One of your New Year’s Resolutions is to get out of the office more and connect in person with those professionals who can hire or refer you business.
So, cup of coffee in hand, you show up at your first networking event of the year, find a seat and wait for the meeting to begin. The group leader welcomes everyone and says, “With so many new faces today, why don’t we go around the table and have everyone take a few moments to introduce themselves and what they do.”
“Oh great, here comes a glorified roll call,” you think. Short of watching your local news pundits rehash a recent political debate, nothing is as mind numbing as listening to a group of professionals introduce themselves through tired clichés, generalities, and generic value statements.
Elevator speeches, 15-second pitches, brief introductions—whatever you call them—are attempts to connect and stir interest in a short amount of time. With forethought and preparation, introductions can be an effective way of generating referrals and developing business.
FIRST, consider your intention. In the words of Stephen R. Covey, “Start with the end in mind.” Intention is the singular message or impression you want to leave with your audience. Pick one intention and make it active. Want more of a particular type of work? Align your message accordingly.
All too often, professionals think their intention is to educate or inform their audience as to the litany of services they provide. Educating people gets them to think. Persuading people gets them to act!
SECOND, demonstrate your intention through storytelling. Avoid reciting a menu of services or the history and reputation of your company. Instead, think of your intro as an opportunity to tell a story—engage your audience, differentiate yourself and your message, and be memorable.
THIRD, catch your audience’s attention through a dynamic opening. Rather than beginning with “Thank you for having me,” “Good morning,” or “I’d like to tell you a story,” dive off a cliff and deliver a grabber.
You might reference a current news item, tell a personal story, reveal a lesson learned, share your perspective on a controversial topic, or ask a thought-provoking question. Use specifics and paint a picture. If your audience can visualize what you describe, they are engaged.
FOURTH, construct your story. Identify the obstacle. What is at stake? Is there a tight deadline? What is it that requires your expertise and experience to overcome? The obstacle is typically the client’s problem or issue for which they hired you in the first place.
Next, reveal the solution you implemented by stating three specific processes that you used to solve the client’s problem. Demonstrating your capabilities through examples is much more effective than merely telling someone what you’re capable of.
Close with your name and company. Speakers have a honeymoon period of 30 seconds or less to capture an audience’s attention. Since there is nothing novel or surprising about your name or the name of your firm, why start at a disadvantage? By putting your name and company at the end of your introduction, you encourage the audience to place the most important details into long-term memory.
FIFTH, practice. Once you have an overall structure for your introduction, rehearse it. “Winging it” is a recipe for disaster. Initially, you will probably include too much information, or new thoughts will come to you as you say your speech aloud. It is all part of the creative process.
Rehearsals are where you decide what to include and what to eliminate, and how to keep everything within the allotted time.
During a scene in the movie This Is It, Michael Jackson rehearses dance moves with his band.
When the music conductor apologizes for getting the timing wrong, Michael says, “It’s OK, that is why we practice!” Despite his unbelievable talent and years of experience, Michael understood the need to practice.
Delivery of your introduction should be similar to having a conversation across a dining room table. Many of us were taught that to be taken seriously in business we had to be formal, rigid, and official in our posture and language. The reverse is true. When professionals show an easygoing, relaxed demeanor, they exhibit true confidence and approachability. When you make eye contact around the room, the audience feels included.
The more authentic you are, the more people will be drawn to you. To thrive in this fiercely competitive marketplace, speaking is among the best ways to be seen as the go-to person in your field. Would you prefer to captivate your audience or watch them mentally walk out the door? If it’s captivate you want, deliver a well-crafted introduction.
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The elevator speech is one of the hardest things to get right. After years of practice and hopefully hundreds or more of successfully consummated complex transactions, many of us, myself included, assume the world knows all about us. So when someone casually turns to us and says, “And what do you do?,” we expect our response will blow them away. Unfortunately, more often than not, as we listen to our response, we hear ourselves struggle and then spit out the worst kind of generic formula description. Jonathan and others taught me to imagine myself as the audience and deliver something unique, distinctive, and entertaining – all in 30 seconds. I don’t always succeed but I practice all the time – in my car, while shaving, and to my german shepherds. It works. Thanks, J.
Great post and so relevant. Being what some would call “senior,” I still find this skill the most elusive – whether at the table or reception. These tips are helpful and I’ll start practicing tomorrow.