His fear can be overcome by presenting a genuine, welcoming, professional image that encourages people to interact with him on a personal level. Not trying to sell them insurance on the spot, but rather focusing on making authentic connections, will dispel any potentially negative image associated with a certain industry or profession.
Step 2: Your 10-Second Spot
What are the two most important things people need to know about what you do?
What does someone need to know about you to decide to buy your product or use your services? What seeds need to be planted to give a reasonable perspective of your professional value? Again, your 10-second communication shouldn't be complicated. It needs to be clear and easy to understand. When formulating your response, brainstorm ideas that need to be communicated. Then formulate them into point-form notes. Know the general gist of what you need to say and then let the sentences form naturally when you're in a conversation. This approach is more effective than blurting out a canned speech. It is vitally important to make your 10-second spot as simple as possible.
Get From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy, 2nd Edition now with the O’Reilly learning platform.
O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.
