Building Blocks to Success

OK, I probably wouldn’t actually say that. But I have to admit, I would have these thoughts in mind – and I’m not alone. This goes for chiropractors, exterminators, consultants, accountants, attorneys, insurance producers, or other sales folks prospecting for business. The more specific you are in your communication, the more likely it is to get what you’ve asked for. Ask and ye shall receive! When anyone, everyone, and someone are good prospects for you, count on no one. Frankly, most people we meet aren’t interested enough to ask us the clarifying questions required to get our clarifying answers. Oh, they may ask for your card to fill the silence, but you probably won’t leave a lasting positive impression. One of the goals of networking is to leave that lasting positive impression in an effort to help one another find a job, get business, or solve a problem. In failing to leave a positive footprint with those we meet, our search for employment, clients, or solutions continues.

Every business person I know that actively networks is familiar with the ever popular ‘elevator speech’. This is the ’30-second’ introduction used to explain what we do so others understand how to help us. A good ‘elevator speech’ should explain who you are, what you know, who you help, and who you need to meet. A great way to remember this is to have PEEC of mind when networking to insure you mention your Profession, Expertise, Enviroments, and Call to Action. This very model has helped countless business owners (including me) land a client and job searchers get an interview.

	Profession – This is a broad way of describing your role, it’s not necessarily your title. For example, if you are a small business owner, your title may be owner, operator, president, principal, etc. Bear in mind that these titles do not describe what you do. Accountant, real estate attorney, insurance producer, and financial planner may be more accurate and much more telling. Capiche?
	Expertise – This speaks to the areas within your business where you have the most knowledge. So if you are a financial services professional, your expertise may be in the areas of long term care, annuities, and financial planning. Of course, these may not be your only areas of expertise but we don’t share everything on the first date, do we?
	Environments – This is an overview of the work environments and industries that you have experience in (if relevant) or that you are interested in working with. For example, my background is in retail but my interests are currently in the insurance and financial services industries.
	Call to Action – Remember the concept of LCD – Least Common Denominator – way back in 9th grade algebra? Or was it 10th grade geometry? And you thought you would never use this stuff! When developing your Call to Action, reduce your target market or ideal client to the Least Common Denominator. For example, instead of saying, “Anyone with a spine”, consider saying, “I’m looking to help recent mothers that might be experiencing lower back pain.” This LCD may direct our thinking toward people we know that might fit the bill. Does this mean that new mommies are the only prospects? Of course not, but remember, this is just the first date. Over time, our Call to Action will expand much like the relationships with the people we meet. Here’s a quick sample.

Is this the whole story? Of course not, but it could be the start of a purposeful conversation for both of you after comparing notes. Also, it’s OK to have more than one PEEC statement as you may want to highlight different details depending on the audience. I probably have 100 different versions; it all depends on whom I’m speaking with.

Less is more here. Most of us over-do it. Remember, that person you’re speaking to with that glazed look in their eyes is not nearly as interested in your business as you are. We want to create enough interest in our ’30 seconds’ to prompt the need to know more about our business, background, prospects, or future employer. Hopefully, those follow up conversations happen. Finally, the PEEC statement (or whatever pitch you use) is best delivered when someone asks you, “What do you do?” My belief is you should never deliver your PEEC statement unless someone asks you about yourself. This is worth repeating – your ‘elevator speech’ is best delivered when responding to someone’s question. If they wanted to know what you do, they would ask - wouldn’t they?

Deliver a prepared, powerful, and interesting PEEC statement and enjoy the rewards of effectively promoting yourself, your career, or your business. Are my 30 seconds up?