Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing

I believe that listening is almost always better than talking, but when you do get your chance to talk, what will you say? Will you take the opportunity to make a strong and memorable statement about who you are and what you do? Or will you just settle for a generic and stale response that leaves you remarkably forgettable? The key to an effective description of what you do is to keep it short while still including something memorable.

Here are a few examples:

“I work with family owned businesses helping them pay less in taxes and protect their assets. I specifically work with those with serious profit problems. Big Profits.”

“We are a proactive wealth planning firm with an emphasis on proactive investment management, and client communication. We specifically work with high net worth individuals that have more complex needs relating to their financial picture. Our most famous client is a member of the Chicago Bears.”

Here’s what I say: “I own a marketing consulting firm, Red Zone Marketing, that employs six people all focused on helping companies find more business. I’ve worked with an NBA basketball team, US Senator, financial advisors and mutual fund companies. I’ve even closed a sale while upside down in an aerobatic biplane at 1,000 feet above ground.”

I find that it is hard for most people to walk away without asking me about that last part or which NBA team or US Senators I’ve worked with. Be creative and think about how you can frame your accomplishments in a way that gets other guests’ attention.

1. What do you do? (1-2 sentences):

2. Who do you work with? (1 sentence):

3. What is unique about what you do? ( 1-2 sentences about something interesting about what you do, how  you do it, who of interest you work with, etc)

4. What is unique about you? (1 sentence):

5. Your Call to Action

For additional help with this strategy of creating your 15 second introduction you can go to www.15secondpitch.com and use their free PitchWizard and in 5 minutes create yours online.

www.redzonemarketing.com

Maribeth Kuzmeski, is the author of the new book, The Connectors: How the World’s Most Successful Businesspeople Build Relationships and Win Clients for Life (Wiley, September 2009, ISBN: 978-0-4704881-8-8, $22.95)