When it comes to talking about ourselves, my clients often tell me that they have a hard time doing so. That’s completely understandable because we’ve been “taught” that it’s rude, or even sometimes considered narcissistic, to talk about ourselves, right?
However, one of the most important things you can do in your elevator pitch to separate yourself from your competition is to make your commercial about YOU, rather than just about your business or company.
Next time you listen to a roomful of introductions, listen to how many of them are about a business or a company as a whole - and NOT about who that person is and what that person can do for you.
When you’re attending a networking function, you’re there to do what? Make contacts and build relationships, right? Yes, you’re representing your business (and quite possibly the best company in your field), but in an introduction it is more effective to concentrate on who YOU are, and what YOU can do to serve their needs. The company is the vehicle to serve those needs, but you are the driver.Let’s say you focus your pitch all about your company, something like:
“I’m Barbara with Brightfarm Introductions and WE do this, and WE do that…” (weee weee, all the way home!)
You’re only introducing the company, and not establishing yourself as the person to go to…the person who can solve a problem that they may currently be struggling with. People aren’t attending networking events to connect with companies, they’re there to connect with people in order to grow their network.
When you introduce yourself for the very first time, people are automatically sizing YOU up, not your company. In the flash of 30-seconds, they are determining in their minds if you are:
Professional: are you serious about who you are and what you have to offer, or are you a fly-by-night business person?
Able to articulate clearly what you do: can they understand the problem that you can solve for them and how you can help them?
Good at what you do: can they tell that you are skilled and knowledgeable in your field? Are you positioning yourself as an expert or leader in your industry?
Approachable: If they determine they have the problem you can solve for them, do they feel comfortable approaching you to help them solve it?Yes, they are sizing you up in all of these areas in your first 30-second introduction, which is why it is so important to introduce yourself, and not just talk up your company.
Remember, people like to do business with people they know, like, and trust. What better way to start the wheels in motion than by introducing yourself, rather than just your company. As someone gets to know you, they’ll see the company behind you (and how wonderful it is), but they’ll like the company even more, because of YOU.
Would you like to use this "Fresh Tip" for your newsletter or website? You absolutely can as long as you use this complete blurb with it: Barbara Lopez, "The Elevator Pitch Coach" with Brightfarm Introductions, helps business professionals introduce themselves with high impact. Everything in business starts with an introduction. If you're ready to learn how to introduce yourself and your business professionally and comfortably, visit Barbara at www.brightfarm.com.
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