What kind of impression do you make?
Do people remember you, and want to connect with you?
Or will your business card become just a piece of clutter?
Your influence as a professional will be measured according to your ability to get others to listen and take action.
It can be awkward to introduce yourself at a networking event. Yet these face-to-face moments give you an extraordinary opportunity to grow your professional sphere, expand your knowledge, and tap into emerging trends that directly affect you and your company.
Influence begins with your ability to introduce yourself.
At a conference, a fascinating conversation is one that bypasses the usual superficial pleasantries, and instead gets to a stimulating conversation in which both sides deliver real value.
Start with understanding the people around you, and how the world sees you.
5 ways to make a brilliant first impression
When you can be authentic and confident in your introductions, you’re more likely to make a positive impression. Here are 5 tips:
1. Find one way to ADD VALUE to the conversation.
What problem is your listener facing, and how can you help them overcome it?
From the moment you meet someone, be asking yourself: “How can I add value for this person?” You want your listener to come away from the conversation feeling good about their investment of time and energy.
What can you contribute to the discussion? For example: Has your team recently learned a new way to connect via conference call, or in attracting new customers?
The key here is to add value to every interaction, so that you’re not just taking up space.
2. Ask real questions.
When it comes to first impressions, questions matter more than answers.
You don’t have to be witty or spontaneous to ask great questions. You do have to listen, and be ready to ask real questions.
Examples of real questions:
- “What has been the most successful new business practice you’ve tried in the past year?”
- “What’s the main thing you want to get out of this event?”
- “What is stressing out your team these days?”
The goal is to get away from trite topics, and find places where you can connect and learn from each other. The less trite, the better. (Sure, you can ask someone where they’re from. But questions about geography rarely get you very far.)
If your colleague is effortlessly engaged, you will be memorable, opening the door to new business, collaboration or referral opportunities down the road.
3. Find out how the world sees YOU.
How is your personality most likely to impress and influence others? Your personality already has certain patterns of communication, and these shape how people perceive you.
(If you and your team haven’t taken the Fascination Advantage® assessment, this report will reveal what type of impression you’re making, and how others perceive your communication.
Once you know what makes you valuable to others, you’re more authentic and confident, and more likely to make a positive impression. It all begins with understanding how the word sees you, at your best.
4. Consider what people will ALREADY be thinking and talking about.
Find out what’s on someone’s mind, and it’ll be easier to be remembered by them.
It’s much easier to immediately connect with someone if you already know what they are already pondering, struggling with, or excited about.
What will be on your listener’s mind, and how can you become part of their current mindset? What will people be buzzing about? Is there an industry-wide disruption happening in your space? For instance, many real estate agents are concerned about the trend of clients shopping for homes online. Financial advisors feel jittery about the fiduciary rule changes coming from the Department of Labor.
Before you get ready to meet a group of people, spend just a moment to consider what will already be on everyone’s mind. That helps you get in sync.
5. Commit to a strong start.
Sometimes, it feels effortful to start a conversation. That’s why people don’t make eye contact, and instead keep scanning the room. Or they give a half-hearted greeting, waiting for the other person to do all the work.
Here’s the problem with that approach: Today, the average attention span is about nine seconds. Every time you introduce yourself, you have about nine seconds to engage your listener.
When it comes to first impressions, a weak start leads to a weak impression.
The first moments of an interaction offer your window of opportunity for connection. If you earn your listener’s interest during those nine seconds, people will be more likely to engage further. If you fail to add some sort of value in that golden window, they’re less likely to listen to what you say, let alone remember you.
Those first nine seconds are worth a little focus and energy, don’t you think?
The purpose of a conversation is not to kill time, but to grow a connection.
As you stand in the registration line, or wait for the next speaker to begin, and you strike up a conversation with the person next to you, how can you turn a random chat into a meaningful interaction? Make the moments matter.
TWEETABLE BITS TO FASCINATE YOUR FOLLOWERS:
5 ways to make a brilliant first impression (Click to tweet)
Introducing yourself? Read this first (Click to tweet)
Quick tips for introducing yourself (Click to tweet)
@SallyHogshead shows why the purpose of a conversation is not to kill time, but to grow a connection (Click to tweet)
Now, here’s my question to you:
How do YOU introduce yourself? Do you have a question, or ice-breaker? Tell me, in the comments below!
20 Comments
I’ve evolved over the years from a Conneseaur to an Avant-Guard and I’ve learned instinctively to follow your five tips in this coaching session. When I meet someone I sizre them up for 30-90 seconds and decide if I should greet them as “Dude” or “Sir”, “Babe” or “Ma’am” (figuartively, not literally) and then connect on their level. It’s usually at a common bond… with a good sense of fashion I ask them, in a flattering manner if “…that’s a Ted Baker sport coat…?” Or “…is that a Jo Malone fragrance your wearing…?” If they’re more the air or ma’am type then it’s more cerebral in nature like “… I find this speaker stimulating, what are your thoughts…?” Or “…what’s your best practice for ______…?” In every case it’s a question they don’t normally get from the crowd and always the retort from their answer is with a personal connection…
During one-on-one conversation, I usually greet my interlocutors with a genuine smile. I want to make my interlocutors to feel that I am strongly interested in him or her. By making my interlocutors to feel that what they have to say is important to me, they are more inclined to keep the conversation going. If a valuable statement comes out, I validate it right away. It puts me in a better position to shape the discussion to a direction that makes it mutually beneficial.
“What bring you here”? I like that question from LJ Sedgwick’s post. Right after a genuine greeting, and showing of personal interest, I can add that question based on the setting.
I enjoy reading all the posts
Hi Sally,
Loved your book- you are so brilliant, thanks for sharing your magic! I used some of these tips in an interview recently (with an 11 person panel) and scored the job! I answered their questions with passion and mystique (my personality assets) then wowed them with some thought provoking questions, which really enlivened the group into discussion, leaving off on a good note.
Thanks for the confidence you instill xox
Hi Sally: Loved the Fascinate book and Thank You for the Brand Advantage assessment!
As I have taught networking workshops in the past, I know that many people are uncomfortable talking about themselves… Hence I recommend a focus on serving and service first. Hence I often ask “If I could share one idea or connection that could significantly increase your influence, who would that connection be?” Or “If I could answer a question that is playing on your mind at night right now, what question are you seeking an answer to?” They key is to not offer a business card, unless they specifically ASK for it – which is a better indicator they will keep it… By offering solutions in early conversation, I have found people want to keep in touch, they want to reconnect, and by giving a gift first I am setting up the energy of reciprocity – a powerful ally.
Warmly, Yvonne
Yvonne E.L. Silver
Catalyst for Growth: Passionate about women social entrepreneurs creating a big ripple!
My introductions are always situational. I start with a small talk about something that I feel we both are noticing. The exchange of names may not happen often but the bridges are connected and if by chance we ever meet again. We both will probably be able to go right up to each other and continue were we ended.
In a more controlled situation (like a meeting, training, get-together, Kick-off, party, or pretty much any gathering that is planned with a purpose in mind), I am always with a goal in mind: find a buddy. With this in mind, my introductions become very ‘Interview-like’. It is all about asking those personal questions. In a job meeting, it is about connecting by job title. At a training, it is both job title and strength connecting.
In all situation, I open myself to sharing me… who I am…What I do… How I got there. We go on two journeys at the same time and it is amazing how parallel it can get.
“So what brings you here today?” is usually my question. It often leads to a discussion about what the other person hoped to get out of the event. It helps that I’m naturally curious and I’m always interested to learn how people find out about events, and why they felt they needed them. Partially because I can use that to inform what I offer myself, but also because I’m just nosy!
I will just be myself. According to the Fascination Advantage quiz, I am a diplomat bringing the elements of trust and prestige into a discourse. Depending on my role in an event, I will lead a discussion. Most times, I want to listen well to others speak first. That gives me opportunity to know how to add the most value to the person and conversation. I can then follow up with individual on one-on-one. I like to ask question that allow people to talk more such as “what do you find most valuable about….and why” questions in an area central to the meeting.
Before I go to networking events, I prepare my CPR. That is my context, purpose, and result. I always start first with the result I want from the networking event.
RESULT: I want to introduce 2 people I know to 2 people that will be helpful to them. I want to discover a new potential power partner. I want to schedule an appointment to grab coffee with someone to learn about their business.
Next, I think about my purpose for attending the event.
PURPOSE: My purpose is to help others grow their businesses so I can grow mine.
Last, I examine the context I have to hold during the event in order to achieve my result (i.e., how do I have to BE? What’s my mantra for the event?):
CONTEXT: “I am happiest when I am the hub connecting all the spokes.”
When I do a CPR, my networking efforts become much more purposeful and successful.
Thanks for your great article, Sally.
Sally…I am your biggest fan! Keep up the great work! I mention you to anybody who is not afraid to keep improving!
I ask what do you think is most likely to disrupt your business in the next 5 years?