How to Introduce Yourself Conclusion

So what did your friends say.

Did they like your introduction.

Were they able to tell you exactly what you were hoping they would.

Did they ask you for that free item that special report that White Paper whatever it was that you’re giving away.

Did they ask you for that.

Now you may decide not to do it.

Give away my main goal for you is that you give people a reason to come up and talk to you that you make them remember something interesting about you.

So if they see you later the cocktail hour or over at the snack bar they can reference something you said in the introduction and this can start a conversation.

Let’s not forget nobody is going to make a million dollar deal or get 10 million dollar contract by a 10 second introduction or a 30 second introduction that’s not what it’s about.

What it is about is helping you make the most of every opportunity you have to meet people to bring more people into your life whether you’re after more clients more prospects more colleagues more industry associates more people to raise money from more people to give back to you want to connect with it could be completely for social reasons too.

So I’m not passing judgment on any of the reasons why you want to meet people I’m simply trying to make it more effective more efficient your use of time let’s face it myself included we’ve all been to networking events before and may be left with a stack of cards by people who are walking around here here’s my card here’s my card.

Complete waste of time and what do you do to someone like that.

You typically throw away their car but we’ve also been to events and you’ve talked to a few people but it’s just sort of ho hum how.

What do you do.

And you can leave the events sort of scratching your head.

Why do I even bother doing that.

How many of these people business cards and I even remember anything about them.

Why would I even follow up with them why not just throw it away in the trash can on the way out of the event.

We’ve all been there.

Ladies and gentlemen what I’m trying to do is to equip you so that you can get a lot more out of every single time you go to event.

Every single time you introduce yourself as I said at the very beginning.

It’s an opportunity to make a bad impression which you no longer are going to do.

It’s a chance to make no impression which in my opinion is what happens to ninety nine percent of the hero or it’s a chance to make a great impression and to attract people to you.

That’s what you want.

Every single time you speak and obviously if you’re going to an entrepreneurial event and there’s entrepreneurs pitching for money and you introduce yourself as a venture capitalist looking to invest well you can be the worst introducer in the world and you’re going to be surrounded you’re going to be mobbed by all of the young investors and investors of every age coming to you.

But most the time for most people it’s not going to be that easy.

Just like dangling you know raw meat in front of a wild animal the way venture capitalists would be to investors.

So that’s why it’s important to really think about this not memorize but to think about.

Let me end with a note on memorization.

Memorization is number one hard to do.

Number two it’s even harder to do when you’re feeling stress so standing up in front of 12 people introducing yourself might not seem as scary as standing in front of 12000 people but it still takes most people out of their comfort zone.

And when you’re feeling nervous that’s why your palms are sweaty your feet are sweaty your body’s telling you run get out of here.

Adrenaline is flowing when that happens your mental faculties shut down because your body is saying run don’t think that’s one reason why I really recommend not memorizing your self introduction.

The other problem with memorizing something is you’re now like an actor on Broadway.

Memorizing and delivering a script.

Well here’s the thing about acting.

It’s really hard.

We can make fun of dumb actors all we want.

It’s a really hard skill.

I can’t do it.

Someone gives me a script to memorize I’m awful at that because it’s hard to remember if you do remember it word for word.

It’s hard to deliver it without sounding like you are reading a canned speech or you have memorized something so don’t do it.

Focus on the idea you want to communicate.

I just talked it through in a conversational way don’t memorize that’s extra work that’s extra stress.

What I’m trying to do is relieve stress for you on every aspect of this.

And you know what.

When you’re in these meetings now instead of worrying and think oh there’s three people away for me it’s going to be my turn.

What am I going to say.

You can actually listen to this person over here about what they do what they have to offer and while you may want to go up and talk to that person afterwards that’s the other beauty of this is if you plan and you have a process and you’re all set.

You’re not going to be sweating it waiting for your turn to introduce yourself.

You could actually be present.

I hate to sound on new agey but you can be in the moment actually listening to other people instead of thinking in yourself Oh no it’s going to be my turn.

What am I going to say.

I hate this I hate agency.

You don’t hate your self hate introducing yourself anymore because you’re now good at it.

The number one way to get over hating anything you’re feeling nervous about it is to actually get good at it.

And now since you followed the lessons in this course you’re good at introducing yourself.

So I wish you luck in all your future introductions.

Also asking you begging you in the discussion forum right here in this class please please record a video of yourself introducing yourself.

I would love to know who you are and I would love to hear how you’re introducing yourself.

I’m T.J.Walker thanks for spending this time with me and I look forward to meeting you.