Your intro opens a door

Can you answer this question: Why would you call you?

Brand is your reputation and you have the ability to steer it towards what you want it to be. 

Find 6 words to use as the ingredients that show you - within the context you find yourself for an introduction. 

The Hot Potato

The ‘hot potato’ was born about 23 years ago. I was attending one of those very packed, very loud industry events. People stood talking in small groups or lingering on the edges, trying to look engaged while knowing no one. Beyond flashing my bra or pushing into a crowd of strangers, I could not figure out how to get anyone’s attention. 

I grumbled in the corner. I grumbled through the week. I grumbled until someone asked me how I would solve this very typical networking dilemma.

I’d put one basic guideline in place: 

Networking events are not the place to hold long involved conversations.  

Events are a great place to discover if you want to have a longer conversation; Have the short one, then book the one/one time to do a private, expanded one and move on.

The premise  of Hot Potato is simple. 

·       It is a two (2) or three (3)-minute conversation with as many folks during the event as you want. 

·       You must then introduce the person with whom you are conversing to someone else: you “hot potato” them and move on. 

·       You never walk away from a conversation without first engaging your partner in a new one. 

Hot potato ensures you:

·       Are never trapped in a conversation 

·       Appear to be a masterful and smooth networker

·       Are able to meet a lot of folks

·       Are remembered as a considerate conversationalist

Introduce strangers. We are all there, wondering how to meet new people anyway. Wade right in! 

Introduce people to people you have just met and thoughtful and generous.

People will feel comfortable bringing folks back to you.

Imagine if we all played hot potato at events. No more standing on the edges. It would be expected to have introductions made and to ease in and out of conversations on a regular and comfortable basis. 

Running out of juice

It's every busy person's issue: running out of juice. That can mean: running of energy, time, interest, ability, food in the fridge, patience… the list goes on.

Even the best of systems with terrific support run out of something along the way. The trick is not to assume you can never run out but to know how to recover.

Communities and networks are the best bet to covering the times when resources run thin. Yet, building community takes time as well. So what's a busy person to do?

The usual way: tackle it a little piece at a time.

·         Make it part of every event and meeting

·         Play hostess wherever you are – even a coffee shop

·         Say thanks or share information with a short email

·         Block time quarterly or monthly to reach out to key individuals & sponsors

·         Refresh your introduction on the commute to work

·         Share a story with those you value

Make it a small daily/weekly set of 5 minute tasks with folks who bring value to your life. It won't make you less busy but it will add juice in unexpected ways.

Storytelling - part 2

Tell a story. Sounds simple? We do it all the time. Suddenly, call it a story and all sorts of associations may arise and stop our voice. Will we be seen as emotional? Fanciful? Boring? Bombastic? Clueless?

Examples of stories:

• our personal introductions
• how we got a job
• what our kid has done lately (said with an eye roll)
• advice given with personal anecdotes for support

The list above isn't exhaustive. These stories roll off our tongues at a moment's notice. Suddenly calling a story out as a story should not make us stumble, though it often does.

It's best to be thoughtful about key stories, to prepare them to achieve what you hope they can. The heart of a story is often found in:

• What do I most need you to know?
• How do I hope you feel about it?
• What might you do with this information?

Facts are often only focused on the first or last question - either dumping facts or ordering results. Telling a story helps us walk through the possibilities together. The formula applies equally to emails, phone messages, anecdotes and introductions. Telling a story can make the interview or deepen a relationship.

Tell a story - embed the answers to the questions - see if the results emerge.

Open doors, not closed boxes - your introduction

In the quest to build an elevator speech, or have a great introduction, there seems to be two approaches. The 1st is to try and cram an entire resume into a handshake. The 2nd is to limit information to name, current job designation and company.

Neither open the door to a conversation or create interest. Both simply offer oneself in a tidy (or lengthy) box for the listener to file. Our introductions have become like clothing labels, listing the basic materials and cleaning instruction but leaving out the colour, weight and feel that would entice someone to try us on.

I want to give enough information that I don't seem coy but not so much that the listener can place me in a category. I want the listener to respond - with a laugh, a question, a show of interest.

How does your current way to introduce yourself stack up?

My favourite introduction is still the six words exercise. "Hi, I'm Dennie... IT manager, artist and unappreciated parent."
There is also using descriptors that are the key items for which you'd like someone new to remember you. "Hi. I'm Dennie... poker of holes in plans and keeper of fingers in pies."
Even the first line of your resume could be echo'd in your introduction. "Hi, I'm Dennie... strategist, facilitator, student of transformation."

Regardless of the approach, your introductions should be genuine and not a sales pitch about how perfect you might be.

Like the "Hi how are you?" "I am fine." exchange that has become meaningless as the asker doesn't want a different answer and the responder has no genuine answer, one's introduction has turned into an unappetizing bite of nothing very useful or enjoyable.

Relationships - even when job hunting - start with helping folks understand why to talk to you. Don't throw away the very first sentences you say.