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 of find yourself making coffee in the office kitchen when the CEO strides in, 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 than. These are your verbal calling card, to ensure that someone knows 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 such a statement needs to include:
- Position – What is it I do now – don’t just stick to the job title, but explain what you do and who it affects.
- Passion – What is it that really gets you excited. This is attached to your earliest experience when you knew this was important tot you.
- Performance – What you have achieved. Think in terms of growth or efficiency measures
- Pitch – what is you would like this person to help you achieve.
See how this works in practice in this video:
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