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Book Review: Brag!

Written by: Jay Hamilton-Roth

Article Overview: While last month's read ("Networking Magic") detailed how to approach networking, this month's book by Peggy Klaus ("Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It") focuses on how to talk about you (and your business). I have followed her advice with great results (including increased confidence).

Book Review: Brag!

While last month's read ("Networking Magic" - http://www.evancarmichael.com/Small-Business-Consulting/967/Book-Review-Networking-Magic.html) detailed how to approach networking, this month's book by Peggy Klaus ("Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It") focuses on how to talk about you (and your business). I have followed her advice with great results (including increased confidence).

Bragging is different from boasting. Bragging is highlighting your business (in interesting ways) to build a relationship. Boasting is exaggerating your achievements to elevate your status.

Bragging's goal is to get you noticed and to open the door for a professional relationship. Every time you talk to a stranger is an opportunity for you to build a connection.

Peggy has a great "Take 12" self-evaluation questionnaire (both in her book and her website). Answering the questions will give you great raw material to build your bragologue (a bragging dialogue).

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?

The book gives lots of "before" and "after" examples which can help you customize your raw material into an authentic (and interesting) brag.

She ends the book with "Twelve Tooting Tips For Bragging" that are gems:

1. Be your best, authentic self.
2. Think about to whom you are tooting.
3. Say it with meaningful and entertaining stories.
4. Keep it short and simple.
5. Talk with me, not at me.
6. Be able to back up what you say.
7. Know when to toot.
8. Turn small talk into big talk.
9. Keep bragologues and brag bites current and fresh.
10. Be ready at a moment's notice.
11. Have a sense of humor.
12. Use it all: your eyes, ears, head, and heart.

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Related Forum Posts
Re: UPDATES: New Campaign! New Layout! New Ideas! - GT - thanks for the FYI - I'm not sure if we'll put a link back. Something to consider though! Trent - the new category is "Social Network and Media" which was put in to compliment the Online Businesses category that currently exists. Overall the new categories are: - Looking For, Networking and Events - Review My... - Social Network and Media - Brags and Rants These came as a result of Ringo doing research on other forums and thinking about what could be improved on ours to give a better experience for everyone. I hope you enjoy them! David, I'm looking forward to reading your Brag / Rant!
Re: What Brings Tears To Your Eyes ???? - Hi Yinka, Has a business situation ever brought tears to your eyes ??? . . . Brag Or Rant. Barry
Re: Top 50 Lists - Hi Evan, How about "Top 50": -Inventor Blogs To Watch -Franchising Blogs To Watch -Business Book Review Blogs -Women Entrepreneur Blogs -Young Entrepreneur Blogs
My reading log - Hi OmnivoreInk, Before starting my business, I read the following books as research: -"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki -"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm -"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order): -"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross -"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom -"The Twits" by Roald Dahl -"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne -"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener -"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell -"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis -"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following: -"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson -"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell -"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett -"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch -"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron -"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey
Re: Significance of Review Sites - Exactly! Review sites are very helpful for providing better understanding to a product or service.


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