Page 166 - Trump Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success

trum_c36.qxd 11/30/07 4:12 PM Page 145

K NOW W HEN TO B RAG

I can often be heard saying that my next project is going to
be huge and that it will be a tremendous success. Why? First, I
have confidence that it will be. Second, I know I have to live up
to my own expectations. When you announce something pub-
licly for the world to hear, you’d better be right or the day of
reckoning won’t be sweet. I don’t have to worry about that so
much any more, but my standards are such that I give everything
the same amount of effort as if it was my first big deal. Plus,
announcing a new project always gets my adrenalin flowing.
These public announcements aren’t bragging—I simply state
the facts. The fact is my buildings are the best. That’s why they
sell out, very often before they’re even built. Trump buildings
get higher prices per square foot because they aren’t just a brand
name, but a luxury brand name. People know what they’re get-
ting. The buildings are in demand. Why should I have false
modesty when it’s false? The same goes for you. If you have
something to be proud of and you can back up your claims, then
go for it. Let people know. There’s no reason to be coy about
great accomplishments.
Marketing today requires that we grab the customer’s atten-
tion. It can make or break a business. I do most of my own pub-
lic relations because I know how to advertise my own brand. If
you have a product or service, learn to do the same. It will save
you time and money. If you don’t believe in your product and
can’t talk it up, who will? When people say, “that’s not my
style,” I can understand up to a certain point, but my initial
reaction is that maybe they’re not too confident about the qual-
ity of their work.
I had a young guy come in who had a remarkable back-
ground, but he was so self-effacing that I started to believe his
attitude more than his accomplishments. I ended up not hiring
him because of the dampening effect of his attitude. If he had
been a bit more upbeat, I would have been more apt to believe in
him. Note what I said—I believed him, but I didn’t believe in

145