Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead

Where has this book been all my life? I love it. Thank you for this wise, practical, and fun guide to help us quiet people strive and thrive with greater ease in a noisy world. I love the premise that introverts and extroverts can learn from and balance each other. I love the idea of being true to one's reflective self by setting goals and working toward them to achieve whatever it is one wants out of life, whether personally or in business. As an introvert, I know I can get lost in my own head (a sometimes murky place), and this book serves as a GPS to navigate from thought to action. It helps us turn inner thoughts into reality, expand our sphere of influence, and achieve what is only possible when we move beyond our comfort zone. It provides clear self-promotion activities in chart and text form, with lots of explanation, examples, and resources for further exploration, such as social media. Self-Promotion for Introverts® is written from the empathetic perspective of a fellow introvert, understanding the strengths and challenges of that world view. For instance, there's a whole section on negotiation--because, well, most introverts hate to negotiate on their own behalf, because they (OK, I) believe that the quality or work should speak for itself without needing to engage in any kind of confrontation over it. Self-Promotion for Introverts® could just as easily have been named, "Self-Sharing for Introverts". The author is very persuasive; letting the right people get to know you, whether in a work or social relationship, is a powerful strategy for life success and happiness, whether you prefer to whisper or shout.

I found Nancy Ancowitz's Self-Promotion for Introverts: The Quiet Guide to Getting Ahead to be an enlightening and extremely useful book. Well written and thoughtful, Ancowitz's book clears up the mysteries and misconceptions about introverts and extroverts (one can be an introvert and be outgoing; conversely, one can be an extrovert and be quite shy in certain situations), and offers insightful, practical advice aimed particularly at introverts which may well benefit many extroverts too. As a technical extrovert who nearly straddles the midpoint between introvert and extrovert, I found much of the author's advice to be truly thought-provoking and useful. How to promote yourself without feeling like you're bragging; how to break through the procrastination that comes from feeling overwhelmed; how to think less and actually DO more; how to stop self-consciousness by focusing more on the other person (and their needs), and less on yourself; how to break the ice when meeting new people; how to negotiate to get what you really want and deserve without getting steam-rollered. Ancowitz is sensitive to the particular difficulties, fears, and concerns that "quieter" members of the population have, be they introverts or extroverts, and offers helpful tips, exercises, and food for thought. Her coaching background shines through on every page, giving the reader a real sense of having "someone in her corner." I highly recommend her book!

If you've never read any books about introverts, then this is an ok start. However, I prefer Networking for People Who Hate Networking by Devora Zack. Networking for People Who Hate Networking: A Field Guide for Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and the Underconnected Zack's book is funny, yet very informative and presented information that I hadn't quite considered before. I read it with a highlighter and stack of post-it notes in hand, and used them for nearly every page. Self-promotion for Introverts assumes that you are a hermit who has low-self esteem and few people skills. There is nothing wrong with being introverted, even though society frames you as slow or socially awkward because you choose to think before you speak. This book left me feeling I needed to be "fixed", not with a newfound knowledge of how to play up my thoughtful reflections as a strength. I found the career adivce to be the same as you'd read on CareerBuilder, and much of the "are you an introvert or extrovert" checklists were re-hashed from other books I've read. Overall I wasn't impressed. I bought it from Amazon, and will be listing my copy for sale shortly.

Nancy's book takes a masterful approach to highlighting the strengths of introverts and demonstrating how those strengths can and should be leveraged for their benefit. Written by an introvert for introverts, each chapter creates an engaging dialogue through sharp and lively writing. She encourages the reader to be an active participant in their development by furnishing thought-provoking exercises that create opportunities for deep reflection and strategic planning. The author's tone is compassionate but not condescending or coddling. It is obvious that she views her audience as strong, capable and intelligent, which is not always a given in self-help books. I found myself pushing outside of my comfort zone and discovering that some of the techniques that she suggests are not nearly as scary or uncomfortable as they may initially appear once you actually try them. I would highly recommend this book to others who want a better understanding of how they can capitalize on their introversion to meet and exceed their professional goals.

I recommend Self-Promotion for Introverts if you want a fresh perspective on letting the world know about you. The author, as she writes, "helps you take steps toward sharing your gifts with the world in a way that is authentic to you." The section on "negative self-talk" and the section on "your strengths" could only come from a thoughtful person who thinks before she speaks, in other words, she is one of us. The Amazon reviewer who rated the book a one star and says this is not a self promotion book, misses and distorts Ms. Ancowitz's message of finding the promotion techniques which work for you. Yes, this is a book focused on business application, but the tips, tools and techniques can also be used in the non-commercial world. This negative reviewer insinuates that the entire book is about web sites, advertising, blogging, podcasts, ...This is just not true. This book is much more than a series of media outlets for promotion, it is an anthem to the person at the gathering who has the answer, but needs the technique and polish to blossom. Ms. Ancowitz has a wry sense of humor and interviews both extroverts and introverts for her anecdotes. The more interesting stories though, are the back stories on the quiet techniques she used to gain those interviews. You will find yourself rooting for her as she crosses the invisible barrier from watcher to doer. Ignore the Naysayers on Amazon or your own negative self-talk. Take a chance and buy the book, it will "help your quiet star twinkle."

I just read Self-Promotion for Introverts. Over the past several months, I have read half a dozen books that explore the relationship between introversion and client acquisition and development. Each seemed to repeat a bullet list of points anyone who has completed the MTBI probably knows. Furthermore, they seemed to cluster around the extremes of either month-long exercises between chapters or exercises that were intended for my 6 year old. Perhaps most problematically, they seemed to focus more on how I could fix my introversion instead of making it a disposition that helps me thrive unapologetically. With this frame of mind, I had planned on “getting through” a chapter or so of Self-Promotion for Introverts over the holidays. However, the combination of Ancowitz’ humorous tone and thoughtful narrative, her keen insights and willingness to share personal experiences with which I could easily relate, and the in-depth research she accumulated and managed to keep both accessible and complex kept me turning the pages and doing the exercises. The exercises were well-constructed and they brought me to the space Ancowitz intended. From the book, I am happy with the marketing plan I developed that focuses on that overlap between my strengths and my clients’ needs. This is, bar none, the best book I have read on learning how to thrive as an introvert. THANK YOU, Nancy!

I recommend this book to my job search clients and many of them have reported great success with the techniques used in the book. The author does a good job of explaining how an introvert can use their natural tendencies (researching and deep diving to investigate a company, being an expert in their field) to their advantage in an interview. She also addresses other areas where introverts may be less comfortable, such as the rapid-fire questions some interviewers use, and gives solid tips on feeling more comfortable in those situations. Many recruiters and hiring managers are extroverts, and aren't thinking about how to make an interview comfortable for introverts. The author takes us inside the mind and world of an extrovert to show a perspective that can be helpful in many scenarios.

I read an excerpt of this book in an on-line review and was captivated; came here to see the + reviews and bought it right away. The first chapter disappointed me so badly I haven't been able to get back to the rest of the content. Books in my life have 30 pages to make their case. This book made the wrong case. YMMV. I do not have negative self-talk about being an introvert. I have known the "label" for nearly 30 years. I understand the benefits. I don't need anyone telling me that it's ok to not be extroverted. I am offended by the suggestion that I probably listen to U-SUCK radio. If the fact that it's OK to be introverted has not yet crossed your consciousness, you might find the first chapter more useful. I might come back to this book. Would not be the way to bet.

Very relevant material for identifying individual types in the workplace.

Be careful with this book. If you always assumed that you were an extrovert, but wondered why you felt exhausted after busy meetings, emotionally drained by parties and in need of a quiet lie down after a wedding, you'll probably find out that you are a high functioning introvert. Although the book occasionally reads like a big brochure for Nancy's workshops, it's a revelation for those amongst us who feel in our heart of hearts that we'd rather stay in, or just have a quiet coffee with out mates, but still manage to make presentations to rooms full of people and could never be called shy. This is one of the books that encouraged me to jump ship from a job that needed more and more meeting time and just wore me down and sucked me dry. With help from the lovely Nancy, I learned that I really am a non-shy introvert and what I need is lots of regular peace and quiet so I can pop out of my box occasionally and do the things in public that I need to do. That's what I mean about being careful. As well as being useful in identifying the way that introverts feel and act, it is a practical handbook for how to keep up with the extroverts (and how not to allow them to extract all our energy). If you suspect for a second that you're getting left behind because you don't speak up for yourself, but you really don't want to be pushy, get this and heed its helpfulness.

I lent this book to someone I know whom I thought might connect with it. The feedback was very positive. The person found quite a lot that was useful and also helped increase confidence about being who they are and the strengths usually inherent in quieter people.

This book has a good title, and from the introduction it sounds like it should be quite good - it is a well-researched book written by a successful woman who has faced the challenge of introversion herself. The big problem is that it is written in "American" rather in "English". This is the very first self-help book that I have read, and I know that the whole self-help thing has its roots in America, but the language and style is so squarely aimed at an American readership that it is quite grating and annoying to a British reader like myself. Particularly distracting is how every paragraph has at least two "attributed" quotes or examples - this is a reflection of the American obsession with backing up absolutely everything they say or write with a quote from someone else - e.g. "Hiram J. Feclkeberg, III, CEO of NASDAQ company Wibler Inc, agrees that it is important to smile at people" - Really? Did we need an attributed/name-dropped example of such a minor point? Imagine this repeatedly endlessly for every minor point in the book! In British writing or journalism I have not seen this obsession. I don't think that for a British reader it adds much of anything to the credibility of the argument, and so just ends up dimishing the point. There are some solid points in this book which will be of use to someone who feels that their introversion is working against them, but it is for an American reader and more appropriate to an American working environment, which is still very different from the majority of British working environments. There may well be another book out there more appropriate for non-American introverts, but if not, or until there is then this book will probably fill the gap, a bit like a ungainly 5 year old girl in her mother's too-big high heels, and, once you cut through all the annoying americanisms, about a third of this book is worth a look-in.

Not at all helpful, but definitely FULL of the author's own self promotion - "I did this, and then I did that". Think I wasted my money. Hmm, what was good about the book? The end of chapter exercises asking you what you learned and how you will apply it is a great idea. It's just my misfortune that I don't feel there was much ch helpful info