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When bragging is a good thing

May 22, 2013

By Bob Johnson, NAID CEO

I am betting something has happened at your organization in the last couple of months that was worth bragging about. Maybe your company had its 5th anniversary. Maybe it shredded its one millionth pound of records or its 10 thousandth hard drive. It could be that you added a new sales person or operations manager or added a new truck (with the latest and greatest technology, of course). It does not matter what it was. I promise that if we spoke for 10 minutes, you would find something worth crowing about.

I have another bet to go along with the first one. I am also betting that whatever milestones or event happened at your company recently, most of you let it pass without claiming your bragging rights. There was no press release sent to the local business journal, ARMA chapter, chamber of commerce, ASIS chapter or IFMA chapter newsletter.

I would be delighted to be wrong and kudos to you if you have taken advantage of those opportunities. Why doesn’t your company do more bragging? I am sure there are many reasons. It could be that everyone is too busy doing more urgent things. It could be that it contradicts your personal sense of humility and modesty. It could be that you are not used to thinking in those terms. Whatever the reason for not doing it, it is hogwash. Do it. Brag away. Of all the characterizations for the “times” we live in, the one I like best is the “attention economy.” People with no talent are celebrities just because they command attention. Your company actually has a talent, or rather a value. It deserves any attention it can attract.

One press release is not a silver bullet. All your publicity together is not even a silver bullet. However, mixed in with all the other elements of your sales and marketing efforts, it can sure improve the results over time.