ARTICLE EXCERPT FROM “TOOT YOUR OWN HORN” 
BY LAURA STACK

Learn how to communicate your value to new contacts. When you meet someone for the first time, that person will invariably ask you, “So, what do you do?” Most of us answer with our job title and company name. This does absolutely nothing to enhance your value. A title can mean many different things, and that person may not be familiar with your company. Instead, tell them how you bring value to your work or organization. What contribution do you make and what are your special talents?

I will never forget two individuals I met who used this technique very successfully. They were able to plant a picture in my mind of them at their very best. For example, instead of, “I’m a marketing rep with ABC,” one said, “I help people get the word out about their products and services. Last week one of my clients was featured in the Washington Post.” And instead of, “I work for XYZ Company in customer service,” one woman said, “I make angry people happy. Last month, I made sure 23 disgruntled people stayed with us.” I say, “Hi, I’m Laura Woloch, I am the President of Celebration Presentations, a training and development firm in Denver, CO. I work with organizations that want more effective employees and people who want to lead more fulfilling lives.” Great greetings grow into great connections!

If you want to go far in your career, you must be able to communicate your value and toot your own horn when you succeed. Management, in most cases, doesn’t take enough responsibility for recognizing peak performers. The onus, instead, falls on YOU. 


© 1999 Laura Stack. Laura Stack is a personal productivity expert, author, and professional speaker who helps busy workers Leave the Office Earlier® with Maximum Results in Minimum Time®. She is the president of The Productivity Pro®, Inc., a time management training firm specializing in productivity improvement in high-stress organizations. Since 1992, Laura has presented keynotes and seminars on improving output, lowering stress, and saving time in today’s workplaces. She is the bestselling author of three works published by Broadway Books: The Exhaustion Cure (2008), Find More Time (2006) and Leave the Office Earlier (2004). Laura is a spokesperson for Microsoft, 3M, and Day-Timers®, Inc and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, CNN, and the New York Times. Her clients include Cisco Systems, Sunoco, KPMG, Nationwide, and 3M. To have Laura speak at your next event, call 303-471-7401. Visit www.TheProductivityPro.com to sign up for her free monthly productivity newsletter.