The 40 second slot is the subject that challenges me the most within WorktheRoom.
WorktheRoom is my philosophy for better business networking. It is the strategy that drives my business and I share this with my contacts to drive their business too. The WorktheRoom structure allows me to follow a simple roadmap, but it all falls apart when you consider the 40 second slot. You see, within the rest of your networking, you are talking mostly one to one. When conversing with groups it is mostly during the rapport phase. But the 40 second slot is the one blatant plug or sales pitch which can go against everything. The biggest challenge being you are presenting to a large mostly uninterested group (who are devouring their breakfasts and thinking about when they will say in their own slot)
Look around the room and you will find
- People I have never met before
- People I have only met at this location
- People I have met a other locations
- People I have shared a chat with
- People I have shares a one-2-one with
- People I that I have regular contact with
- People I have done business with.
- What about any competitor in the room?
In fact people at every stage of the building a relationship process. Yet you have just one message that you can deliver to them. So you must decide;
- Who will you target from this group today?
- What results or actions do you want?
- What will the ‘others, you do not target’ think?
- Why will they remember you against the person next to you?
Maybe you are looking for the one-2-one. Which is the implied reason for the pitching in the first please. So you will need to tell me who you want to meet. However, I need to know what is in it for me, so what will we talk about and what will I get out of this. Can you offer me something that I can only get from speaking with you?
You may be looking for referrals, in which case you need to tell me what type of referrals and remind me why I should make the effort to help you. The best way to do this is to give an example of a previous referral. That demonstrates your skill in a real example, proves you have already been referred before and gives that warm feeling that there is little risk in putting your name forward.
Don’t miss any low hanging fruit. It can happen that there is somebody in the room who needs your service today. So, don’t make your offering too vague, make it clear what you do. I have often found people come up to me to explain why they will not be purchasing from me today. This is fantastic news, because I NEVER asked them to buy anything from me. They are actually saying, John, please solve this issue so I CAN buy from you! – This also reminds me of that saying ‘You never get a second chace to make a first impression’
For most of us it will take numerous meetings and 40 second slots for many people to accept us and look at our offerings. This is where the majority of your audience will reside. The greater part of your target market will not know they need, or can benefit from your goods and services until you are able to tell them. So, in the meantime you need to make yourself the Guru in your field. You want people to approach you when they need your help, or they see a need with which you are associated. Give hints, ideas, or challenges from your industry, and make it easy for them to follow you up.
Most people should vary what they say. Look at the audience and consider how many of the people heard what you said last time. Will telling them the same thing again re-enforce or push them away. Of course you can give the same message, but do so in a different way, include a different example, or lead in.
If you have the confidence to leave out the punch line, then you are not only brave, but you will have lots of fun. Tell a story, give a problem and explain the situation, but leave off the punch line or solution. Those interested will soon come to you. However, I do not suggest you do this every time as it can be annoying after a while. For those that connect it does create the need to be spoken to.
My last thought on this post could possibly undo all I have already said. You are going to attend many meetings over the year, and have many 40 second slots in front of the same people many times, even if they do not all hear every one. So, why not look at your 40 second pitch as one in a series. This opens up whole new opportunities for you to bring a bigger message to your audience over time.
So go away and plan your campaigns, I look forward to hearing about them!