One of the areas we undervalue in our career is the importance of being able to make a lasting impression for those impromptu meetings with an important influencer.
When you are networking, or at a work event or find yourself making coffee in the office kitchen when the CEO strides in, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Yet it’s very easy to fluff your lines unless you prepare in advance.
You can make a lasting impression by having a short summary of who you are ready to roll off your tongue when you introduce yourself.
These are often referred to as elevator pitches, but they are so much more than that. These are your verbal calling card, to ensure that people know who you are and what you stand for, in a meaningfully put together statement.
Leaving these things to chance and whatever is top of mind for you when you meet someone you’ve been keen to get in front of, can leave a weak and even a bad impression.
So, as the adage goes, fail to prepare and prepare to fail. Assume you will meet important influencers in your next big event and be armed and ready with what to say and the impression you want to leave.
Here’s a quick summary of what your statement needs to include:
- Position – What is it I do now – don’t just stick to the job title, but explain what you do, who it affects the organisation.
- Passion – What is it that really gets you excited. This is attached to your earliest experience when you knew this was important to you.
- Performance – What you have achieved in the last year. Think in terms of growth or efficiency measures
- Pitch – what is you would like this person to help you achieve.
When you can fill in the details of these four areas as succinctly as possible, you then need to practice saying it out load until you can feel it rolls off the tongue.
Want to know how to build your own meaningful statement?