How to Sell Yourself Effectively The First Time?
When you introduce yourself for the first time to someone you just met in a networking session, how will you sell yourself?
Think, and go through your self-introduction speech in your head before reading on. There’s a reason for this suggestion.
The conversation probably goes like this:
John: Hi, I’m John Smith.
Harry: Hi, John, I’m Harry Jones. What are you doing?
John: Oh, I’m in the insurance industry.
What do you think will happen if Harry’s mind has been programmed and conditioned by parents, siblings and friends that insurance agents (a.k.a. financial planners) always use fear tactics to get people to buy a policy that they don’t need and don’t want? Or, what happens if Harry has an unpleasant past experience with a hard-selling pushy insurance person? Either way, this conversation will either be terminated prematurely or be channeled to a safe subject by Harry.
Who is on the losing end?
Naturally, it’s John. Yes, John just lost a one-to-one, face-to-face opportunity to tell Harry of the values, benefits and solutions that can make Harry ’s life easier and better.
However, Harry is not on the winning side either.
It could have been a win-win scenario had the self introduction of John went this way.
John: “Hi, I’m John Smith.”
Harry: “Hi, John, I’m Harry Jones. What are you doing?”
John: “Harry, do you know there’s more than 60% of seniors in this country cannot afford the large medical bills when they fall sick or injured? My main focus is helping seniors aged between 70 and 85 to minimize, or even eliminate 100% of their medical expenses.”
Harry has an ailing mother of 72 and he is still paying the exorbitant medical bills when the old lady was hospitalized for five and a half month when she fell twice last year. And, Harry never knew seniors could be covered until 85 years old. How do you think Harry will response? I bet he said, “Tell me more”.
What’s the difference?
1. “Problem” and “Solution”
When you don’t know you have a problem, will you want to buy a solution?
“I’m in the insurance industry” does not identify a PROBLEM that begs to be solved.
“Harry, do you know there’s more than 60% of seniors in this country cannot afford the large medical bills when they fall sick or injured?” clearly presents a real problem that many people in the late 30s, 40s and 50s can resonate with.
“My main focus is helping seniors aged between 70 and 85 to minimize, or even eliminate 100% of their medical expenses.” is the SOLUTION.
2. “Feature” vs “Benefit”
“I’m in the insurance industry.” is the “FEATURE”
“My main focus is helping seniors aged between 70 and 85 to minimize, or even eliminate 100% of their medical expenses.” is the “BENEFIT”.
We buy “absolutely, positively has to be there overnight” and not “courier service”. We drink to “Good To The Last Drop” and not “coffee bean”.
3. “Selling” and “Buying”
We live in a world of demand and supply. One party gets to give and the other gets to receive. In the business world, it means, one must sell so that the other gets to buy. He has a problem and a pain, you have a solution to ease the pain. Perfect.
If you still say you are not salesman and therefore need not sell yourself. Well, just reflect if your presentation wasn’t accepted or you were walked over during the last promotion or job interview. The easy introduction that you used to use may not be serving you.
I cannot take credit for this methodology of selling yourself. This is just one of the many gems I picked up from T Harv Eker’s 5-day Guerrilla Business Intensive from 25 – 29 June 2008 in Singapore. If you had not been to any of Harv’s programs, I would recommend you to click this link to check out Millionaire Mind Intensive. The fees of S$250 is incredibly small compared to the whole new world of emotional, mental and financial wealth that I now have, which I never knew nor experience until MMI. It costs you nothing to check it out.
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July 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 am
Everyone has to think like a salesman, but the trick is to sell so softly that no one feels like they’re being sold to.
That’s not always easy to do.
I’m looking forward to your future posts.
Stanley Bronstein
http://stanleybronstein.com
MrAchievement
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:37 am
This is definitely a subject that should be introduced at schools as a life skills module.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:45 am
Hi Stanley
Yes, you used a great description, “softly”. No one likes hard selling.
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Hi Anja
You are right but regrettably, Money Management 101 or Life Skill 101 aren’t the essentials in most public schools’ curriculum.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:57 am
Great learning Vivienne! Thank you for sharing.
It was one of the most best seminars I attended building on the foundation of Money & YOU, Excellerated Business School for Entrepreneurs, Roger Hamilton’s Wealth Dynamics and Jay Abraham’s Strategic Business Building Weekend.
I look very much forward to applying what I learnt from Harv in the coming weeks and months.
Stay driven!
Moonshi
July 4th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Hi Moonshi
Glad you enjoyed the seminar. He did make it easy for everyone to understand. I believe he is successful because he specializes in “inner world principles for real world success.”
July 6th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Hi Vivienne
Thank you for sharing the distinctions that you got from T Harv :) and all your previous posts.
Looking forward to hear more from you!
Cheers!
Jacy
July 6th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Hi Jacy
The pleasure is mine. Sharing is learning more in the process.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
It was a hell of a time for me on stage though with Alex Mandossian. Being grilled for nearly 20-mins in front of 2,000 people was an exhilarating and humbling experience.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Hi Moonshi
When you are at your most comfortable moment,it’s also the time that you are learning and growing fastest. We are always wiser after a tiring experience. I should be writing something on Alex Mandossian. The guy has a big heart, and not all internet guru has that gift . Well, I did attend at least 2 World Internet Summits to know the difference.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Hi Vivienne,
Thanks for summing up the 2 days of learning from Joe Roberts so succiently in your blog.
Many businesses failed to expand because they failed to communicate. They failed to communicate because the had not first ’sold’ the problems to their potential buyers.
Without knowing they had a ‘problem’ , why would they want to buy. Thus, you had nailed it very well in your blog. Congratulations.
I believe that with your keen focus and desire to help solve other people’s business and communication needs, you’ll soon take your business to new heights very soon.
Once again, I want to congratulate you in advance.
Cheers,
Steve Chia
July 10th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Thanks, Steve. Yes.. I look forward to bringing my business to a new height. Your support is certainly appreciated:)
July 12th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Hi Vivienne,
Good summary :)
Agree also with opinion from Stanley on ’soft’ selling… Anyway, as Harv and Joel Roberts mentioned:
You can make a living if you let your customer to tell you their problems
But,
You can make a fortune if you make your customers to let you to tell them their problems..
Cheers…
Gita
July 12th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Yes… Gita … the 2nd statement reminded me of Jay Abraham’s teaching. He called it preeminence.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Great post- I talked about this in a post I wrote a while ago. I think its extremely important to give yourself a “line” when somebody asks you what you do instead of a title.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
This is a new learning for me. I lookforward to learn from you more on these subjects.
Thanks Vivienne!
July 21st, 2008 at 12:19 am
[...] something like, “I’m working in an advertising agency”. Why? Read this post from Vivienne who in turn learned from T Harv [...]
July 21st, 2008 at 11:07 am
Agreed. This is easy to say but very difficult to apply. however your suggestions are valuable.
July 27th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Very good post. It’s a shame, but most business people are not prepared with an “elevator line.” They either answer as in your example (I’m in insurance) or they talk for 20 minutes and don’t listen.
July 27th, 2008 at 2:39 am
Hi Erica
The “elevator speech” is really useful. I’m fine-tuning my own introduction too.
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Hi Solomon
You’re most welcome. Sharing is learning more as Buckminster Fuller will say.
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Hi MAT
Thanks for the link love. I appreciate it.
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Hi Promotional Card
Practice make perfect! :)
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Hi Ron
That’s why “elevator line” is all the more important. Thanks for visiting.