Episode #217: How Much Should You Brag About Yourself When Presenting

Bruce Springsteen once sang about “boring stories of glory days.” Many executives unintentionally recreate that feeling when they spend too long reminiscing about their own careers at the start of a talk. In a busy business environment like 東京 (Tokyo), where 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign multinational companies) are under constant pressure to perform, audiences have little patience for long self-introductions that don’t help them solve today’s problems.

When a speaker launches into a long personal history, the content often matters more to them than to the audience. What feels “fascinating” to the speaker can sound dated, self-focused, or even self-indulgent to listeners.

Typical problems:

• Glory-days overload: Long stories about “back when I started in sales” can make you sound stuck in the past, especially to younger or more dynamic audiences.

• Out-of-touch image: Too many old anecdotes can make you feel like a museum piece covered in “dusty cobwebs,” even if your experience is impressive.

• Missed expectations: In 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign multinational companies), audiences want insight they can apply now, not just stories about how things used to be.

Mini-summary: Your audience is not against your success story—but they lose interest fast if your past seems more important than their future.

Most events already include an introduction from the host. If you don’t control it, you risk a long, inaccurate, or dull biography that either bores people or feels like propaganda.

What to do instead:

• Write your own short intro for the host:

  • Make it brief and easy to read.

  • Highlight only what proves you are credible on this specific topic, not everything you have ever done.

• Avoid a full career chronology:

  • Your education, first job, every promotion, and all awards do not need to be listed.

  • Focus on 2–3 proof points that link directly to the topic—e.g., for プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), mention your number of speeches or key speaking experiences, not your unrelated hobbies.

• Use topical credibility, not general bragging:

  • “This is my speech number 342 on executive presentations” is more relevant than “I’m a 6th Dan in karate,” unless that expertise directly supports the topic.

In リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), 営業研修 (sales training), or プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), Dale Carnegie coaches often help leaders craft concise positioning statements that say, in effect: “Here’s why you can trust me on this specific subject.”

Mini-summary: A sharp, topic-focused introduction builds authority faster than a long biography and keeps the audience with you from the first minute.

Many presenters show slide after slide about their company history, global locations, revenue numbers, and products. By the third slide, audiences are silently thinking: “Enough already—get on with the real content.”

A more effective approach:

• Use one powerful, visual proof of credibility:

  • Instead of 10 slides of company history, choose one image or fact that signals trust and longevity.

  • For example, showing a single historical photograph of your first branch from the 19th century can instantly communicate “we have stood the test of time.”

  • In Japan, attaching the date in both Gregorian and Japanese Imperial format can subtly increase the sense of tradition and reliability, especially for 日本企業 (Japanese companies).

• Highlight only the sharpest USPs:

  • Limit yourself to 2–3 unique selling points that matter for this audience, this topic, and this moment.

  • For 外資系企業 (foreign multinational companies) in 東京 (Tokyo), emphasize your local presence, your experience working with Japanese stakeholders, and your understanding of the Japanese business context.

• Keep slides simple and clean:

  • One idea per slide.

  • Minimal text.

  • Clear visuals that a busy executive can “get” in one second.

This is the same principle Dale Carnegie Tokyo applies in corporate プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training): remove clutter, keep only what supports your message, and ensure every slide earns its place.

Mini-summary: Replace long company histories with one or two powerful, relevant proof points that show why your company can be trusted for this specific issue.

Many CEOs and executives prefer to play a corporate video at the start as a “safe” way to explain who they are and what their organization does. It can feel like an easy escape from speaking directly to the audience.

Why this is risky:

• One-size-fits-all video rarely fits the event:

  • Most corporate videos are created as “Swiss Army Knife” tools—used in every region, for every audience, and every topic.

  • That means much of the content is irrelevant to the specific problem your audience came to solve today.

• Energy drop at the start:

  • Darkening the room and playing a video often lowers engagement just when you should be raising it.

• Passive, not personal:

  • Videos cannot respond, adapt, or read the room. You can.

What to do instead:

• If there is one genuinely powerful section in the video, cue only that short segment—not the entire thing.

• Tie it directly to your topic with a clear transition:

  • “You’ll see one example of how we helped a client transform their sales culture. After that, I’ll show you three specific techniques you can apply in your own team.”

• Then move quickly into your live content, where your personality and expertise can shine.

In プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), Dale Carnegie trainers guide leaders to rely on their own communication skills, not just corporate media, to earn trust.

Mini-summary: Use corporate video sparingly and surgically, if at all—the audience came to hear you, not to watch a generic global promo.

Examples from your own experience are essential. They show that you are not just repeating theory—you’ve actually done the work. But when every example is a story of your triumphs, you can sound egocentric.

Better practices for examples:

• Shift the focus from “me” to “client” or “team”:

  • Instead of “I turned around the whole division,” try “Here’s what our client did and how their people changed.”

  • In 日本企業 (Japanese companies), emphasizing the team or client’s growth is often more culturally appropriate than highlighting your individual victory.

• Connect each example directly to a technique or principle:

  • Don’t just tell a story—make sure you clearly say, “This worked because we applied these three steps…”

  • This is how we structure case studies in 営業研修 (sales training) and DEI研修 (DEI training): problem → action → result → principle.

• Limit the number of personal glory stories:

  • One or two carefully chosen examples are more powerful than a long list of wins.

Mini-summary: Use examples to make principles real and actionable, not to inflate your speaker ego; prioritize client and team success stories over pure self-praise.

Deciding “how much is too much” about yourself is not an exact science, but leaders can use a simple rule: err on the side of minimalism.

In リーダーシップ研修 (leadership training), プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training), and エグゼクティブ・コーチング (executive coaching), leaders quickly learn that audiences care most about:

• What problem you will help them solve

• What they can do differently tomorrow

• How your experience translates into their results

When you strip away unnecessary biography and self-promotion, you create more room for:

• Clear structure

• Practical tools

• Interaction and Q&A

• Culturally sensitive examples for Japanese and multinational audiences in 東京 (Tokyo)

As architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said, “less is more.” In business presentations, that means less self-focus, more audience value.

Mini-summary: Minimalist self-introductions free up time and attention for what matters most: helping your audience achieve their own “glory days” now and in the future.

• Short, topic-specific intros beat long biographies. Focus on the few points that prove your credibility on this subject.

• Replace long company histories with one or two strong proof points. A single powerful visual plus 2–3 clear USPs is enough.

• Use corporate video selectively, if at all. Your live presence, not your global promo, is what builds trust and engagement.

• Tell stories that spotlight client and team success. In 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (foreign multinational companies), examples work best when they are directly tied to actionable principles.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching, and DEI. Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.