How ANNOYING do you think you are?

There’s a pretty common bit of mindtrash around being an online business owner that goes something like, “I don’t want to promote my business too much because I hate to annoy people.” It sometimes also comes out as, “I hate selling because it feels so gross to pressure people into buying from me.”

This is obviously an impediment to showing up as consistently as we know we need to, and it’s clearly going to affect our sales…but as long as this is the story we’re telling ourselves, it’s almost impossible to get around it. We should post more often. We should send emails. We should run some ads for this new program. But no amount of “should”-ing yourself is going to make you show up consistently and authentically as long as you believe your presence is an inconvenience.

What if you took a different perspective?

Think about the language we use when we’re describing our work. It’s a service. An offering. We as business owners are providing something that someone needs, right? We’re not out to scam people or amass a fortune hawking snake oil. We believe in the value of the work we’re doing. It’s the whole point of being a values-based business owner—we’re providing a transformation. Our services impact our clients, their lives, and ultimately the world in positive, meaningful ways.

Once we reframe our visibility as a sincere contribution to the greater good, and not an annoyance, when we focus on the thoughtful, nuanced value we provide rather than the ways we benefit from being hired or from the purchase of our products, communicating and connecting becomes something else entirely.

Now you’re not desperately grasping at sales; you’re making sure that the people who need you know that you can help them. Repeatedly sharing your work? You’re making sure they can find you. Serve your clients. Offer them the gift of your support. Don’t make them struggle to find someone who can help them; make yourself visible so they know exactly what you can do for them.

During this week’s Visibility Challenge for Introverts, remember: you’re providing something that your clients and customers want and need. It can be scary to put ourselves out there, but when we silence ourselves out of a fear of being too annoying, too loud, too pushy, it prevents the people who really need us from finding us.

It’s okay to start small. Not every communiqué needs to be a carefully crafted marketing masterpiece. Maybe today, you just need to say, “Hey, friends. If you’re experiencing XXX, here’s what I can do to help.” But show up. Share your story. Be visible.

If you’re struggling with figuring out a strategy for your social media, blogs, or email, let us know. For the duration of our Visibility Challenge, we’re offering discounted rates on all of our content strategy services.