Topic “What To Say About Yourself When Other People Are Listening”

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Featured Speaker Rob Sullivan

Rob was both inspirational and engaging, bringing a clever angle to networking, relationship building and the ago-old question: “So..tell me a little about yourself”

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According to Rob, the ingredients least likely used are the ones that are the most successful and effective in networking. Those are:

• Eye Contact

• Energy

• Enthusiasm/Passion –get the receiving party emotionally connected to the topic (and to you)!

It sounds like networking 101. However through his presentation, Rob addresses the finer nuances of effective communication that will enable a person to be more memorable -be someone that people will think about long after the conversation has ended.

Nuance #1

It is important to grab a person’s attention. To help, think about the lessons the movie industry can teach you. They have :30 seconds to communicate a new movie, (similar to the :30 “tell me about yourself” speech).

The Lesson:

• Be Specific

• Be Concise

• Smile

• Be Passionate/Memorable

Apply that concept to a movie clip. When you view a clip it tells you:

• The starring roles Who is in the movie

• The Plot Exciting facts that tell you what the movie is about

• The Launch Date it comes to the theatre

From this information we decide to see, or not to see a movie. Sub-sequentially, it will be from your :30 speech a networking contact (or potential employer) will decide if he/she is interested in pursuing a relationship.

Nuance #2

To re-enforce nuance #1, when you get the age old question: “Tell me about yourself”?, you can handle it using the NEON approach:

NEON

N-Where are you Now?

E-Why is it Energizing/Exciting?

O-What is your Objective?

N-What do you Need? Contacts? Project work?

Nuance #3

When telling your story, think about the:

• Message

• Content

• People Target

When developing your message and its content remember these 3 keys:

• Role –what role did you play in the story?

• Goal –what was the goal of the project, team or event?

• Results –what was the result of the project, team or event?

(Remember to share your passion and enthusiasm and it will come across to the receiving party).

To re-enforce nuance #3, Rob had the group split into pairs and tell a story, utilizing the above structure. It works! After hearing my counter-parts story, I became connected to a success that he had -in a field I am not even interested in! The passion and excitement that he portrayed made me want to know more.

Key Point: When constructing your story, do not use phrases such as: “I exceeded expectations because…” or… “I grew revenue because…”. Instead, think about what was different because you were there. What impact did you make to the organization that may not have happened if you were not there? Something that digs deeper down past what you were accountable for in the job.

When developing your people target, be sure to construct your story to achieve maximum effectiveness from the receiving party.

Nuance #4

You do not know how others will react to you. At those moments you have to remember to trust yourself, your content and your delivery. If you try to alter the conversation into what you believe will effectively engage the other person, you may be jeopardizing the conversation or event.

Example: During a classroom lecture, Rob did not have the attention of a one student. Instead of altering his message or delivery in efforts to engage this person, he trusted himself and continued on. He left believing his presentation was not a success. Shortly after, he received a call from the school letting him know that the presentation was in fact a success and he was #1 on a short list of commencement speakers.

Rob’s words of advice: Love yourself and let them watch.

Nuance #5

What makes you unique? No one has exactly the same experiences or expertise that you do. Therefore, when putting together your message, remember to pull from every part of your career and life-experience”

• Think combinations

If you worked in more than one industry, think about integrating all industries into a story. This creates a skill set that is unique to you.

• Think about Mentors

Think about integrating the experiences from the important people who influence you.

• Think about Self-Taught Initiatives

What have you learned or self-taught that can be added to your unique skill set?

• Think about the next logical step

Finalize the story, making sure it is appropriate to the audience it is targeted for. You will need to make sure that the people you are communicating with feel comfortable, that they are not taking a risk or wasting their time.

Be Visible! Rob recommends utilizing Linked-in to help build a networking base (www.linkedin.com). Also visit other networking organizations that are appropriate to your career objectives.

Additional basic networking tips that never get too old to hear about:

• When networking NEVER ask for a job, ask for help

• When networking, try to ease the pressure off of the other person –ask them to help you understand how you can market yourself more effectively. The result: you will learn more about each-other, making the other person more willing and able to help you out

• Do not put networking contacts on the spot

• Pay attention to the trade press. Call people who are quoted in articles. Call the articles author

Rob lastly asked us to think about what we will commit to doing differently and how will we track this success.

Questions asked by the audience:

Q1. Does a handwritten thank you note make a difference?

A. Yes it does. It is seen as thoughtful and shows initiative (that little extra). However it is important to assess the situation to ensure it will be the most effective.

Q2.How can you nurture your network?

A. One recommendation is to send out Thanksgiving cards v. Christmas Cards. Since it’s out of the ‘norm’, it turns out to be the perfect ‘off-season’ way to stay in touch with your network and be memorable at the same time.

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Submitted by: Julie M. Nargang