How to Talk About Yourself in Presentations Without Sounding Arrogant, Outdated, or Self-Indulgent

Bruce Springsteen’s lyric “Boring stories of glory days, yeah, they’ll pass you by” is the perfect warning for presenters.
Because nothing dates a speaker faster than:

• long stories about past victories

• nostalgic rambling

• self-focused triumphs

• irrelevant “glory days” anecdotes

At a recent chamber function, a speaker talked endlessly about his early days in sales. The more he spoke, the more he aged—covered metaphorically in “dusty cobwebs.”

Yes, talking about yourself can build credibility.
But it can also destroy it instantly.

Mini-summary:
Talking about yourself is both useful and dangerous—handle it poorly and you look outdated, irrelevant, or egocentric.

Every presentation begins with the host’s introduction.
If you're smart, you write the introduction yourself.

If you’re really smart, you write it short.

Because:

• long intros get butchered

• hosts routinely skip parts

• details are often misread

• the audience tunes out instantly

Audiences know what’s coming—a propaganda parade of achievements—and they brace for boredom. You must reduce the pain, not extend it.

Mini-summary:
Write your own introduction, keep it short, and don’t rely on hosts to deliver it perfectly.

Not much.
And certainly not chronologically.

The worst introductions follow this pattern:
“First I did this… then I did that… then in 1997…”
No one cares.

Instead, focus only on what is relevant to the topic at hand:

• your specific expertise

• your connection to the problem

• your experience with this audience’s challenges

Example:
Being a 6th Dan Shitoryu karate master is impressive—but irrelevant to teaching プレゼンテーション研修.
But saying “This is speech #342 I’ve delivered on this topic” immediately positions you as an expert.

Mini-summary:
Share only the background that supports your authority on today’s topic—nothing more.

Many presenters include 4–10 slides about their organisation. This is a terrible idea.

Audience reaction by slide #3:
“Enough already—get on with it.”

Instead:

• choose 1–2 slides max

• highlight only your strongest, most compelling USPs

• use dramatic visuals that communicate trust or capability instantly

For example, when presenting for an unknown Australian bank in Japan, a single 19th-century black-and-white photo—plus the Japanese imperial-era date—communicated longevity and trust more effectively than any corporate brochure.

Mini-summary:
Company slides should be few, powerful, and aligned with your message.

The CEO’s favorite escape route is to roll a hyper-produced corporate video before speaking.

This is always a mistake.

Why?

• the video rarely matches the topic

• it's designed to serve everyone, which means it serves no one

• it's generic, cliché, and boring

• it delays your connection with the audience

If a certain clip is powerful, cue only that clip.
Otherwise, skip the entire video.

Mini-summary:
Corporate videos weaken your opening—don’t rely on them.

Personal stories are valuable—but only when they:

• illuminate a principle

• relate to the audience

• demonstrate a result relevant to their needs

• teach rather than brag

Your job is not to celebrate your past victories.
Your job is to show the audience how they can achieve victories now and in the future.

Whenever possible, use:

• client successes

• team achievements

• anonymized case studies

These feel more credible and less self-promotional.

Mini-summary:
Use personal stories sparingly; focus on what helps the audience succeed, not what glorifies you.

Determining how much personal content to include is tricky.
But when in doubt?

Err on the side of minimalism.
As Mies van der Rohe said:
“Less is more.”

Audiences don’t remember long bios—they remember:

• your relevance

• your clarity

• your insight

• your ability to help them

So be selective, be strategic, and be brief.

Mini-summary:
The shorter your self-introduction, the more impact your message will have.

• Talking about yourself is useful—but dangerous when overdone.

• Write your own intro, keep it short, and avoid chronological detail.

• Use only background that strengthens your authority on today’s topic.

• Minimize company slides; choose visuals that communicate instant credibility.

• Avoid corporate videos; they weaken your opening.

• Use personal stories sparingly—client stories are stronger.

• Remember: “Less is more.”

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.