If I were to ask you what you do, how would you respond?
There are lot of different situations you might be asked that in, so to be fair what I mean is if I meet you at a business event (online or in person), how would you respond?
Many VAs I know don’t handle this most important question well.
Our instinct, or perhaps what we have been taught somewhere along the line, is that we need to respond with a well-rehearsed elevator pitch.
I hate elevator pitches.
Sorry to be so blunt, but I think they ruin conversation. Real conversation.
You start by saying you are a Virtual Assistant (which may even confuse the person you are having the conversation with) and then you launch into all the services you provide for people.
And while you talk, the person you are talking to is already thinking of a way to leave the conversation. Trust me. I’ve been on both sides of these conversations!
These kinds of conversations are not interesting.
When you are building relationships in your networking, the most important thing to be is interesting. And interested.
Recently I attended a networking event and people bopped around from person to person asking ‘what do you do?’
I heard a lot of different responses, but the ones that got the most attention were the ones that turned into conversations.
Here are a few quick tips to help you be more interesting – and interested when you are out and about!
1. Know Your Audience
If you work with women, then lead with that. If you have been approached by a man and he is not someone who is your potential client, don’t bore him with your elevator pitch. Be straight up that you work with women.
I recently overheard a male accountant ask a woman what her business was and she launched into a five minute description of how she provided support for women post surgery or illness. The product she provided was not relevant to the man, and he stood there with eyes glazed over while she just kept … on … talking.
I actually found it quite entertaining to listen to because the man could not get away to speak to anyone else, and the woman was clueless.
2. Have a Real Conversation
Conversation goes two ways – back and forth. Someone says something, and then the other responds.
Keep your responses short and really listen to the other person.
That lady should have stopped talking long before she did. She should have made it a conversation – back and forth. She should have asked him if he knew women who were post surgery, and then chat from there.
She lost him as soon as she never let up talking about her business. And she never once asked him (in those five minutes that I was nearby) about his business. She just went on about hers. A huge no-no in networking.
3. Respect People’s Time
If you are at an event that has a short period for networking, try to limit the amount of time you spend talking to one person. You want to have meaningful conversations, but you can both move on quickly to someone else when time is of the essence.
This is why mastering your marketing message is key. It should not take 15 minutes to tell someone what you do. If it does, it’s time to revise what you are saying! But you also don’t want to ramble off a rehearsed elevator pitch. Please.
4. Tell Stories If You Have Them
There is nothing that holds a person’s attention and drives a message home like a story. A lot of business coaches are teaching about the power of story these days, and for good reason.
With all the noise we have around us, you need to be memorable when you speak to others, particularly if you are meeting them for the first time.
Anchor your services with client examples where possible (brief ones!) and the prospect will know that you are experienced and professional.
5. Be Yourself
There is nothing worse than trying to be someone you are not. So be yourself!
Elevator pitches often don’t sound anything like our actual voices, let alone words we use in normal sentences. Just talk – let your personality shine through in all of your conversations.
When someone is hiring a VA for their business, they are hiring the person – as well as a body to get the task done. Smile. Make jokes. Talk about what you know.
Be you, and the client will feel much more at ease, and you will get a lot further in your relationship with them faster.
I do a lot of networking, and as an introvert I understand that it can sometimes be challenging. I hope some of these tips help you to relax, be yourself and have real conversations.
I promise you it’s much more effective than a memorized elevator pitch.
And you will have more fun doing it too!
If you want some help with your marketing message, I have the perfect solution for you! Join me for my half day Get Clients! Live Workshop. It’s an extension of the work we did in the 5 Day Challenge, but don’t worry if you didn’t take the challenge (I’ll send you some pre-work for the workshop!). This live workshop will help you get clarity on specifically who you help, what you help them with, and why you are the best person to help them with their needs.We’ll also talk about where to find YOUR perfect clients, and get you reaching out to them right now so you can start connecting and signing them. Register here: www.YourVAMentor.com/getclients-live or send me a message to chat about what it’s all about. I’d love to have you join us. We are doing small groups, so I’ll do as many workshops as we need so you get the attention you need!