I recently created a Website with a free "Breakthrough Thinking" newsletter. When my informal network of colleagues saw it, they immediately showered me with positive accolades.

That's just the beginning. A popular Marketing site immediately featured the newsletter, and an outplacement firm asked me to present it as a powerful networking tool. 40% of subscribers signed up a friend after the first issue was released.

However, a recent attempt to update my resume was a completely different story. I sent the first draft to my colleagues and received a string of reprimands: it's too long, it's too short, it seems flat, it seems flashy.

Furiously, I made the changes, plus added pretty little stars in place of bullets, hot new buzz words and power phrases. I even changed the format three times. Yet, despite all the redecorating, it always remained the same document.

What was going on? I had written hundreds of successful promotions, and everyone liked the site and newsletter. Why was the resume falling flat on its face after each rewrite?

And then it hit me - a "breakthrough copywriting" insight!

..... Everything else that I wrote was about something outside of me, for the benefit of the reader. So, I decided to write the resume in the third person. Digging up old customer testimonials and letters of recommendation, I visualized these past employers being interviewed by someone like Larry King.

Leaning forward on his desk, you can easily imagine Larry posing the question, "So, what did Jeff REALLY do for you ... your customers ... your organization?"

Gulp. Yet, when I started thinking about the net value my projects delivered for others - and from THEIR PERSPECTIVE, a vast hidden line of thought surfaced in my mind. Facts that lay limp on the page suddenly materialized into a story ... one that unveiled a clear chronology of challenges, actions and results.

Once finished, I hurriedly rushed it out to my network. This time I left off the fanfare - and just politely asked for feedback.