Through out my fourteen years of sales and marketing experience I’ve attended (and led) many networking events. A basic component of those gatherings has always been the “30 Second Sizzle” or “Elevator Speech” usually given by all partici
pants. It’s a concise introduction that lets attendees know who you are and what business or product you are representing. However, when you introduce yourself incorrectly you can do significant harm to your professional image before anyone has gotten the chance to get to know you. Here are a few tips to help you successfully introduce yourself at a networking event:
Smile big! Even if you are nervous or downright scared – don’t let them know it. When it is time for your introduction take a deep breath, stand up and give everyone in the room a big smile (with teeth and all!). Smiling shows that you are confident and approachable which is an important message when people are getting to know you. Attendees will be much more open to what you have to say, if you look like you actually want to be there.
Stay within the given time limit. Most of the time an event organizer will have an agenda they need to follow. Reasons for this agenda include; there is a featured speaker, a meal needs to be served and/or they want to make sure the attendees leave on time. Basically, when an organizer allots a specific time limit for your introduction, there is usually a good reason for it. People have different ways of enforcing the introduction time limit. I’ve attended meetings where the organizer utilizes an actual gong, leaving no doubt that you are done when they say you are done. Other times, I’ve seen the time limits not enforced spinning the meeting wildly off schedule while people spend five minutes each telling you about their business. That is not a good thing when you have sixty attendees and only a ninety minute meeting. So, when it is your time to introduce yourself – don’t be that long winded person! If you go over the allotted time, at best, attendees stop listening to what you are saying and at worst, they become resentful of your time hogging ways.
Be creative not hokey. I’ve seen some “interesting” methods used to gain attention during a professional introduction. An attendee might have a crazy catch phrase or break into a little song and dance. But you want people to remember you, not your jazz hands. Make sure your peers are getting some good information about you and what you do, not something to mock later. You want to be remembered for the right reasons, not because of an innuendo or an act.
Don’t use a script. You want to sound natural and sincere, not like a robot. And if you always say the same thing at every event, those attendees that have heard your canned speech before will stop listening and tune you out. Keep your introduction fresh by giving them news updates on what you’re doing or new clients you are working with. New information communicates that you are actively gaining new business and people are attracted to success.
Use examples or stories that illustrate abundance and credibility. Using examples and stories (when done correctly) as part of your introduction helps people understand what your business is and how it can benefit them. When you use a bad or weak example it can give the impression that your business is struggling or that you don’t know what you are doing. Make sure your examples are nothing but shining successes that let everyone know how great your business is going. Now, if you’re just starting out or it’s been a slow quarter that doesn’t mean you lie about what a huge success you are. It just means focus on your accomplishments, not your struggles. People don’t want to get on a sinking ship.