From the course: Reverse Networking: The Give-First Playbook

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Balance humility with self-promotion

Balance humility with self-promotion

When someone says, tell me about yourself, how do you answer? Do you share honestly or feel pressure to give a performance, basically advertising yourself? There's a fine line between telling your story with humility versus turning it into self-promotion. Knowing that difference is the key to doing reverse networking right. People share stories for different reasons, sometimes to connect, sometimes to impress. Even if they tell the same story with the same words, the difference is always felt. If your goal is to connect, you're likely to come across as authentic and open, but if you're seeking admiration, the story feels more like an ad. That subtle shift from offering to performing changes how people respond. A good gut check is to ask yourself, am I saying this to be understood or to be admired? When the intention is connection, people lean in. When it's ego, they pull back. Even a meaningful story can fall flat if the timing is off. If someone shares a challenge or success, jumping…

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