Does Your Mother Know What You’re Doing?

You’re smart. You’re an expert. You do great work. Clients love you.

But does your mother know what you do? If not, you’ve got a problem.

You may be able to explain your business to experts in your industry and people familiar with your work. But if you can’t describe it to your mother, you probably can’t describe it to a lay audience.

That means that people you meet at networking events, social events, and in the course of your business day won’t understand what you do. And that means missed opportunities.

It could mean the difference between business success and failure.

It Should be so Easy. Why is it so Hard?

Explaining your business sounds easy. After all, you’re at it 24/7.

Don’t kid yourself. It’s not easy.

 In fact, explaining your business  a.k.a  “Your Elevator Speech” is the single most difficult part of networking. It’s also the most important part.

You may be adept at the “mechanics” of networking: meeting people, following up, staying in touch. But your efforts will largely be wasted if your message is fuzzy. To be truly effective, you have to master both the “art” (the message) and the “science” (mechanics) of networking.

Professionals and business owners have a hard time explaining themselves for several reasons:

• No Niche – They describe themselves so broadly, or claim to do so many things, or are so undifferentiated (How many financial advisors do you know?)  that colleagues cannot determine what they offer or to whom or how to distinguish them from competitors.
• Consultant-Speak – They use industry jargon or consultants’ lingo instead of plain English. Consultant-Speak: “I am a change agent empowering enterprises to leverage paradigm shifts.” Plain English: “I help companies get into new businesses.”
• No Benefits – They emphasize features rather than benefits. “I provide strategy consulting” ( Yawn…) vs I help CEO’s figure out where they want to go – and how to get there.” (Tell me more…)

Why do we do this? We’re so immersed in our businesses, we assume others understand what we do. They don’t.

Crafting Your Message

Here are the key elements of an effective message: 

• Title – You need a title so colleagues can mentally categorize you. Emphasize your specialty. You’re not just a lawyer. You’re an attorney specializing in Elder Law.
• Target Market – What kind of people do you help? CEO’s of mid-sized companies, IT directors of Fortune 1000 companies, women going through a divorce? Be as specific as you can.
• Pain – What problem do you solve or what opportunity do you help exploit?
• Results – What happens as a result of your work? Remember, there are three things – and three things only – that motivate business people: time, money, and risk. Explain how you help clients make more money (lower costs, more revenue), save time, or reduce risk.
• Services – Describe what you do and how you do it.

 

Hey Mom, Now Do You Understand What I Do?

Now it’s time to put it all together

I am a (title). I work with (target market) who want to (Pain). I help them (Results). I do this by (Services).

Here’s mine, as an example:

 “I am business development coach. I work with business owners, consultants, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals who want more referrals. I give them a system that enables them to look for new business and serve clients at the same time. I do this by helping them define their target market, develop a clear message, and network systematically.”

Three more steps:

1.  Write - Write up at least 10 versions of your speech. Tweak it and mix and match words and phrases. Don’t stop tinkering until you’re satisfied. This exercise sounds painful, but it will produce a better speech.

 2.       Rehearse – Stand in front of the mirror and practice it. Leave yourself a voicemail to hear how it sounds. If you’ve got a camera on your computer or phone, film yourself.

3.   Ask Mom -Try it out on your mother. If she approves, you’re ready to go. If she doesn’t, it’s back to detention. Write your elevator speech on the blackboard 10 more times, Johnny!