How soon is this happening? Run out to the bookstore right now and get "Brag: The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It" by Peggy Klaus.
The title is kind of misleading. The book isn't about bragging; it's about not bragging. It offers techniques and examples for weaving your experience into interesting stories so that when you have a chance to promote your business, product, or self, you don't end up shouting out a list of dry bullet points or come off too full of yourself.
If you don't have time to go buy the book, go here
www.klausact.com/brag/questionnaire.htm, and start answering the questionnaire. It will get your mind wrapped around what makes you interesting. You'll be less nervous if you feel prepared.
OMG! How exciting!
Here's some more about the book. I've been meaning to add it to the book thread.
BRAG!
The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It
By Peggy Klaus
The truth is, brag is not a "four letter" word.
In fact, in today's competitive business world, bragging is a necessity - not a choice. Remaining quiet about yourself or, worse, downplaying your successes leads to being underappreciated, or even allowing others to take credit for your achievements. Peggy Klaus, a top Fortune 500 communication and leadership coach, has taught thousands of business executives the art of bragging with style and grace. Now, she's developed a program to teach anyone how to brag - and to get away with it.
In BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It, Peggy Klaus, a top communication and leadership coach, introduces the most effective ways to sell our best asset - ourselves - without turning off those we're trying to impress. Klaus' proven techniques help readers overcome the common misperceptions of bragging to sell themselves without feeling or sounding like a walking billboard. "People either avoid bragging at all costs because they don't know how to do it gracefully, or they attempt to sell themselves like a PowerPoint presentation, making those on the receiving end want to hide," Klaus writes. Filled with personal and professional self-promotion dilemmas and solutions, BRAG! teaches readers how to put their best foot forward - while keeping it out of their mouths!
We've all met them - those shameless self-promoters. A boss, a co-worker, a neighbor, a guy at a cocktail party, or the kid at the playground everyone remembers. The ones who elbow their way in, reminding us that they're working harder, they're more accomplished, and downright better than us. To add insult to injury, they are the people who get ahead. In BRAG!, Klaus instructs readers how to shape and tell their own life stories in a way that ingratiates instead of grates. Based on years of experience showing Fortune 500 executives how to toot their own horns, these strategies are designed to work for everyone from CEOs to interns, from writers pitching their latest masterpiece to job interviewees pitching themselves. The result: better jobs, more pay, and, best of all, a genuine sense of self-worth.
Some of the topics Klaus covers include:
Bragging Myths: Including "A job well-done speaks for itself," "Good girls don't brag," "Humility gets you noticed," and "I don't have to brag; others will do it for me."
The "Take 12" Questionnaire: A self-evaluation tool keyed to helping readers unearth their personal and professional history, identify their strengths, and zero in on what makes them who they really are
Techno Brag: How to use the latest technology to further one's cause, e.g., harnessing voice mail and e-mail for bragging to clients and colleagues
Bragging Outside the Office: Tips for those without "real" jobs - those taking time off to care for children, the semi-retired, and laid off workers
Interview Bragging: The art of turning job interviews into job offers
"Brag Nags": Key communication techniques that make for more dynamic bragging in any situation
The advice in BRAG! comes from Klaus' personal and professional experiences. When she first went to Hollywood to interview for jobs in the entertainment industry, she quickly discovered she was lousy at talking about herself and her accomplishments. Like many, after years of being told by her parents, 'Don't talk about yourself, people won't like you,' she was self-deprecating with little confidence or bravado. Eventually, she figured out how to overcome her self-doubt: she put together a "bragologue," a litany of her own accomplishments that evolved into the Peggy Klaus Story, to be delivered with the kind of enthusiasm reserved for the telling of some grand adventure.
As Klaus explains, bragging is an art, an individual form of self-expression and communication that, once mastered, is the key to opening doors. By learning and applying the techniques in BRAG!, readers will see bragging in an entirely new light, and discover new ways to sell themselves that won't set them back, but set them free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peggy Klaus is President of Klaus & Associates (Berkeley, CA) and is a much in-demand consultant who has spent nearly a decade advising some of America's top Fortune 500 executives in the art of self-presentation and promotion. She reaches thousands of professionals a year through speaking, coaching, and workshops for leading corporations. Her client list includes JP Morgan Chase, Levi Strauss, American Express, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Cisco Systems, and Booz Allen Hamilton, among others.