"So, what do you do?"
Does this question make you cringe because you have to
speak your 30-second introduction? Perhaps you're
uncomfortable with it because it's just "not quite
right"---and it doesn't capture the magic of what you
really do to help others. Or, maybe you're wondering if it
sounds canned, corny, and over-rehearsed. That's a real
turn-off, for you and the other person, isn't it?
One thing I know for sure is we've all been through the
exercise of writing our 30-second introductions multiple
times. Typically, you get a piece of paper on it with lines
that you have to fill in, and voila, you have your
30-second introduction! Maybe it's time to revisit the old
"30-second", update it, and breathe new life into it so you
can attract more business!
Would you like some tips about how you can energize and
emotionalize your 30-second introduction, or "30-second
sound byte". Great! Here's how...
The Formula
As human beings, we respond to people, topics, and things
that stimulate our emotions, so it is crucial, if you want
to be "heard", that your 30-second sound byte stimulates
emotions. If you fail to stimulate an emotional interest or
response, people simply won't listen to you. Here is the
5-part, sure-fire formula to get the emotional response you
want from others to generate interest in YOU!
1. Don't label yourself (I am a mortgage broker...I am a
Web designer...).
2. Identify "What" you are really selling (benefits and
value).
3. Use strong verbs, such as create, design, and teach.
(NEVER use adjectives.)
4. Use numbers to "dollarize" and quantify what you do.
5. Relate these numbers to Money, Love, or Health. Let's
get into some more detail about each of the 5 components of
the formula...
1. Don't label yourself.
As of this moment, stop labeling by saying, "I am a
graphics artist", or "I am a marketing consultant". As soon
as you say something like that, people try to place you
somewhere in their minds, because the brain is a HUGE
filing cabinet! For example, if you say, "I'm a mortgage
broker", usually the first thing the other person will
think is, "I've already got one, and I don't need one". Oh,
and you're selling promotional products? "Got some, don't
need any more." If you label yourself, you instantly close
the other person's receptiveness to you, because they think
they don't need you. Give yourself a greater chance of
being heard by keeping the other person's mental filing
cabinet open.
2. Identify "What" you are really selling (benefits and
value).
You're not just a mortgage broker, marketing consultant, or
a massage therapist. The key in this step is to identify
what it is that you are truly selling. For example, if
you're a mortgage broker, perhaps you're selling financial
independence through investment in real estate. If you are
a marketing consultant, you may be selling how to increase
a person's income, and a massage therapist is selling
stress relief.
Identify the ultimate benefit and value someone will
receive by working with you.
3. Use strong verbs, such as create, design, and teach.
(NEVER use adjectives.)
Verbs are the most powerful words in the English language,
so, you certainly want to put them to work for you.
All of us also tend to define each other by the verbs we
use in our speech. For example, if you say you help, you
are the "helper". If you say I assist, you are the
"assistant". Think about this...if you say you help or
assist, the client still has a lot of work to do in their
minds to solve their problem, don't they? Their problem
still isn't solved, and they're not interested in your
solution, because they want pain relief and results now!
Use strong verbs in your 30-second sound byte, such as, "I
teach", "I create", or "I develop," because they make you
appear stronger, dynamic, and more helpful in solving
problems.
It's also a good idea not to use use adjectives in your
30-second sound byte. Repeated studies in the advertising
field show they simply don't work. Saying, "I have the most
fabulous skin cream that works wonders!" seems like a sales
pitch, and is not very credible. This leads us into our 4th
part of the formula...
4. Use numbers to "dollarize" and quantify what you do.
Numbers are the MOST powerful "words" you can use in your
30-second sound byte. People remember numbers because:
- Numbers make the abstract real.
- Numbers are shown to make us anxious and curious.
For example, if you say, "I teach people the 5 secrets
about how to create financial freedom," or "I've developed
2 techniques how to increase your online traffic by 30%
within 2 months," it captures attention, and creates
curiosity, doesn't it?
"Dollarizing" your value is the most powerful thing you can
do to create both interest and a response in the listener
to your 30-second sound byte. Think of your best success
story, and use this as a guideline to dollarize and
quantify your sound byte.
The last piece of the formula is to...
5. Relate these numbers to Money, Love or Health.
Things having to do with money, love or health creates the
strongest emotional triggers in people. That's because we
all have very strong needs regarding all three of these
topics---they are key primary needs we all need to have
satisfied. Tying what you do with these three trigger words
almost guarantees you will get a stronger emotional
response another person.
To give you an idea how to put all five pieces of this
formula together, here's an example of my 30-second sound
byte:
"I teach solo entrepreneurs the 7 steps to increase their
income by 50%."
The most common response I receive when I tell people this
is, "Really? Tell me how you do it." I then continue with
additional sound bytes to keep their interest (rather than
jumping into a long, drawn out story about myself).
If you use these 5 steps to create your 30-second
introduction, you will create an emotionally charged
message that will capture peoples' attention, and generate
interest in what you have to say.
----------------------------------------------------
Bonita L. Richter, MBA, founder of Profit Strategies,
teaches entrepreneurs and business owners how to start and
grow businesses, attract more clients, and market their
businesses to increase sales, business success, and
generate wealth. Find out more about how to market your
business and boost sales with her popular FREE eBooks at
===> http://www.Profit-Strategies.biz
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