You in 30 Seconds
In November, I attended the NC Public Relations and Marketing Seminar, and I was asked to post a blog article about what I learned. But the insight I picked up at the seminar wasn’t what I expected to take away. In fact, I couldn’t really find a good way to communicate it until recently. Conveniently, it ties in nicely with this time of year when we reflect on who we are and who we want to be.
Every one of us has things about ourselves that we don’t like. In fact, the New Year holiday is the time to break out that list and think of ways we can improve our body/career/relationships/etc. But how many of us spend time pondering our positive traits? You know, the things that make us interesting, special and even valuable. This year instead of focusing on how to better yourself, let’s talk about how to better sell yourself. It starts with knowing who you are and what you’re good at.
At the NC PR and Marketing Seminar, I sat in a session with Linda Conklin who is, among many other things, a manager for the alumni career services at the UNC General Alumni Association. Her presentation was about creating a :30 commercial for yourself. This “personal ad” serves as your introduction when you meet someone new.
Now you meet people all the time — a new coworker, your brother-in-law’s girlfriend, the people who moved in two doors down. And every time you meet some one, you introduce yourself (or you are introduced). Pretty simple. Here’s where Linda lobbed me some new insight to consider. Every person is multifaceted. I’m not just a copywriter. That doesn’t even crack the surface of who I am as a person or what I can bring to the table. And my introduction doesn’t have to be the same for each person I meet. In fact, it shouldn’t be. You can tailor your introduction to the situation and person you are meeting. But I do think introductions should contain certain components. I gave some thought to what should be included in a :30 personal ad. Here’s what I came up with:
Provide context – How do you fit into their world?
The right “personal ad” gives the person you’re introducing yourself to context for why they should care about who you are. For example: the fact that you are a little league coach doesn’t matter to the cashier at the grocery store. But the fact that you’re a member of their preferred customer club does. So when you’re introducing yourself to a prospective client or business partner, let them know how you play in the same field or industry and draw a connection between who you are and who they are.
Establish experience and expertise – Why do they want to know you?
Introductions give you an opportunity to share some of your strengths or highlight some of your accomplishments without sounding like you're bragging. (Although it can very easily turn into bragging if you overdo it.) Say you’re a published author whose book has won several awards and as a result, you’ve been asked to speak at major events. You can include that information in an introduction fairly easily. “What do you do for a living?” “I’ve written a book that has been very well-received so I’m currently on a speaking tour to share my research/insight/story/etc.” The point is to paint in broad strokes a picture of your success.
Set expectations – What can/will you do for them?
The most important part of the introduction is positioning yourself as a resource for the future. If you want to build relationships, you’ve got to initiate a give and take. It can be as simple as offering a business card. Or it can be as bold as a promise to help the person improve their career/business/life. Give them a reason to remember you and to remember that you are valuable and worth another interaction.
The next time you introduce yourself to someone, take a moment to choose your words and remember your strengths. You only get to make one first impression, and you don’t want to sell yourself short. Have a great 2011!
Comments
You're absolutely right, Deborah! Thank you for saying this - I never realized that I don't focus on my positive strengths when I think of New Years Resolutions, etc.
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