Improve Your Communication Skills, 2nd Edition

172 Improve your Communication Skills
and expertise that others might be looking for; they signal values 
to others without the need to spell them out.
It’s not always easy to remember everything we’ve achieved, 
and it’s not always obvious how our accomplishments might help 
others. If you make a list of your accomplishments, they will be 
ready in the background for you to use.
It’s up to you to acknowledge and celebrate your 
accomplishments. After all, only you know what they are! And 
when you start to talk about what you’ve achieved, you will begin 
to speak with passion about something you care about: always an 
infectious pleasure in conversation.
Create a self-introduction
We introduce ourselves to others so often that it’s worth 
thinking about how to do it well. A self-introduction that 
develops rapport and generates interest can be one of our greatest 
networking assets.
Expertise and accomplishments: a 
checklist
Make a note of what you are: 
– and how these skills have 
helped you accomplish:
good at 
work projects
experienced with 
sports activities
trained in 
educational or training 
courses
natural with 
family or relationship 
successes
successful in 
volunteering or community 
work.
( c) 2011 Kogan Page L imited, All Rights Reserved.

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173 Networking: The New Conversation
Develop a self-introduction that you feel comfortable with. 
Practise different forms of words and see which ones trigger 
interest and intrigue. Which ones express your ‘brand’: your 
values and attitudes, as well as what you do?
Your self-introduction: a checklist
Keep it
Your self-introduction should take no more