Svaha: the time between seeing lightning and hearing the thunder
I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others. You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer, which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, The Remembering Room, Richmond, Illinois
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You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig, Priority Ventures Group, Raleigh, North Carolina
You’ve built such integrity of message in your company. I know that’s because it springs forth intrinsically, but you stay so focused at your core! I can’t think of a better way to phrase that laser-beam focus you have. It’s funny, because in someone else, laser-beam focus would be intense, but somehow you manage to make it much more kind and easy. — Jessica Albon, Thrive Your Tribe, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
I’ve never worked with anybody in the way that I’ve worked with you in terms of trusting in your abilities to the level that I have. — Catherine Hajnal PhD, Eight Branches Consulting, Vancouver, Canada ... facilitating and nurturing joyful living
You have an uncanny ability to see through what is being said and surface all the “unsaid” issues. Then you quickly give candid feedback and have a tremendous toolbox to help me move forward through your expert guidance of the right tool.
I have worked with many facilitators/coaches/counselors relating to work and personal situations. Your skills are exemplary and moved me faster than I ever expected. — Jennifer Baker, Fishers, Indiana
You bring both a spiritual perspective and some real-world hard-headedness. — Janet Bailey, Mindful Time Management, San Francisco, California
Brava! I wish I could draw a picture of me — you’d see me in a deep bow to you!
I read your newsletter as soon as it hits my in-box and you’re always right on with your advice. I had to let you know that this issue is particularly brilliant.
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Thanks so much for sharing your insight and wisdom. — Debbie Rodgers, CGA
You know those networking events where everyone has thirty seconds to introduce themselves and talk about what they do?
How often do those introductions make you sit up and pay attention?
I’ll bet no matter how many events you’ve attended, there are few (if any) introductions you remembered five minutes after they were delivered — never mind as you’re reading this.
And yet, people are at those events — you’re at those events — to be noticed and remembered. You’re there to make connections, generate interest, get referrals, find jobs or clients.
So why are so many introductions so boring?
There are two primary reasons.
First, people think they’re showing versatility, when in fact they’re just being generic.
If you find yourself thinking (or saying) that you can help a lot of different people, or your skills are a good fit for many different situations, then you’re falling into this trap.
And it is a trap. When you’re not absolutely specific about what you do, why you do it, and who you do it for, you’re shockingly forgettable.
(For more on this, see my article from last March, What’s Your Specialty).
The second reason is fear.
This, of course, is the reason under all the other reasons you might be thinking of.
It’s scary to put yourself out there. It’s a lot easier to give a plain-vanilla, generic introduction: “Hi, I’m John Doe, and I’m a dentist. You know what dentists do — so send me your friends and I’ll take good care of their teeth.”
When you reveal the passion that lies at the heart of what you do, you make yourself vulnerable. You’re exposing something important to you, and you’re putting it at risk of ridicule — or, worse, disinterest.
So how do you address these issues — and avoid being boring? Here are a few ideas for you to play with.
Okay, so you’re a dentist.
You had a reason for going to dental school. You have a reason for peering into people’s mouths every day. Is it the sound of the drill that sets your toes tapping?
Or perhaps you’re an auditor — as was one man I met at a networking event last week. His eyes positively sparkled as he talked about the detective work of forensic accounting — and he beamed at me when he expressed his pleasure in preventing problems for his clients.
People are delighted by your delight. Give it to them. Get real about why you do what you do.
Along the same lines, if you don’t feel goosebumps when you talk about what you do, how in the world do you expect your audience to feel any connection?
Common marketing wisdom says your message must be all about your customer. And that’s true ... up to a point.
But if your message doesn’t ring deeply true for you first, in ways that, yes, cause goosebumps, then it’s going to fall flat for your customers, too.
So find the thrill for yourself, and then consider how — and if — it needs to be translated for your customers.
When you’re the one talking, those thirty seconds feel like no time at all. When you’re the one listening, you notice that thirty seconds have stretched into endless minutes.
Make it a habit to use less than your allotted time. Even if you haven’t jazzed up your message yet, just being succinct is often enough to make you memorable.
Yes, that does say don’t practice. And I know this is completely contradictory to what you’ve been told.
When someone has their introduction memorized, you can always tell. It rolls too-smoothly off the tongue, the cadence is slick and almost sing-song, and the emphasis is just slightly over-done.
Don’t practice, don’t memorize. As long as you’re speaking from the essence of what you do, you don’t need to. The words will naturally be there — as will the vibrancy that creates connection with your audience.
“The secret of being boring is to say everything.” Voltaire, 1694-1778, French Enlightenment writer, essayist, and philosopher.
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