Once you have established your great business idea and launched yourself into the world as a dynamic female entrepreneur, it’s all too easy to believe that the strength of the idea alone will be the deciding factor behind whether or not your enterprise succeeds. In reality, the idea on its own is worth little – it’s the execution that counts. This means that selling yourself is as, if not more important, than selling your idea.
Promoting yourself is a crucial key to success as a female entrepreneur, but many women do everything they can to avoid this as they don’t want to be seen as being pushy or overly promotional. This is a huge mistake. The first step towards becoming a successful female entrepreneur is to own what you do, take your idea and shout it from the rooftops. After all, if you are not willing to advocate on your own behalf, how can you expect someone else to do it for you?
Polish your reputation
As the CEO of your company, your reputation is by far your best asset so manage it with extreme care. The world is increasingly moving from an information-based economy to a social one so the connections you make today and in the future are likely to be an important element of your overall promotional strategy.
Bear in mind that, thanks to the rise of social media, much of your personal life will now be in the public domain. Consider the way images you post of yourself or comments that you make could be interpreted. Take care to manage every aspect of your image to ensure it reinforces a positive image of yourself and your brand.
Find the best pathway
There was a time when female entrepreneurs were a relative rarity, but this is no longer the case. This means that when it comes to seeking inspiration for ways to market both yourself and your business, there are countless examples you can follow.
For example, in her book Dear Female Founder, author Lu Li has interviewed more than 60 female entrepreneurs who, between them, have generated more than $1 billion in revenue, sharing their inspiring stories of how they made it to make it easier for others to follow in their footsteps (Sage has compiled the information founded by Lu Li in an inspiring women-in-business infographic). Look out for innovative and interesting marketing techniques that other female business leaders have applied and find ways to adapt them to your own business.
Develop your skill set
When leading business coach Yasmine Khater started thinking about striking out on her own, she brainstormed which of her skills she could build on and which ones were likely to be useful as a foundation for building her business. According to a study carried out by the U.S. Department of Education, interpersonal skills are significantly more important for success than technical ones.
As an entrepreneur, you will need to possess strong leadership skills but also the ability to listen to others and work as part of a team. You will also require strong coaching skills in order to get the best out of others. If you are lacking in any of these areas, find a way to train or strengthen them as the more of these skillsets you can demonstrate, the easier your promotional efforts will be.