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Takeaways:
- While the line between being proud and being a showoff is quite thin, you shouldn’t be so humble that you’re efforts go unrecognized.
- You’re more productive when you feel you’re being held accountable.
- Allowing your social circles insight into your business helps friends and family remain up-to-date on your work life.
When overcome with success, it’s natural to want to share with the world. But most people reserve their personal praises for fear of looking arrogant or conceited.
While the line between being proud and being a showoff is quite thin, you shouldn’t be so humble that your efforts go unrecognized.
Sharing with others leads to productivity
You’re more productive when you feel you’re being held accountable. Think about it: If only you knew about your responsibilities and no one else depended on you getting things done, would you be as highly motivated to go the extra mile? Probably not.
Not only are you held liable to your clients, but your inner circle might be waiting patiently to see if you landed that big deal you were working hard at closing. Knowing others may discover your failures provides added motivation to succeed, within your control.
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Don’t be afraid to share your latest projects just because you’re scared of discussing failures. In fact, analyzing your past mistakes with others can help you grow as an individual and a professional.
Keep in mind the difference between bragging and sharing. When you brag, you’re more inclined to put others down in the process. For instance, after someone talks about a particularly successful deal they just closed, immediately responding with something like, “Well, I did XYZ …” makes it seem like you’re comparing your success with theirs.
Save your success stories for a time when the spotlight isn’t on another person in the room.
Reinforcement keeps people happy
Having a pat on the back is needed once in a while. Working hard reaps monetary benefits, but sometimes we need emotional reaffirmation of a job well-done.
We’re constantly comparing ourselves to others in order to determine how successful we are — it’s human nature.
When you see hundreds of “likes” on a Facebook status about a friend’s latest project or deal, you might think your success isn’t as impressive. That’s not necessarily true. You need to let people know how your life is going in order to let them congratulate you.
Allowing others to compliment you proves that you’re putting in the effort and seeing results. And who doesn’t like a confidence boost once in a while?
Providing updates maintains a pseudo-social life
Allowing your social circles insight into your business helps friends and family remain up-to-date on your work life. This is especially important if it’s the high homebuying season and you’re missing out on events. Friends and family are more understanding of your absence when they’re kept in-the-know about your professional life.
Maintaining healthy social communication is important for work-life balance. If you can’t take a vacation or a break, chatting with others about stresses at work helps you alleviate some of your built-up tension.
Sharing success may increase business
Clients want to work with active agents, and in today’s Internet-focused era, it’s important to represent yourself online. One quick Google search can persuade a client to work with you or drop you.
Why not post your credibility on your website or share some listing updates on Twitter? You need to sell yourself, because no one else knows how hard you work but you.
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Sellers, especially, want to know about your previous deals. If you primarily work as a seller’s agent for luxury homes, high-priced clients look for experience and success in their price range. There’s a big difference between selling a $300,000 home and a $3 million home.
Don’t go shouting every minor victory from the rooftop, but do know that downplaying your success can be hurtful to your well-being — and your business.