Many of us learned to talk by the time we were 2 years old. Some are fast talkers, some slow, but we can gather words together to make sentences and form a message.  We learned more words. Talked more and THEN;

We started our lives and careers.  A commonly asked question started emerging more.  The question was: “What do you do for a living?”

 AND

Without hesitation

Without being taught

Without coercion

Without prompting

Without coaching

We began telling others the things we did for work.  The interesting part is we really never took into consideration, WHY?  What did the asker REALLY want to know?  

Anyone asking the question wants to know one thing!  That one thing is: What’s In It For Me? (WIIFM)

I stumbled upon a formula after attending a meeting with a networking women’s group.

We were at a lunch networking event.  There were approximately 30 people at the table arranged in a square. The assignment was for each person at the table to talk about “what they did for a living” in 30 seconds or less.  Apparently, most people did not understand the assignment.  As we went from person to person, either the presenter spoke much longer than the allotted 30 seconds OR when finished I had no earthly idea what they did for a living.  Participant after participant became more and more painful and the closer it got to being my turn, I realized I needed to do or say something differently.  There wasn’t much time to craft something witty, and engaging.  

I scribbled furiously on a piece of paper what I could do and speak.  It had to be something I could memorize quickly.  It had to be:

Impactful

Insightful

Recognizable 

AND powerful enough for the audience to remember!

There were two more people ahead of me and I had to be confident, comfortable, and convincing.  I was next.

The host gave me a short introduction by announcing that I was going to present after everyone had done their 30 second introductions.  I stood, I paused, and took a deep breath. With all eyes and ears turned on me I began, “I help people communicate better, what they do, what they have, and what they bring to the table.  With over 20 years speaking, coaching, and training, I help executives, and small businesses level up their presentation’s skills.  If you know someone who could use my help, please see me at the break, let’s exchange business cards. I’m Barbara H. Smith and whether your business is large or small, I can help you all.

In less than 30 seconds, I took my seat.  It was the first time those words were spoken from my mouth.  What I learned that day helped propel my business forward in ways I never thought possible.

The need for help with presenting was obvious from the struggle seen in the room.  The power of that small presentation caused people in the room to want to know how to present themselves in more clear, concise ways.  It was created on the fly, by recognizing a need and fulfilling it on the spot.

The irony is that’s how business is done.  Businesses find problems to solve with their own unique products or services.  The cool thing is people pay for solutions to their problems (pain points).

AND communicating the problem your business solves in a way that is convincing is crucial, because “communication is one of the most important skills you require for a successful life.” Catherine Pulsifer

Are there more powerful ways to present a message? Are there new challenges to communicating, especially  during and after the pandemic? Do you believe that confidently conveying messages builds stronger business?

Absolutely yes!

What’s your thoughts?  Message me to get connected.