The Important Role of Promoter

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.