Say it in 30-seconds

Thirty seconds, when introducing yourself, can either feel like a million years or a blink. Which does it feel like for you?

If it feels like a million years, some of the reasons for that might be insecurity, nervousness or being unsure of what you’re saying. This is especially true if you’re standing in front of a room full of people, with all eyes and ears (you hope) on you.

If it feels like it goes by in a blink, that’s because it probably is. Although, you may be struggling in condensing everything that you have to offer into 30-seconds, and that can be a big mistake.

Did you know that a typical 30-second elevator pitch is between 50-75 words? That’s not a whole lot of talking time, so you want to make sure you are as effective as possible.

But why is it important to stay within 30-seconds?

At most networking functions, you are only allowed 30-seconds to introduce yourself to a group of people – each person taking their turn. By staying within 30-seconds, you will ensure the following:

• You are a person who pays attention to detail: Knowing that the “rule” is to stick to a 30-second introduction will show that you listen to instructions and pay attention to detail – something that a lot of people DON’T do in networking situations (how many times have you seen an audience become fidgety when someone goes ON and ON during their introduction?).
• You are able to be concise about who you are and what you do: This is so very critical in networking situations, especially if you have a lot of competition in the room. Being concise garners a lot of respect and sets you apart from your competition easily.
• You have respect for others: If you’re doing your introduction in a “round robin” fashion in room full of people, sticking to your 30-seconds and then politely turning the attention to the next person will show that you are very respectful towards others and their time. Not only are you being courteous to the next person, but you are respecting the audience’s time by being brief. This is also especially important when in a one on one situation. Once you’ve introduced yourself in just 30-seconds, you are politely giving room to the other person to introduce themselves.

Do yourself a favor and time your elevator pitch or networking commercial. Is it within 30-seconds? Are you racing to get it in within 30-seconds? If you’re racing, take a few minutes to pare it down so that you can deliver it within just 30-seconds. Ideally, the pitches I write for my coaching clients are about 25 seconds, giving them plenty of breathing room.

Say it within 30-seconds, and you’ll easily set yourself apart from your competition in any networking situation.

(c) 2008 Barbara Beal-Lopez, The Elevator Pitch Coach with Brightfarm Productions, helps business professionals introduce themselves with high impact. Everything in business starts with an introduction. If you’re ready to learn how to introduce yourself and your business professionally and comfortably, visit Barbara at www.brightfarm.com and sign up for free weekly tips.