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Most people have the wrong idea about introductions, especially at networking events. They think that the purpose is to inform people about themselves. Sorry, that’s not right.

Why? Ask yourself why you go to anything from mixers to meetings where you introduce yourself. It isn’t to inform others about you. Honestly, don’t you want to get more business? Don’t you want people to become so comfortable and impressed with you that they abandon their current suppliers or advisors and use you instead? YES!

To do that, introduce yourself in a way that gets attention from distracted prospects--that gives them a comfortable and reasonable excuse to talk to you, and makes a stand-out impression that can lead to new business.

People hate to introduce themselves, and it often shows. Many introducers say only boring and basic information to “get it over with,” or (and sometimes worse) resort to a commercial message that sounds silly.

It’s so much better to present a message that is concise, vivid, and convincing, while at the same time creating an opening for prospects or potential partners to approach us with opportunities. It would also be better if we knew exactly what to say and felt confident saying it.

With a little preparation, you can. By applying a few simple guidelines, you can have a vivid and enticing introduction to meet the goal of getting business.

Here are the guidelines.

Apply the recency effect. Put the most important information in your introduction at the beginning or the end. “Recency effect” means that the thing heard first or last is the thing that is best remembered. Grab their attention at the beginning: be specific and vivid. Some examples of strong openings are humorous:

For a management consultant: I know people who have a beautiful, 50-page business plan...sitting in a drawer somewhere! As a management consultant, I would rather you had a 2 page business plan you use!

Wording. Make the introduction of your business a vivid “word picture” for instant attention. Use simple, short words that tell a story. A trainer would do best avoiding, “We help people to self-actualize and maximize their potentials.” Better to say, “We show people what their talents are and where they can best apply them.”

Make a request. Have a clear idea of what you want from your listener, and be able to express it in a genteel fashion in less than 30 seconds. A coach might announce: “I want to demonstrate how this type of coaching works.”

Be entertaining. Be funny, dramatic, and memorable. An organizing specialist might use a large pile of paper as a prop and say, “I can’t figure out why I can’t find that proposal right away.”

Differentiate. If you are the 4th financial analyst they hear about at that event, then you have to stand out from the rest via your introduction. Some people might resort to wearing a big hat or a funny-looking suit, but that may not be your style. You might say, “Many financial analysts just throw annual reports at you. I go over them with you, any time you want.”

Here’s how your introduction should go:

1. Say your name in two separate words, then your title, then your company name clearly and completely.
2. Explain the point of intervention of your company or services. Example: “You might need your services when you....”
3. Differentiate yourself from competitors. Mention your specialties or ways of working. Know your customers or clients.
4. Give a relevant example.
5. make a request of the listeners, or describe customers or leads you are looking for.

Avoid the common errors we often see when people introduce themselves. Here are some suggestions for a more effective way to do it.

Grandiosity. Avoid a description that’s too grandiose for your company size. For example, it would be a mistake for a one person company to claim, “We identify strategic goals for your company, help you build multi-disciplinary teams in all business departments, and teach your personnel how to use software to manage new projects.”

Something like the following would be more effective: “We specialize in helping you design a strong strategic plan with clear initiatives and priorities.” Why? Because it adds clarity, is more believable, and as you know, you can offer your other services once you are established with a good reputation in that company.

Advertising. Don’t let your introduction sound like advertising. Listeners may yawn when you say, “We’re the premier supplier of paper in our state.” If we tell them, “We supply many small businesses with paper,” they learn more that may have meaning to them.

Too many adjectives. Be careful not to substitute adjectives (especially for standard features) for verbs. For example, saying “We provide high quality, consistent, and timely services” doesn’t really differentiate you from what customers expect of other vendors.

Saying, “Our customers rely on us for getting jobs done on short notice,” tells the customer more about when and why they should call you.

Run-ons. Avoid those long, run-on sentences. Don’t say, “When we first started our company, which was in 1997, we identified several needs in the community relative to the Internet, and one of these that interested us was web design, and that was becoming a big field at the time.”

Instead, try this. “Several years ago we saw that businesspeople had three needs concerning the Internet: web design, web hosting, and e-commerce. Our skills are in web design. Web design also means web strategy. We build a combination of web strategy and web design that gives our customers a smooth start at e-commerce.”

Generic statements. Don’t sound like everyone else in your business by providing a description that’s to generic. “We develop teamwork and coach individuals.” Instead: “While there are many people who give team-building workshops, we focus less on games and more on practical solutions such as winning over people who usually resist teamwork.”

Making introductions makes most of us feel vulnerable and over-exposed. Having a plan for delivering a great introduction will go a long way in maximizing the growth of your business.

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