From Business Cards to Business Relationships: Personal Branding and Profitable Networking Made Easy, 2nd Edition

In my example above, I've given enough information and planted a seed so that when my contact needs to hire a speaker or is complaining about networking not being effective, it will trigger the thought, “I think that's what Allison teaches; maybe she can help us.”

Step 3: Your 15-Second Spot

What are the likely questions new contacts may ask you about your work and how could you turn those answers into deeper conversations?

This is your opportunity to prove you are competent. Listen to the comments or questions and answer them openly and honestly. Be flexible with the direction in which the person wants to take the conversation. Limit yourself to 15-second answers. Don't go on endlessly or the person will regret asking you to expand on the topic.

If you know your stuff (and you should because you live it daily), addressing these comments and questions should be easy. As soon as you've identified that a person is interested in your product or service, acknowledge intentions to follow up. Resist the urge to go into sales mode. Focus on building the relationship. If you haven't already done so, now is a good time to switch the emphasis from you to your contact. Get him or her talking and sharing.

Again, perspective, preparation, and practice are paramount to delivering a solid 5-10-15-Second Communication and successfully educating others about who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer.

• Perspective: When someone asks you what you do, they are not looking for a long-winded, ...