Dear Bob ... For some people selling themselves rates up there with the fear of public speaking. A lot of us are taught not to brag. This puts us under a cloud that is very hard to get out from under. A perfect example of the "not to brag" hang up are local service clubs. Yes, you see their symbols but do you know what they do? Yes, you have heard of them and know a few of their names, but do you know what they Dear Bob … For some people selling themselves rates up there with the fear of public speaking. A lot of us are taught not to brag. This puts us under a cloud that is very hard to get out from under. A perfect example of the “not to brag” hang up are local service clubs. Yes, you see their symbols but do you know what they do? Yes, you have heard of them and know a few of their names, but do you know what they do for you, your community, and the world? It is hard for some of us to say “I” have done such and such. I prefer “we”, our team has done such and such. My wife is very frustrated because I do not have an I love me wall with my honors from local groups, city and state government hanging on the walls. I may have lost my last job because my office did not have my awards on the wall. I made the mistake of not playing politics in the city I was working in because I was to involved with my local government politics.Yes, I am comfortable public speaking but uncomfortable with my awards. Because I did not earn them with the help of others. – Can speak, can’t sell Dear Speaker …The good news is, you don’t have to brag. Nobody worth talking to wants to hear you do it anyway. The best way to sell is to avoid the word “I” almost entirely. Compare these two sentence fragments:“Here’s how I’d handle this: …” and “Here’s one good way to handle this: …” When you’re in an interview, answer the questions about yourself honestly, but do everything you can to take control of the interview and turn it into a consultation about the situations your interviewers are dealing with and how to best address them.In the end, your closer is, “Does this sound like a reasonable way to handle the issue?” When I sell IT Catalysts consulting services, I rarely even show a slide describing the company. I want to talk about my audience, its issues, and how we can help solve them. It’s about them, not about me. Or us. – Bob ——– Technology Industry