Will They Remember You?

You’ve just met someone for the first time at a business function. You walk away and they are left more confused about what it is you sell and do than before you started talking to them. Eeeek! Does that sound familiar? If it does, chances are you are likely giving them too much information and even more likely the WRONG information.

Stranger to Friend

Dive in and get to know who it is you are talking to, and if you don’t know enough about them ask questions. And when it's your turn to share, offer ONLY the details about your business that are the most applicable to them.

TMI: Less is More

Do you make it hard for people to understand what you do? And do you find that people you’ve met - even years later - still aren’t clear on what you do? Is it because you’re actually saying too much? 

Be careful not to go on and on about what it is you do - the essence of your business will get lost in the shuffle. Be clear and concise. Give specifics but not ALL the nitty gritty details. 

Jimmy Talks a Lot

A few years ago I was speaking at a luncheon put on by an ad agency. I met one gentleman who, when I asked him what he did for a living, he spent a loooong time telling me aaaaallll the things his company did and how they did all those things.  It had to do with market research, surveys, focus groups, data analysis, and a bunch of other stuff. Only because I already was familiar with what a market research firm does, could I deduce the main function of his business. Being very conscious of the time because I hadn’t made it to all the tables yet, after about the 11th-minute mark I politely cut him off and kept on going to meet everyone else. 

In my presentation, I was sharing how important it is to narrow down your messaging to only the most crucial points when you first meet people:

• What specific products or services you sell.
• What main benefits those products or services provide to the audience you’re currently speaking with.

I don’t care HOW you do all the things…the process, the details, the price levels. In the 2 minutes you’re sharing with me (hopefully not 11 minutes like in my luncheon situation!), I just want to hear the WHAT and the WHY.  The HOW can come later once you’ve intrigued me enough to want to learn more.  

Your introduction should be the first date, not your marriage proposal.

When everything was done and the guests were clearing out, the gentleman from the market research firm came up to me after and said “so….I guess I really screwed up when you asked me what I did for a living, didn’t I?”  I said to him “You guys do a lot of things. But knowing I’m a business coach, you could have told me just what would be most relevant to ME about what you do.  If you had said ‘we conduct research studies for businesses to find out if there is a market for a new offering before they develop and release it,’ I would have been able to walk away thinking “I know 5 clients right now who need that exact thing” and could have accurately referred people to you.  But because you made it too hard for me to figure out what you do, I essentially dropped it and forgot about you as soon as I walked away.”

Simplicity is Magical...and Happens to Be Our Specialty

Your job is to make it EASY for people.  If you’re struggling because you simply don’t know what to say or how to say it, now’s the perfect time to join my Rethink Marketing 8-week coaching program.  I walk you through the steps and share with you my special formula for creating your impactful messaging.  

We’d love to see you there!