Most groups will give you the opportunity to introduce yourself - often known as the elevator speech or one-minute, because that's how long you've got to get your business message across.
When doing your one-minute - here are few tips:
- Prepare - know what you're going to say in advance, not in the few panicked moments before you stand up.
- Take a deep breath before you start. Speak slowly and clearly - when people are nervous they're likely to speak too fast, and garble or mumble their words.
- Stand up (if you're not already) - not only will people be able to see you but your voice will carry further.
- Speak up - in a room full of people your voice will be lost if you speak in a normal speaking voice - especially if you're competing with any background noise.
- Say who you are! Sounds obvious but I've heard people launch into what their business does without saying who they are or even the name of the business. Repeat your name and business again at the end.
- What do you do? Keep It Simple. We don't need to know all the ins and outs and detail. You've only got one minute. Pick up on one or two key elements of your business.
- Practice - the more you do the easier it gets.
Look out for more tips on getting the most from your networking online and offline:
3 comments:
Hi Clare - all good ideas, but don't forget that it's nit a deep breath that's the key thing (I know what you mean though!). The important thing is not "deep" but "low". You can use the former to get the latter (if you try), but a deep high breath will just stimulate the wring hormones and make the nerves worse.
S
This post might help too.
http://clareevans.blogspot.com/2010/03/turn-up-volume.html
Good points Clare - one of the key things that is common is the part when people actually say what they do.
This key part of this element of the elevator speech is explaining this in terms of your target audience (needs to be stated) and the challenges that audience is dealing with. It can be very easy to ramble on for 60 seconds about what youdo, your services, the awards you've won. your great customer service, how long the company has been in business, where it's located etc. etc. and these are all about YOU not YOUR target client.
Keeping it about them is key.
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