At a recent networking function I met a woman who told me, “We provide shared resource technology for application solutions providers in the wireless industry.” Huh?  

I spoke with her for another five minutes and when I left the discussion I still had no idea what it was she did or who her prospect would be.

Do the people you meet know what you do? Or is your answer to “So, what do you do?” so riddled with acronyms and lingo that the listener has to have a degree in “company speak” to figure it out?

Or maybe your description is just boring and all about you. Help people visualize themselves (or a colleague) when you describe what you do.

Here’s an example. Which is better?

A. We block UVA and UVB rays with an SPF of 35.

B. We help keep you from getting sunburned.

B is the best choice, hands down. Your introduction is about emotion. Not logic. Or lingo. And most importantly, your introduction is not about you — it’s about them.

You can start practicing now. Leave me a comment with your elevator speech.

And don’t forget that connecting on Twitter is a good way to begin building relationships.

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