Recently I was speaking at a local event where at the beginning everyone goes around the room and introduces themselves. Three things struck me immediately of why most of those introducing themselves will be unremarkable the minute they sit down. When being introduced for the first time or networking, remember, you only have about 20 seconds to make an impact statement. Too often I hear all sorts of weird introductions and have no idea even after the person has spoken for a minute or two what they do and who they serve.
#1 Take a deep breath as you stand up and speak slowly and loud
#2 No excuses, bad attempts at humor, or self-depreciation
#3 Give a web address or other way to contact you as you end and don’t mumble or trail-off your words as you close
Be clear, concise and get straight to the point.
Be prepared with a short statement of who you are and what problems you solve. Take it one step further, than “I’m a mortgage broker” or “I work for ABC Mortgage”—absolutely forgettable, not remarkable. Consider:
“Hi, I’m Joe Smith, I help people re-finance their homes in these tough banking times. They often struggle with the huge amounts of paperwork required, understanding all the new laws and how the depressed real estate market is affecting the value of their homes. I solve this by…..”
Well, you get the idea, here’s the three-step process to making a memorable networking introduction:
Step One: “Hi I’m Joe Smith, I help people…
Step Two: They often struggle with three things: #1, #2, and #3…..
Step Three: This is how I solve….”
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