Do you SAY NICE THINGS about yourself?

THANK YOU to listener “Amanda” who recently asked me for some pointers on how to “SAY NICE THINGS” about herself. I dedicated this week’s podcast episode to answering Amanda’s question!

Do YOU ever struggle
to talk about your
credentials & accomplishments? 


Like it or not, learning to say nice things about ourselves is an imperative. Here’s why ⬇️:


Talk About Talk #115 - Say Nice Things - quote by Andrea Wojnicki on a turquoise background: "Your work does not speak for itself. You must also speak for your work."

You must speak for your work. But finding the balance between sharing your successes and being boastful can be difficult. Am I right?

 

Talk About Talk #115 - Say Nice Things - image shows the silhouette of a man balancing on a tilted beam
Image by Martin Barraud via Canva

But as my friend and bragging expert Lisa Bragg (yes, Bragg!) says, if you’re concerned about bragging, you’re probably not doing it. It’s the folks who don’t give bragging a second thought who probably come across as arrogant. 

Why Share Your Successes?

“Why should we hire you?”
“Why do you feel you’re ready to be promoted?”
“Why are you the best candidate for this position?”

 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever encountered those questions. 🙋‍♀️

What would your answers be? Are you prepared to say nice things about yourself, your strengths, and your expertise?

As Kim Churches of the American Association of University Women says:

 

Talk About Talk #115 - Say Nice Things - quote by Kim Churches of the AAUW on a teal background: "The same silent work ethic that won us A's in school won't get us to the C-suite at work."

She is 100% right.

 

Whether it’s a job interview, a networking event, or when you’re introducing yourself in a meeting, we all need to be prepared to share our successes and speak for our work.So how do we go about genuinely sharing the things we are most proud of without coming across as conceited or boastful?

Three Magic Words

No, I don’t mean “Please” or “Abracadabra” …

Talk About Talk #115 - Say Nice Things - image shows a man holding a wand over a magician's hat against a red curtain
Image by microgen via Canva

The three magic words I’m talking about are…

“People tell me”

 

As in, “People tell me I’m a natural leader.”

Or, “People tell me that they appreciate my knowledge and insights on this topic.”

See how that works?

 

You’re saying nice things that others have said about you. It’s almost like a testimonial!Here’s your challenge: think about the compliments you’ve received, then think about how you can share them using the three magic words.

Introducing Yourself – NICELY

PEOPLE TELL ME that my 3-point self-introduction framework is incredibly effective. And guess what?!? The HBR article where I share this framework recently won Pocket’s “Best of 2022” award for MOST READ article!

 

Talk About Talk #115 - Pocket's "Best of 2022" graphic


Did you see what I did there? 😆 (By the way, you should list 1-3 “nice things about yourself” in step 2 of this framework.)

 

Talk About Talk #115 - image of Andrea Wojnicki's article, "A Simple Way to Introduce Yourself"

 

That’s it for this week. I hope this week’s podcast episode gives you the tools you need to SAY NICE THINGS about yourself with confidence. Thanks again to Amanda, whose voice you’ll hear in this week’s episode!

Do you have a communication skills question for me? Do you want to hear your voice in an upcoming Talk About Talk podcast episode? Just go to TalkAboutTalk.com and click “Record your question for Andrea.” 

If you know anyone who would be interested in learning how to say nice things about themselves, please forward this email to them. THANK YOU! And if you have any questions, suggestions or feedback, please email me anytime!  

Talk soon,

Related posts:

  1. #115 Say Nice Things About Yourself
  2. Is “SELF-PROMOTION” a good thing?
  3. GENDER STEREOTYPES in Communication (Yes, we’re going there!)
  4. Don’t DWELL. Instead: DIVERT