Q:
What are some of the things I need to consider to improve my
personal introduction to people at networking meetings?
A:
Your primary goal in networking is to increase the amount of
business you get. To do this, you must make meaningful contact with
other business professionals who can use your services, refer
someone else who can use your services, or both. One of the
fundamental elements of this process is making effective
introductions. The ideal introduction is brief and memorable--one
that provides enough impact to arouse the interest of those to whom
you're introducing yourself and get them to join your
word-of-mouth team.
Think of networking as a relay race. Your personal introduction
serves the same purpose as passing the baton from one runner to the
next. Because you have to reach out and pass the baton to the next
runner, and he or she in turn has to reach back and receive it, the
baton pass is a cooperative effort.
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When planning your personal introduction, your goal is to
deliver information another person or group would be interested in
hearing about, and recognize that they may be interested in giving
you some information about themselves to pass to another
runner.
The baton exchange takes place in an instant; there's no
time or chance for a second attempt. If the baton is not placed in
the open hand of the next runner, it will fall to the ground.
Personal introductions can suffer the same fate. A poorly planned
personal introduction can fall on deaf ears. It won't be passed
on.
Whether you're introducing yourself to an individual or a
group, you have a choice of how you deliver your message. The
primary vehicle for your introduction is your verbal
presentation.
Does your introduction work? People will judge not only the
message, but also the messenger. How you look, carry yourself and
listen will affect what others do with the message you've
delivered. As you network, your underlying hope is that people will
use your products or services and pass your message on to others
who will also use your products or services.
When participating (even as a guest) in various business
organizations, you may be asked to introduce yourself. Preparing a
script for this process will improve your results. One of your
scripts should be an overview of what you do. Other presentations
can address various aspects of your product or service. Here is a
recommended sequence for your brief introduction:
- Your name
- Your business or profession
- A brief description of your business or profession
- A
memory hook that includes quick, ear-catching phrases
- A benefit statement of one particular product or service you
offer--what you do that helps others
Your name and your business profession are easy enough. A brief
description, a memory hook and a benefit statement can be separate
items, but more often they are intertwined in your message. For
example, it's easy to combine your business along with the
benefits of your product or service. I suggest you tell people what
you do as well as what you are: "I'm a financial planner,
and I help people plan for their future," or "I'm an
advertising and marketing consultant, and I help companies get the
most out of their advertising dollar." These explanations are
more effective than saying, "I do financial planning," or
"I plan advertising campaigns."
In many situations, you'll be introducing yourself to only
one or two people at a time. Some networking organizations have all
the members stand at each meeting, and in round-robin fashion, give
a one-minute overview to the entire group. If you're a member
of a group like this, it's vitally important to vary your
presentations.
Many people who are in business groups that meet every week have
a tendency to say the same old thing time after time. From what
I've seen, many weekly presentations are done weakly. If
you don't give some thought to varying your introduction, many
people will tune you out when you speak, because they've
already heard your message several times. Your best bet is to give
a brief overview, then concentrate on just one element of your
business for the remaining part of your presentation.
By breaking your product or service down to its most basic form,
or lowest common denominator, you will be able to effectively
describe to other people the type of work you do. In other words,
talk about:
- A specific product or service
- A selected target market
- Unique benefits to a particular group
- Your qualifications as a professional in your industry
Handouts or, if applicable, samples that you can show and
discuss will help you make a strong impression. The more things
people can see, hear, feel and touch, the more likely they are to
remember your message. The more they remember, the more likely they
are to refer you.
As you make presentations, always consider the needs of your
audience and limit your discussion primarily to those areas. If
you're giving a short presentation to a large group, focus on
the part of your business you think will benefit most of the group.
If you're talking to only one or two people, find out as much
as you can about them.
If you take the time to develop good presentations, people will
take notice. If you don't, you are losing a great opportunity
to someone else who will.
Ivan Misner is the founder and CEO of Business Network
International (BNI), which has more than 2,700 chapters
throughout the world. He is also the author of five books,
including his New York Times bestseller, Masters of
Networking, as well as Entrepreneur Press' forthcoming
Masters
of Success.
The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.