Charlie Lawson - The Unnatural Promoter: How Anyone Can Blow Their Own Trumpet Without Feeling Awkward

A brilliant book on a brilliant topic by a brilliant expert. Thank you Charlie!

For the world to know youre good at what you do, you need two things:

1. to be good at what you do (!) and
2. to be good at promoting it.

One without the other doesnt work.

For example, if youre good at the first but not the second, you become the secret answer to peoples challenges but they dont know about you, so you both lose out.

And of course we all know plenty of self-promoters who dont seem to have any talent or substance behind their blather (yes, I hate them too!).

There are tens of thousands of books on the first of these. But very few on the second

And certainly none that come at it from Charlies angle how the unnatural, hesitant and therefore often poor self-promoter can become a natural, enthusiastic, brilliant one.

Packed with insights, empathy, charm and new ideas, this book will transform how you promote yourself. Id go so far as to say it will be a life-changing read for many people.

After all, for you to become more successful, you need more people to think youre more brilliant! This book will ensure they do!

Andy Bounds , award-winning sales expert and best-selling author

The Unnatural Promoter is an exceptional book. It does a fantastic job of reminding both franchisors and franchisees alike what needs to be done to grow a successful business. I highly recommend it.

Pip Wilkins , chief executive,
British Franchise Association

The Unnatural Promoter could have been called Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Business ! Charlie Lawsons authentic, engaging and informative writing style is the mark of a true master who knows his subject inside out. I particularly loved the stories and the way Charlie guides us through his practical steps for success. If you want to grow your business in the most cost-effective way possible, this book is a must read.

Greg Nathan , psychologist and author of
Profitable Partnerships

Great book for those who struggle to get their story across. Lots of ideas and useful pointers to make it easy to self-promote, plus some great real life examples.

Peter Higgs , UK national director,
Corporate Connections

Charlie has such an engaging writing style that it feels as though hes having a conversation with you and you alone. His take on self-promotion, something that all business owners need to do, is different to most. Hes someone that doesnt find self-promotion easy but as hes so clearly gone through the learning curve himself, it makes his words all the more relevant and useable.

This book brilliantly articulates how to promote yourself when you dont feel comfortable doing so. Highly recommended.

Mac Srinivasan , global markets president, BNI

As a young girl I was taught that it was not ladylike to brag about myself and I even discuss it in my book Business Networking and Sex . As a business professional I know how important this is. Many of the strategies that Charlie has laid out in this book make it easy to begin practising and learning how to be successful at promotion. Whether you are promoting yourself or getting others to promote you this is the best book I have read on this topic. Ladies, I highly recommend you pick up a copy and find a few good tips that you can implement in your own business.

Hazel Walker , co-author, Business Networking
and Sex: Not What You Think

Whether you are the owner of a big or small business, an employee or employer, a natural or unnatural promoter, this book will show you the best places and ways to promote yourself successfully.

The content is engaging and, most importantly, effective. Get it, read it, apply it and I promise you your results will improve!

Niri Patel , national director, fit20 UK

I have interviewed hundreds of businesspeople about introversion and the challenges introverts face in business. A common theme is that many introverts dont like to talk about themselves in public.

If you are an introvert in business who feels icky and uncomfortable being told to promote themselves and your business, read The Unnatural Promoter . It will leave you with the comfort, confidence and knowledge to make a difference and promote your business.

Its not just packed with ideas; the case studies show you how theyll work for people like you, and they are detailed enough to put them into practice.

Jon Baker , The Introvert in Business

The Unnatural Promoter

Charlie Lawson

The Unnatural Promoter

ISBN 978-1-912300-46-4

eISBN 978-1-912300-47-1

Published in 2021 by SRA Books

Charlie Lawson 2021

The right of Charlie Lawson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP record of this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication can be accepted by the author or publisher.

Printed in the UK

This one is for you, Dad

Thank you

Robin Schuckmann

Theres no way this book would have been
written without you.

Again.

Hannah Milsom and Maggie Mae Lawson
(but definitely not Alfie Lawson
he doesnt deserve to be mentioned)

Thank you for being amazing x

Foreword

You may well know that Charlie is an Unnatural Networker he wrote a book about it, after all. But what you may not know is that he also describes himself as an Unnatural Promoter.

When he first told me about this second book, I wasnt initially clear what he meant by being an Unnatural Promoter but I get it now. Charlies right there are so many people out there who dont feel confident to shout about themselves, even though they are extremely talented professionals in whatever it is they do.

They just need the confidence to go out and shout about themselves without feeling awkward. Thats where this book comes in. It resonates with me on so many different levels because Charlie understands the insecurities business people feel but are all too often afraid to admit to, let alone address.

The book is packed with stories and honest personal reflections about what it is like to promote yourself and your business when you feel awkward doing so. It is obvious that Charlie relates closely to the emotional roller coaster many of us have been on when trying to grow a business and that feeling that is so common to entrepreneurs: wanting and needing that phone to ring with potential clients.

In many ways, this book is a forerunner to The Unnatural Networker : while that was a great how-to guide for networking, this one focuses on what business owners need to know about just how powerful networking and referral marketing is.

Even if you are not an Unnatural Promoter and you find it easy to shout about yourself, this is a great book that you will learn a lot from. And the chances are, you know some Unnatural Promoters in your network so why not gift them a copy to help them on their journey?

Lastly, a word on Charlie himself. Ive seen him develop as a business owner and leader over nearly 20 years as hes developed within BNI. As National Director for BNI in the UK and Ireland, Charlie walks the talk and has a knack of being able to describe key networking topics in a way that anyone will understand.