Pravin Shekar
Given the current scenario of multi-tasking everything, including thought, the mind starts wandering after the first 5-10 seconds. Without an element of initial impact, anything said can be lost!
Attention spans are limited and ever-dwindling. Every second counts! Whether you are introducing yourself or your company/service, it is all there in the initial opening few seconds!
And so the need to state who you are – in one sentence, maximum two. Clear, concise and delivered with a panache.
Your pitch needs to be quick, just the main points of attraction, only the key highlights – hence the term elevator pitch –> to grab the immediate attention of the listener.
The next step for an effective introduction is to make the other person want to know more – kind of desperately (dream on!) – About you and what you do. And why you are the main person to reach out to in your area of expertise.
A few questions to close:
- Do you have your elevator pitch ready? Who you are? What you do? And what you are a specialist in? All in one brief sentence (maybe two!)
- Have you practiced it enough?
- How do you close your pitch?
- You ought to leave a pause to allow the other person to ask questions.
- You need to “Listen” to the other person during his/her introduction – and follow through with appropriate questions
- How can I help? This has to be a closing statement for every introduction and I link it to an earlier post of mine (Give more to get more).
Remember, networking is all about the connections and helping each other out!
The elevator pitch: Make it attractive and reveal just enough to grab attention span.
Footnote: Charm or attention-span lasts only a few minutes. After that, you better know something!
Pravin Shekar is the kreator-in-chief at Krea
