Are you boring your prospects away?
Quick Jeopardy fans, here’s the answer:
Warm milk, lullabies, and most 30-second introductions
If you said, “What are things that put people to sleep?” you are right!
Here’s how most people I meet introduce themselves:
“Hi, I’m (insert your first and last name) and I’m a (insert your title).
Sometimes they add the company they work for as in:
“Hi, I’m John Smith, I’m a Realtor with Big Realty.”
If you introduce yourself this way perhaps you wonder what’s wrong. Everyone you meet introduces themselves this want and it seems perfectly fine to you.
Here’s the problem: you didn’t answer the other person’s big question. The question that, if you answer it, will immediately perk them up and want to know more about you.
The question is, How can you help me get rid of a problem that is giving me a lot of trouble?
Now, I doubt you will ever meet someone who will ever ask you this question right after they say “Hello.” It would seem rude and dissrespectful.”
But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t answer their question.
So how do you tell people what they really want to know?
Here is one way to do it and to do it gracefully.
When you introduce yourself substitute a very short description of who you help and the problem you help them with. For example:
Ho Hum Introduction: “Hi, I’m Ben Smith, I’m a Real Estate Broker with Remax of Cherry Hills.”
Interest-getting Introduction: “Hi, I’m Ben Smith, I help new home buyers find a perfect first home.”
Now it’s your turn. Think about how you typically introduce yourself in business situations and see if you can change your introduction so that you answer the other person’s question about how you can help them.
If you’re stuck, I invite you to add a comment with your typical introduction along with brief description of your target customer or client and the problem you help them with and let’s see how we can liven it up.
And if you’ve have a introduction that makes people say “wow, tell me more,” share it in your comment.
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