Peggy Klaus Read Free

attention, and wins you over—without your even knowing he or she is doing it. Good self-promoters have a way of connecting with others. They exude a contagious energy, coming off as confident about where they have been and where they are going. They know their stuff. Before even uttering a word, they take the emotional temperature of an audience, whether facing one or a few hundred. They speak with sincerity from both head and heart. They are exceptional storytellers, because they continually work at keeping their stories fresh. They’re able to think on their feet, because they’re always well prepared. They are masters at turning negatives into positives and are often funny, even self-deprecating at times. But most important, and this is key, they express themselves best by being themselves. Conveying authenticity is at the heart of good self-promotion. This book will teach you how to become a master of artful bragging.
    HOW THIS BOOK WORKS
    You are living in the Age of the Entrepreneur, even if you don’t work for yourself. The workplace is no longer a safe and secure haven for anyone or any career—job security is virtually nonexistent. People are shedding jobs and careers at an unprecedented rate. The only sure thing is that no one is going to look after your best interests except you. And if you don’t speak up for yourself, who will? Jobs and bosses will come and go. So the best way to thrive in this environment is to start thinking like an entrepreneur and to start bragging about your most valuable product:
you!
    Good self-promotion starts with recognizing and reconciling the myths that keep you from talking about yourself and realizing your goals. Chapter 1 covers these myths, showcasing missed opportunities and the value of tooting your own horn with examples of good and bad bragging dialogues.
    Are you one of those people who can only think of the right things to say about themselves
after the fact
? Then read on.
    Good self-promotion is very individualized, and one-size-fits-all solutions don’t work. In Chapter 2, you’ll find my “Take 12” questionnaire, a self-evaluation tool keyed to helping you unearth your personal and professional history, identify your strengths, accomplishments, and personality traits, and zero in on the things that make you
you
. I’ll introduce you to the concepts of brag bites and bragologues, memorable sound bites and brief marketing monologues about yourself that can be drawn on in a moment’s notice—and used to your advantage—in any situation without coming off as pushy or disingenuous.
    Most of the remainder of the book is devoted to demonstrating how you can connect the dots to develop a unique and effective communication style best suited to your particular situation. Filled with tales of real-life bloopers and home runs, these chapters will show you how to translate your story into easy-to-use brag bites and bragologues that will successfully promote you wherever you go.
    Chapter 3 focuses on the basics of business bragging in and out of the office. It’s filled with schmoozing and cruising stories from the corporate world that show you how to maximize every encounter from elevator fly-bys to conversations with higher-ups at networking events to dealing with credit theft, which runs rampant in the corporate world.
    Chapter 4 shows you how to use the latest technology to further your cause—how to harness voice mail and e-mail for “techno-brag” when dealing with clients or with colleagues and bosses who are away from the office. This chapter addresses the challenges and opportunities of being kept in mind when out of sight or off the site.
    Chapters 5 and 6 focus on turning job interviews into job offers and performance appraisals into promotions and salary increases. “With more people in and out of the workforce for a variety of reasons, Chapter 7 is dedicated to those without “real” jobs who want to leverage networking as well as casual cocktail