Networking is not a once-a-month activity when you go to your chamber of commerce meeting. For small business owners, it needs to be a daily ritual. Having an effective business commercial, ensures you get the most out of your networking meetings.
Start by being prepared.
Create a series of commercials that you can use in different places and for different reasons. Make some humorous, others serious; some that use visuals while others are created with specific themes. When you decide upon a direction, push the concept. Be Dramatic! Infuse excitement into each commercial you create. You love your business, and you want the person you are talking too to love it also.
Always start with an Opening Hook. This needs to be something that catches their attention. An example would be a Life Health and Disability Insurance agent who says, “I sell love letters.”, or a Florist who says “I talk to plants. Does that sound silly?”. This is the “what” factor that turns their ears to you. Now you have their attention.
As you are giving your commercial, focus on “them”, not “you”. They want to know “WIIFM – What’s In It for Me?”. That’s not being self-absorbed, it’s a basic tenant of professional sales pitches everywhere. You can do this by telling a story. Paint a word picture that they will remember of how your customers life is better when they use your company. Did they experience less stress, have higher energy, feel stronger, look better? Use the words “which means” to create this connection as you discuss the benefits of and not the features of your company.
Feature: Our mascara contains super-duper, micro-fiber base coat with ceramides.
Benefit: Our mascara contains super-duper, micro-fiber base coat with ceramides which means your lashes will look thicker and longer.
Benefit: Our mascara contains super-duper, micro-fiber base coat with ceramides which means you’ll look sexier.
Always close with a Call to Action. Visit my new website or Take advantage of our spring sale.
Are your ready?
No way. Time to practice. Do you sell anything in your business that is not tried and proven? No, you practice and test before it goes on sale. You need to do the same with yourself. Get good at this. Practice on your family, friends, employees. Randomly pull out one of your commercials when they aren’t expecting it and see if you can keep their attention.
This also helps you know how long it takes to do the commercial. If you are standing in line at the grocery store, you can’t give a 4-minute commercial, but you can give a 30 second one. If you are at a business mixer or chamber meeting, giving the 30 second one and moving on may make it sound too pitchy, versus like an engaging story. Build a commercial library of different lengths.
Time to talk it up. You can do this!
