Unless you have a billion in the bank, think twice about following The Donald’s approach to self-promotion in your workplace.

“While Donald Trump might know the art of the deal, he’s still got a ways to go in the art of the brag,” says Fortune 500 communication guru Peggy Klaus, author of a new book, 'BRAG! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It' (Warner Books, Paperback, May, 2004, $13.95).

“While I applaud Trump for pulling off the self-promotion coup of the year, the fact is that if most of us followed his penchant for ‘truthful hyperbole’ in promoting ourselves at work, we’d have clients and co-workers running for the door,” says Klaus, whose popular BRAG parties and workshops nationwide teach participants the tricky skill of promoting themselves in a way that ingratiates instead of grates. (For more info on the BRAG book and events visit www.bragbetter.com )

In fact, Klaus says that NBC’s hit show “The Apprentice” has been a good case study in the good, the bad and the ugly of self-promotion. She offers these six tips:

1. Get Over The Self-Promotion Myths That Hold You Back

For most people, self-promotion is about as comfortable as having a root canal. But the truth is: if you don’t self-promote you won’t get promoted. To embrace self-promotion you need to dispel some common myths, including "A job well-done speaks for itself," “Good girls don’t brag,” “Humility gets you noticed,” “I don’t have to brag; others will do it for me,” and “Bragging is just for performance reviews.”

2. Learn The Art of The BRAG

Most people think they have two choices when it comes to self-promotion: remaining obscure or sounding obnoxious. But there is actually an artful middle ground: a way of turning the spotlight on yourself without looking and feeling like a walking billboard.

The secret to artful bragging is to describe yourself or your accomplishments with an interesting anecdote. Telling a short story, or what Klaus calls a “bragologue” is far more compelling than rattling off your accomplishments in laundry-list fashion. To figure out what makes you unique and memorable check out Klaus’ “Take-12” self-evaluation questionnaire at http://www.klausact.com/brag/questionnaire.htm.

3. Back Up Style With Substance We’ve all heard the expression “Dress for success” or “Dress the part.” That’s fine, but make sure you back up style with substance. Style without substance often feels like a charade (and most people can spot imposters within minutes). On the other hand, substance without style will put an insomniac to sleep. You need to seek a balance.

4. Move From We To Me

It doesn’t always have to be we, we, we all the time. Acknowledge the importance of teamwork, then move on to say what you learned and achieved from a group project. To trick yourself out of feeling self-conscious, pretend you’re talking about a good friend instead of yourself.

5. Be Enthusiastic

When you’ve got good news to share, let it show in your voice. If you don’t sound excited about your achievements, how can you expect others to be?

6. Accept The Praise

Many people, especially women, have the tendency to deflect compliments that come their way. Instead, smile, look the person in the eye and say, “Thanks. Coming from you that really means a lot.” You’ll be taking the person’s compliment graciously while flattering him or her at the same time.

Copyright © 2003 by Klaus & Associates, Inc.