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The One-Minute Intro Checklist
publication date: May 1, 2011
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author/source: Robert Craven - The Directors' Centre
Update:
 The One Minute Intro Checklist was published in May as a draft of the chapter The Expert! model #1 – an expert focuses from Robert's new book Grow Your Service Firm. This chapter is an example of some of the practical advice and guidance that Grow Your Service Firm offers. Find out more about Grow Your Service Firm Pre-order the book now from Amazon Pre-order a signed copy from The Directors' Centre for £12.99 inc. P&P  The One Minute Intro ChecklistThe ‘One-Minute Introduction’ is called different things by different people… the One-Minute Intro, 30-second intro, audio logo, elevator statement, elevator pitch and so forth. There are lots of variations on the basic theme of finding a way of letting people know what you can do for them. The process of establishing your ‘intro’ is about so much more than just figuring out what you say after you say ‘hello’. By working out your intro, you are thinking about how and why people should buy your product and why they should buy it from you. After all, if you are the same as the competition then why should people bother to buy from you? Working out your intro, your pitch, gets you to think about how all your business communications should be positioned – brochures, websites, sales pitches should all focus on the customer’s ‘hurts’ and how you can sort it out for them. Background Most of us are particularly bad at introducing ourselves (and our business) to other people. In fact, I will go further than that – most of us are ghastly at all this networking stuff that so many people claim to be the new wave of the future. And in practice #1… The typical intro goes something like (and I quote from recent meetings): ‘Hello, my name is Gerald…I am… what I suppose… some people might call… an accountant.’ And in practice #2… ‘Hello, my name is Norman and I run a newsagent… it is very interesting because in 1992, me and my wife moved here from Chester because my wife’s brother-in-law was sent here during the war… anyway, we had been working together in the Post Office in Chester, well actually it wasn’t exactly in Chester so much as near Chester... and we felt that we could come here and start up our own newsagent so in the spring of that year we made a few enquiries…’ (It was at this point that I gave up the will to live!) Most of us are just dreadful at connecting with other people in a way that is in any way helpful – is it any wonder that most of us feel that networking doesn’t work so well for us? The reality is that you almost certainly cannot remember the last five business people you met at a party or at some event. And, even if you remember the people, then I bet that you can’t remember what most of them did as a profession. And the reason you can’t remember them is… because… they were not memorable. Isn’t this a sad indictment on the state of affairs; people spend most of their waking hours flogging their guts out to run a better business and then you can’t even remember them, never mind what their business does. There is, however a fairly simple way of overcoming this. The solution Piecing together a One-Minute Intro not only gives you a way to introduce yourself, but it also is a great way to start thinking about what you are trying to say about your business. Remember… People buy for one of two reasons: to be made happier or to be made richer… there is no other reason why people will buy … so why are they buying from you? A One-Minute Intro is a succinct explanation of what you and your business do. It was originally called the ‘elevator pitch’ because you were meant to imagine that you walk into a lift (an elevator in America!) and there you are faced with Bill Gates and he says ‘Hi, what do you do, then?’ and you have until the tenth floor to tell him. The UK version would have Sir Alan Sugar in the lift rather than Bill Gates, but the principle is the same. So, how clearly would you explain your business? If the usual mediocrity that I see at networking events is anything to go by, then I bet that you’d be pretty poor at it. A One-Minute Intro is an explanation of what you and your business do… and for whom, and for when they face which issue… Questions • How well can you explain what you do to a stranger? • Do you sound convincing to the stranger when you talk about your business? Or, • Do you open your mouth and out splutters a whole series of indecipherable jargon and gobbledegook that leaves the listener none the wiser? Your One-Minute Intro should be easily understood. If you are in doubt about its simplicity, try the ‘thirteen year-old test’; a thirteen year-old child should easily understand your statement. The script There is a formula to create a compelling One-Minute Intro and it goes as follows: • We work with… • Who have a problem with… • What we do is… • So that… • Which means…  As you will realise, it shouldn’t last a minute… but most, I am afraid to say, do! So step-by-step, here goes… ‘We work with…’ Be specific about who you work with
Focus on what is wrong for them or what hurts. It is far more powerful. People listen if you focus on what is wrong (their hurt) rather than focus on how nice things could be. People hear and respond to negatives better than they respond to positives. Let me explain. The psychologists talk about two types of motivation: ‘motivation towards’ something and ’motivation away from’ something. To get people to be decisive you need to work on their ‘motivation away from’ before you talk about ‘motivation towards’. eg most people give up smoking because of ‘away from’ motivations eg they don’t want to die, they have bad breath, they have smelly clothes. These are stronger ‘calls to action’ than the nice ‘motivation towards’ issues like feel healthier, taste your food and so on. If you can, figure out what your target customer’s ‘hurt’ is… then you can design the presentation of your offering around how you can relieve them of that hurt. Talk about: Rather than talk about: ‘… who have bad skin…’ ‘… who want clear skin…’ ‘… who miss their appointments…’ ‘… who want to be good time-keepers…’ ‘What we do is…’ Explain what it is that you do that resolves the problem. • ‘…test your skin type…’ • ‘…show you a structured way of managing your time…’ Be clear and be simple and use language that is easy to understand. This is not a sales pitch and you are not trying to prove how clever you are. All you are doing is giving them an easy-to-understand explanation of what you do. ‘So that…’ Give a simple explanation of the function that the user/client/customer gets… • ‘… You can use an appropriate diet and ointments…’ • ‘… Log all your appointments and priorities…’ ‘Which means that…’ List the benefits: • ‘… you get a clean clear complexion.’ • ‘… you never miss another appointment.’ Action point Write down your One-Minute Intro. We work with… Who have a problem with… What we do is… So that… Which means… Checklist – One-Minute Intro Does your One-Minute Intro: • Sound convincing? • Explain what your business does? • Roll off the tongue smoothly? • Make the listener understand what your business does? • Pass the ‘thirteen year-old test’? Summary The Expert has a focus, a niche, focuses… which means that they have a One-Minute Intro. This One-Minute Intro can be used right through the business: in brochures… on the homepage of the website… at the bottom of invoices… on the office wall. They are a great way to communicate to your clients and to your staff. The process of defining your strapline gets you to think about why people buy from you and what they get from you. After all, if you don’t know exactly what you do, then no-one else will either! By Robert Craven This checklist is a taster of Robert's new book 'Grow Your Service Firm' that will be published in the next few months.  Robert Craven's new book Grow Your Service Firm is available to pre-order now. Find out more Pre-order a copy from Amazon.co.uk Pre-order a signed copy from The Directors' Centre for £12.99 |
