How to Promote Yourself

We are reading: Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus

First, have a clear sense of who you are and your accomplishments as well as what you’re accomplishing right now.

So, examine your past and present for memorable stories and meaningful information about you. Capitalize on your strengths. Turn them into catchy sound bites (brag bites) and monologues (bragologues).

Now take the “Take 12” Self-Evaluation, a list of questions to help you unearth your personal and professional self. (Note: These questions can also be downloaded at www.bragbetter.com)

BRAG! Take-12 Self-Evaluation Questionnaire ©

Don't feel that you have to answer these in order. You can start anywhere and skip around. As you move through the questions, you'll likely think of things you might have overlooked when answering earlier ones. In fact, you'll probably want to go over your responses once more after you have completed the evaluation.

Remember, the more time you put into this exercise, the more specific details you provide, the easier it will be to create brag bites and bragologues that will be crystal clear and interesting to those who don't already know you well.

1. What would you and others say are five of your personality pluses?

2. What are the ten most interesting things you have done or that have happened to you?

3. What do you do for a living and how did you end up doing it?

4. What do you like/love about your current job/career?

5. How does your job/career use your skills and talents, and what projects are you working on right now that best showcase them?

6. What career successes are you most proud of having accomplished (from current position and past jobs)?

7. What new skills have you learned in the last year?

8. What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today, both professionally and personally, and what essential lessons have you learned from some of your mistakes?

9. What training/education have you completed and what did you gain from those experiences?

10. What professional organizations are you associated with and in what ways_member, board, treasurer, or the like?

11. How do you spend your time outside of work, including hobbies, interests, sports, family, and volunteer activities?

12. In what ways are you making a difference in people's lives?

from Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It
(Warner, 2003) by Peggy Klaus
www.bragbetter.com

BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It

by Peggy Klaus

Fortune 500 Communication Coach

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Here’s the business of writing:

It’s not just how well you write, it’s how well you market.

Need a literary agent? You must be able to promote yourself. What makes you different and better? Why should the agent choose you?

Like to become a NY Times Best Selling Author? Artfully promote yourself. Always be sincere when communicating.

So, join me, Shalla, as I read BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It by Peggy Klaus, Fortune 500 Communication Coach

BRAGGING DICTIONARY

Brag: talk about your best self in a passionate, conversational manner intended to excite admiration, interest, and wonder, without pretense or overstatement

Brag Bites: snippets of impressive info about your best self, expressed in a brief, quotable manner. Help people remember something compelling about you.

Bragalogues: 30 second pitches to 3 minute monologues, conveyed in a conversational, story like fashion.

Brag Bag: easily accessible info about your accomplishments, passions and interests detailed in a professional, colorful way.

Brag Bomb: Misreading the audience, bad timing and/or lack of preparation.