Are You Screwing Up Your 30-Seconds of Fame?

by Kim Page Gluckie · 7 comments

in Kim Page Gluckie,business matters,public articles,the message matters

Imagine this – you are at a luncheon for your day job and someone says “so what do you do?” And you stumble over your thoughts for a few minutes trying to tell them what your day job is, but really wanting to share your passion business… your own small business.

Or you are at the park, having idle chat with another parent, and they say “so what do you do… besides parenting I mean?” And you go blank – your brain can’t quite shift from yelling “be safe” to your child hanging on the monkey bars, to eloquently describing your passion for your small business.

When you stumble, fumble and pause to get the words out – you’ve lost your opportunity for 30-seconds of fame! When someone asks you what you do, odds are they are genuinely interested. Honour yourself by being prepared.

Why 30-seconds? Well you’ve likely heard of an “elevator pitch” or “30-second commercial.” I often call it an IPS, an Inspired Proposition Statement. Whatever it is called, it really is your platform to shine… and you have a very short period of time to do it. So make use of it.

How To Step Up To Your 30-Seconds of Fame

• Be Prepared. Yes, that means you should have a script. You need to know every time what you’ll say in that first 30-seconds of “what do you do” like it’s rehearsed – because it should be.
• Be Passionate. If you are passionate about what you are saying, even if you’ve said it a hundred times before, it will sound like you celebrate your work not like you are trying to sell it. A script only sounds like a script when you don’t believe what you are saying.
• Be Concise & Clear. Stumbling, mumbling and bumbling is no way to convey how great your business is and why someone else should care.
• Have A Point. Every marketing message needs a “call to action”. So what is your point? What do you want someone to do after you tell them what you do? I’d suggest the point is you want them to ask you more about what you do, ask for a card, ask for information or tell you about how what you do would benefit a friend or themselves.
• Have A Plan. What would you do if someone is genuinely interested in what you do? Make sure you have a card to offer. Ask them for a card or an email address so you can send THEM information (don’t rely on them to get back to you). Ask about THEM. Finding out what they do and why they are interested gives you clues as to how your business can inspire or connect or benefit them. And hey – it’s interesting.

The Challenge of Part-Time Entrepreneurs

Blending your “day job” message – whether it’s other employment or parenting, with your small business message can feel awkward unless you ARE prepared and can be clear.

But let’s just be clear – you are a WHOLE person. And only telling half your story is a disservice to yourself. Yes, you may be hiding your small business dreams from your boss. But if you can’t be honest about what you do in all aspects of your life you aren’t telling your whole story. And your whole story is what makes you interesting and worth listening to. It’s what makes you unique. And unique is what inspires and sells.

How to Craft The Starring Speech

30-seconds is plenty of time to share a story of what you do in a non-salesy, passionate way that will inspire someone to ask more information. But it takes some time to create it. Start with this outlined example, assuming you are answering “So what do you do?”

Oh, thanks for asking!

In addition to (state the obvious in context to where you are – loving taking care of my kids full time/working for this fabulous company 3-days a week), I own (name of your business).

I (teach/sell/consult/offer/other) to (insert brief description of who your audience is) who love my (give your best, briefest description of what your business does and top benefits).

Right now I’m (tell about the thing you are doing/selling/working on in your business). I’m actually looking for new (clients/guests/shoppers/etcetera) for this program.

(Casually mention) If you happen to know anyone who would be interested, I’d love to know!

At this point you have to follow their lead and use your business savvy skills to discover if there is more to the conversation that can your business grow. Sometimes helping your business comes in the form of helping them. So engage in a conversation while also being a star. It’s not just about you.

What Comes After Your Star Performance

After you’ve had YOUR 30-seconds of fame, become a great listener. Watch the body language. How is your audience responding?

• Asking for more information – this may mean they are being polite, but it may also mean they are interested for themselves or a friend.
• Asking for your card – never leave home without them! No matter how engaging your conversation is – they will lose that slip of paper with your URL or forget no matter how great their memory is.
• Dead silence – ask them what they do. They may be processing what you said. They may have lost interest, but  not likely – they asked YOU after all.

Have your 30-seconds of fame. Post what you do below, or how you struggle to avoid stumbling in these scenarios.

Tagged as: 30-second commercial, business writing, elevator pitch, inspired proposition statement, Kim Page Gluckie, work part time

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Name *

E-mail *

Website

{ 1 trackback }