We have all heard about needing a 30-second commercial or elevator speech that encapsulates all the most important things about your product, service or talent.
But what you might not have at your fingertips is what I call a working inventory of stories and analogies with which to impress clients. Let me explain.
So many of us when asked what we do for a living might say: "I'm an accountant."
Where can the conversation go from there? Nowhere.
Instead, why not answer that same question (if you are an accountant) with, "I save people money." This answer or others like it — "I design money strategies for clients" or "I help clients grow their money" — gives the questioner an easy way to keep the conversation going. And that's what you want.
What you want the other person to think is: "Well, if she can do that for her other clients, she could do that for me."
It's always important to remember that you can never promise a specific outcome in business.
But, if you tell interesting stories that are NOT about you, but the results you've accomplished for your company or client, you have staked a claim to an advantage over your competitors.
Remember, too, that you must keep in mind the listener's point of view.
Think about the resultsIf, as an accountant, you are asked by another certified public accountant at a networking event, "What do you do?" — the previous suggested answer won't work.
So, what would you say instead?
In designing your response, remember to think about results — not about your job description or title.
Here's an example: If someone asks me what I do, the first thing that comes to mind is: Why would this person ask?
For instance, are they a meeting planner? Are they the wife of a colleague? Are they a prospective client for executive coaching? Now, I have choices.
I might say: "I am a speaker who helps audiences discover their authenticity, which I define as finding the very best of who they are."
If it's an executive, I might say, "I do group and individual communication coaching that gives my clients the confidence to be the best of who they are."
Or I might say, "I show others how to use body language to be more credible. For instance, let me tell you about a client I had who. … "
People remember our stories.
Live 2009 with an inventory of responses that allow you to never miss an opportunity to engage someone else or have that person engage you.
It can pay off with new business contacts and more success.
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