little disappointed that he lives in Colorado and I live in Kansas, so I can’t vote for him. But then I remembered that I still know a bunch of people in Colorado. So I immediately posted his campaign’s Facebook page and tagged as many friends as I could remember were still living in Colorado, encouraging them to check him out and see if he was a candidate they would support – I’m confident that much of what he stands for will resonate with many of them. I don’t know that it will make any real difference. His district is politically stacked against him. But it felt good to think that maybe I’d helped start some dominoes toppling for him that might help give my friend a chance to make the difference in this world he aspires to make.
Awesome story, Aaron! And, I love that you were able to understand the value of promotion from afar. Your support of your friend in Colorado carries even more weight since you were willing to advocate for him despite his election not impacting you or your community directly. Thank you for sharing!
Yeah for Miss Judy – and yeah for you, Miss Alana! what a wonderful piece and great way to celebrate creating support/connection/community.
Leslie — Grateful for your nice comments! When it comes to promoting others, you are one of the best! Appreciate your support and encouragement.
Just last night I was with my very wonderful networking group and we had 2 guests in attendance. At the end of the meeting, after several members had left, I took the time to share with the guests that if they ultimately ended up being asked to join the group they should consider the value because each member of the group was a leader in their respective field. I then proceeded to explain the awards, recognition of achievement of several of the members. And Alana, you were one of them. So…this post on promoter helped me see and more clearly feel like I was helping others!
Cynthia — Thank you so much for your thoughtful remarks and great story. You are one of the most active and effective promoters I am privileged to know. So happy to be in your orbit!!!
That’s really nice article that can enhance the community in today’s generation. I hope everyone who read this would understand their important role and learn from them too.