If you’ve ever been to a networking event, you’ve probably had an experience like this: you meet fifteen or twenty people, and exchange business cards. You have perfectly professional conversations, talking about all the important companies that you’ve worked for, and the projects that you’ve worked on.
Then you go home, and you really remember two or three of them. Maybe they were perfect people to help you meet your professional goals — those people naturally bubble to the top. The other scenario is that they were either so dynamic, funny, unique — or so awful — that they made an impression on you.
Most of the rest of the people sort of blend into the grey middle.
Another presenter at Brand Camp University (see previous Brand Camp post) was Rohit Bhargava, of Influential Marketing Blog and Personality Not Included fame. Rohit mixes forward-thinking social media ideas with a background in solid marketing principles from his agency experience. (By the way, if you want to see a stellar example of someone who has the elevator speech concept down, check out the variety of bios he shares online.)
My favorite tip from Rohit’s speech was this:
Find your twist.
Anyone can put together a bland, corporate-speak introduction. Not everyone can make a splash.
What is it about you that makes you different? More than the fact that you have twenty years experience and have managed teams of 30 or more. What do you believe in? How do you tackle your toughest challenges? Are you quirky? Dynamic? Shy? Do you naturally build relationships? Could you talk about Pez dispensers all day? Distill what defines your personality and connect it with what it can offer your potential employer.
As much as you have to be polished and prepared when you’re heading into a networking situation or an interview, you also have to be human. How do you let some of your imperfect humanity shine through?
photo credit: alexdecarvalho
Related posts:
- Clarifying your message: Personal Branding Statement
- 5 Day Plan to Taking the Personal Branding Plunge
- Executive Brand: Personal branding goes big leagues
- Write your personal branding manifesto
- Personal Brand Evolution: How to Start Your Personal Brand Today
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m one of those people who really dislikes talking about themselves (Intros, bios, profiles, etc.) but I do realize the value of a quick personal elevator pitch. Maybe the best way to handle that, regardless of your personality, is to have people close to you “interview” you and assemble your material from the results. You could even do the same for the other person, helping them out also.
Oh, and for the imperfect side? It shines through whether I want it to or not
Scott: Great tip! Sometimes an external perspective can be so valuable.