I was at a networking event recently where everyone had the opportunity to give their “30 second introduction” as is common at such events! It was unfortunate for an attendee who was the last to speak and was the FOURTH financial planner for the event.
This is a challenge for those of you in highly competitive businesses, especially those commonly seen at networking events: insurance agents, bankers, etc. In the case of the event I attended, the third and fourth speakers sounded very, very similar to those who had gone before. In other words, we learned their job etiquette (financial planner) where their office was located, how long they had been in business, what great plans they had, and the excellence of customer service.
How do you stand out from the crowd in such circumstances? Consider the following tips to differentiate yourself from the competition.
1. Consider your ideal customer – the one you love to work with. Be as specific as possible and define it as precisely as possible. These become the first words of your introduction. For example:
“I help small business owners with 5-10 employees ……”
2. How do you help them? Again, you must be specific. Ideally, what problems do you solve for them? Think in terms of the problems they are facing and how they feel about it. A good place to find out is your own customers; ask them how you helped them, how they felt when they hired you, and how they feel now. For example:
“I help small business owners with 5-10 employees who are struggling to manage their payroll problems and are worried they have made a mistake every time they submit a statement.”
3. Explain if you have time but focus on THEM – Perhaps the biggest mistake is trying to “tell” your potential customer too much information in an effort to demonstrate your expertise. You are looking for interest at this stage, not to close a deal. If you have time, you can tell the story of a client you helped. Tell the story in 10 seconds or less!
4. Stop talking! – Once you have said what you came to say, stop talking. You’ve said enough for your prospect to ask you directly for more information in a one-on-one interaction, or for potential customers to identify with you later in the meeting.
The key means to differentiate yourself from your competitors is to introduce THEM to YOU and not YOU. People are primarily concerned with themselves and if you are in a profession that they have heard about frequently, they will be familiar with the general message and will tend to filter it out. Finding out the issues they are dealing with will make your message resonate.
In summary:
- Identify who the message is for and what problem it solves for them.
- Use emotion words (fear, worry, frustration) to explain the problems you are working with.
- Turn your core competencies into language they haven’t heard before – what about your customer service that makes you great?
- Asking your current customers is a good starting point.
- It’s about THEM and not YOU