How to introduce yourself in 15 seconds?

Answering a question such as “ Tell me something about yourself” or “ What do you do?” appears to be the simplest thing in the world, at the end of the day, who knows you better than yourself, nevertheless it is something a lot of people struggle with. Crafting a simple and informative message is an art, known as communication. The good news is that you can work on it and perfect it.

In this article you will learn how to communicate better by being able to introduce yourself in 15 seconds.

Can you craft a simple line telling me what you do in 15 seconds?

There are formulas of crafting messages you are trying to send across to your recipients.

Piotr Bucki, communication expert, who helps international start-ups pitch investors, recommends the following formula:

A headline followed by 3 supporting messages.

The headline answers a question, what do you actually do? , What value you bring to others?

The 3 supporting messages should deliver answers to questions: What distinguishes you from others? and How do you operate?

The ready message can look like this:

“ I am Peter. I help companies hone their message. I use cognitive science and neuroscience. I always put theory into practice and constantly learn to make things better.”

There are few things to keep in mind when using this formula.

1. The entire message should not take you more than 15 sec when communicating it. The attention span of people is decreasing every year, so in order to capture someone’s attention, we need to be concise.

2. Your pitch should not be longer than 140 characters with spaces.

3. You should not lie.

4. Do not use industry jargon.

Pitch templates to introduce yourself in 15 seconds.

Can you use a Striking Catchphrase?

 Tom Scarda, CFE, Speaker, Author & Podcaster, TomScarda.com, recommends using in your personal pitch a memorable catchphrase or play on words. In addition, to stand out from all the competition in the room, it’s a necessity to talk in the listener’s language ― their pain and challenges.

Example: Hi my name is Tom Scarda, and I’m the founder of the Franchise Academy. We help people who want to own a business instead of working a job, find the right franchise to get them to their goals ― sort of like Tinder for business. We use a process that matches people based on skills and personality with opportunities that are pre-screened for best performance. We have a shorter list of companies that we work with, but they are the best of the best franchises in the country. If you’re considering a change in your life and career, we should talk.

Template: Hi, my name is [name], and I’m the [job title] of [company]. We [unique value proposition] ― sort of like [memorable catchphrase]. We use (product or service feature that answers pain points)We have [primary competitive points of difference]. If you are (identify a client’s pain point), and add call to action. 

How to tell a story?

People love stories. Stories activate our brains. They engage the frontal and parietal cortices in our brain, which leads to a deeper sense of emotional engagement with what is happening. Moreover, stories have a hero, someone you can identify with, so the message becomes important and engaging for you.

Example: “I quit my “old life” in corporate to go for my dream of being self-employed.

It took me about a year to manage to find how to bring my passion for natural health into business.

Today, I finally am starting my journey with network marketing, sharing my message with the freedom of being location independent.”

 Can you talk about what drives you?

Jennifer Kyriakais from MATRIXX Software recommends avoiding hiding behind your job title and a company. Instead, the best advice for networking is not to talk about what you do and instead discuss what it means to you. Do this by sharing your reasons for getting into the field, career or position you are currently in. Connecting on a personal level first will help engage others and they will more easily understand what you do and why you do it.

Example: My name’s Vicki Phaidon, and I’m in between jobs. I spent the last eight years working as a sales representative for various medical companies as it allowed me to be in constant contact with people. Now, I take care of a small animal welfare center, in order to increase people’s quality of life by finding them the right dog companion. I noticed that owning a dog has a positive impact on people’s wellbeing. While job searching and doing research for businesses I would like to start I help my friends in personal styling. I’m passionate about beauty. I want to start a dog-friendly beauty salon, where owners can come for nails, and hair and face treatments with their 4legged companion.

You may also like this: HOW TO SET DIRECTION FOR YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU DON’T EVENT KNOW WHERE TO START?

Can you say what your contribution is?

 “You get paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of problems you solve”

― Elon Musk

In the business world, it all comes down to value. Whether you deliver value or do not will be determined by what you offer and moreover how effective you are in delivering a solution to somebody’s problem. Your professional introduction should tell the audience about your contribution to their (professional) lives. What problems do you help them solve?

Not many people are interested in your title, the name of the company, etc till it becomes relevant to them. It will become relevant when they will learn that you can help them.

Example: People work with us because they’re tired of wasting time on a job search that gets them nowhere. They’re frustrated that they don’t get any interview invitations because they do not know how to communicate their professional presence and how to connect with companies that will be a good fit for them. We teach them how to create a CV that will get the attention of recruiters and how to distinguish themselves from other candidates and how to win the heart of the recruiter during an interview.

Template: Attention-getter addressing three pain points + Explanation with features and benefits + Check in + Hook.

Another way of presenting a benefit could be this model. Short and simple.

Example: “You know how finding the right web person can be a daunting task? Well, we prescreen developers.”

Template: You know how [specific pain point]? Well, we [benefit]

Can you show a little vulnerability?

People are not perfect and they will sympathize and identify with you when you show your own imperfections. Everybody had to start somewhere and it can be inspiring for others to show the process of becoming who you are and where you are today. Be innovative, take risks, and have difficult conversations. The return investment on the other side may be life-changing.

My name is Katarzyna Richter and I help employers, entrepreneurs, and individuals who need support in international talent acquisition, talent management, and development. Last year I recruited 500 cabin crew for an airline and several specialists for an audio company, I conducted over 1000 interviews and delivered 5 keynotes during international conferences. It may surprise you, but I’ve been quite a shy person and engaging in a conversation with strangers was pretty uncomfortable for me. Everything changed when I was a cabin crew and had to talk to hundreds of passengers from around the world on a daily basis.

If you have a project in mind you’d like to tap my vast cross-cultural recruitment and HR experience and a get in touch via email kr@dealwithculture.com.