If someone asks you, What do you do? You need to have an answer. Build your introduction with these easy steps:
Step 1: Who??
Make a statement of who you are. If you are a sole proprietor then start with I, but with two or more people on your team introduce your company as We.
Step 2: Help
When you use the word help, to describe what you do it simplifies your introduction enough so that anyone can understand. If help isnt the right word to describe what you do its ok, choose another word. The cool thing about help, besides the obvious of everyone needs it, is its one syllable and its a plosive. Paap says a hard P sound in a loud room is clear and its memorable. Buzz words like optimize or assist may lose someone very early in your conversation.
Step 3: What is your market group?
Stating your market group will narrow down the search just like a search engine for the internet would. This gets people to understand your focus. In less than two seconds you are able to find out if this is the right person to talk to based on the market you are trying to reach. If you arent talking to the right person they may refer you to someone else.
Step 4: Single relatable goal.
State what it is you are trying to help your market do? Try to get your actionable goal down to 2 words. Paap says, We all know you have big ideas, but shorten it. You want people to be able to repeat what you said the first time they hear it.
Step 5: Let your passion show through.
Make sure people can see how you feel about what you do. People are investing in you and they want to make sure you are the person that will stay up late to get the code written for a launch the next day or track down the next customer. Ultimately, investors want to know if you are the person that is going to go the extra mile and put their resources to good use.
At the end of the day, while networking, you want to be able to pause the clown music in everyones head. This may take practice, but once you get the hang of it you will find people who want to help you. When networking, startups are trying to find the right people to give resources of time, experience, money and contacts. Avoid networking nightmares by narrowing in on the right people. If its not the right person for your company, Paap says, Its on to the next one, just like the Jay-Z song says. If people dont have a follow up question for you most likely they are not a fit and it is a sure sign that its on to the next one.
Here are some stand out introductions from our finalists using Stuart Paaps 5 steps:
SitterCycle
My name is Helen Adeosun and I run a company called SitterCycle, and we help caregivers provide better care. The reason I love it is because Im a teacher and a Nanny.
RoundShip
Hi, my name is Ed from RoundShip and we help families navigate the transition between high school and college and I feel like the process is way overdue for a disruptive change and have things be easier for kids.
Verbal Applications
We bridge the communication gap for non-verbal patients and the reason we are doing this is because we believe everyone should have a voice
DrinkSavvy
Im Mike from DrinkSavvy and we help protect women against date rape. After being drugged myself its a cause that Im personally dedicated to.
Home Analytics
Hi Im Molly with Home Analytics and we help people in wheelchairs weight themselves. It is a really critical need.
Rifiniti
Hi everybody, Im Michael. Im with Rifiniti. We help fortune 500 companies optimize their use of office space. We are really excited to help companies make better use of their facilities to make work places for people.
Nyopoly
Im Joe from Nyopoly. We help shoppers find the right price, because we think having one price for everyone in a room this big is just crazy.
Stuart Paap helps startups and entrepreneurs build power-packed pitches with a punch. You can follow him on his website and on Twitter (@StuartPitch).