by June Campbell
Has this happened to you? You attend one of these ever-
popular networking events and the MC calls for introductions.
Everyone is expected to stand and introduce themselves and
their business. You note gratefully that the MC has imposed a
30- second time restriction on each introduction. Now there's
hope you'll make it home in time for tomorrow morning's Corn
Flakes.
Then it starts. One by one, your fellow networkers treat you to
long, rambling monologues.
"…er, Hi. I'm Rambling Rose. I ..uh… have a business. Me and my
partner, Buck. It's called Rose and Buck's. We … uhhh ...
offer services to small businesses and we do lots of things. We
help you increase your uh… profitability while, er, a… finding
new strategic markets…. Oh, yeah, and we do image consulting…
and, well, our office is downtown, but you can reach us by
email…. ."
Does anyone actually manage to pay attention to these sagas?
Maybe for the first couple, but after that, both the brain and
the read end go numb.
Occasionally, someone like Cutesy Cathy manages to break the
boredom. Cutesy Cathy knows exactly what to say. She's planned
it out in advance, which would normally be a very good idea.
There's only one problem. Cathy believes that a "cute, catchy
introduction" will grab your attention. She's right about
that.
"I'm Cutesy Cathy and I can help make your dreams come true,"
she squeals triumphantly.
You know what your dreams are and you have serious doubts about
Cathy's ability in this area. You roll your eyes and
mutter, "Beam me up, Scottie!"
Now it's your turn.
You stand, and in a clear voice, you announce confidently, "I'm
Mark Marketer of Internet Marketing Inc. My company helps small
businesses develop a customized approach to marketing their
products and services on the Internet."
Wow! Look at that. Two sentences and the group members know
who you are, who your company is and what services your company
offers. No sloppy thinking, no vague ramblings, no clever
gimmicks -- just straightforward information that people can
remember and use.
I call it The Two-Sentence Advantage. In a sea of Ramblin'
Roses and Cutesy Cathies, you'll be heard if you stand up and
introduce yourself in two succinct sentences.
For some, the task is relatively straight- forward. If you are
a self-employed accountant, for example, your introduction
might be, "I provide accounting services to businesses and
organizations."
Others among you may discover that defining yourself in two
sentences isn't as simple as it sounds. Many of today's
business activities are complex. Coming up with a good Two-
Sentence Advantage will require some thought and pre-planning.
I can hear the complaints already. "I'm a busy entrepreneur. I
work 60 hours a week. Is it a good use of my time to sit around
thinking about a Two- Sentence Advantage?"
Yes. For starters, it will help you clarify in your own mind
exactly what your business is all about and what you provide.
Until you can explain your business to yourself, you will be
doomed to ramble and mumble when you try to explain your
business to someone else. What's more, by adding a few minor
variations, your Two- Sentence Advantage will be useful in
places other than networking meetings. With a little
thought, you can adapt it for use in the following ways:
1. For your business cards, brochures and other marketing
material.
2. For your Web site.
3. For registering your web site with Internet search
engines or directories.
4. For use in any of the places on the Net where business
people are asked to explain their work in 50 words or less.
5. For introductions to other people.
6. As an email signature
7. For summary information on business plans, proposals,
sales letters or other similar material.
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