Ditch the Pitch for Better Networking!

Conversation is Your Key to Getting People to Know, Like and Trust You!

Do I Need to Have An Elevator Pitch Ready When I Meet Someone At A Networking Event?

This is a great question, but the simple answer is NO!

What’s an Elevator Pitch?

An elevator pitch is a well crafted, clever sounding introductory statement. You use it when meeting influential strangers. The term comes from the idea that you should be able to deliver your pitch in less time than an elevator ride. There are situations where a rehearsed statement works well. My elevator pitch goes like this:

My name is Bryon McCartney, I’m the co-founder and Chief Idea Guy for the Be Brilliant! Marketing Team. Good ideas are easy to come by. But, turning good ideas into great results is what makes the real difference. That difference is how I can help your business Be Brilliant!

I use my pitch when I’m asked to stand up and introduce myself to a room full of strangers. But, I would never use my pitch one-on-one in a networking situation. Why? Because, overusing a prepared statement can be a total conversation killer.

A Quick Example of How Not to Use a Pitch

Recently, at a local networking event, I met a real estate agent who had a prepared elevator pitch. His pitch was pretty detailed and, for a few moments, I struggled to come up with any questions to ask him. He had already answered many of the questions I would have thought to ask. Just then, another person joined us, and, right on cue, the real estate agent repeated his pitch. Another person joined us, again, the same pitch. Within the space of about 15 minutes, as people came by or joined us, he repeated his pitch several more times.

While I applaud him for being consistent, I had the impression that he had nothing interesting to say. He was just repeating his pitch. He also seemed eager to share his pitch with anyone he could. Instead of trying to get to know others, he was off and on to the next available person.

For me, conversation is the main focus of networking. I’m trying to get to know the other person, and I’m trying to get them to know, like and trust me. That requires spending time talking to people and developing rapport. If you only repeat your prepared pitch over and over, you can’t engage people. That to me is a big waste of a good networking opportunity.

You may be saying, “I don’t sound like that,” and maybe that is true. But, many of us do get into a routine of trying to be too consistent in how we introduce ourselves. We use the same phrases over and over and sound the same all the time — sometimes without even realizing it. We have to break that routine, we have to ditch the pitch!

So, where do you start? Be curious. Be attentive. Be yourself!

It’s as simple as that.

Be curious

Ask questions. The easiest way to start a conversation is to ask a question. If you take an interest in someone, they are more likely to take an interest and get to know you. This is how relationships start! That is the real point of networking, developing relationships? It’s simple. Imagine we meet at a networking event. You get to know me, you decide you like me and you feel you can trust me. Aren’t you more likely to buy from me or refer someone to me? Of course, you are. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but at some point, yes!

Be attentive

Have you ever talked to someone and they just seem to start drifting off. They don’t seem to be paying attention or they are looking across the room? Don’t be that person. If you are serious about networking, then pay attention and listen to people. You just might learn something important. You also may discover a special connection with that person. You never know, they may turn out to be a great source of business or referrals.

Be yourself

Do not try to talk about things you are not familiar with. Always be ready to talk about work, hobbies, education and network (W.H.E.N. for short). Your work is where you work now and where you worked in the past. Hobbies are those things that you are most passionate about outside of work. Education is where you went to school. It’s also all the conferences and workshops you have attended. Your network is the people you know and who you may be able to connect someone with.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, you are not trying to sell to someone at a networking event, your goal is to connect with them. To do that, you need to draw them into conversation, you need to find something in common with them. You want them to remember you. Don’t try to reduce yourself to one or two sentences that answers most of their questions. That kills conversation. Just ditch the pitch!

Invite Bryon McCartney to Speak to Your Association, Group or Team About Networking!

Bryon McCartney is the Chief Idea Guy & Managing Partner at the Be Brilliant!™ Marketing Team. We are a branding, design, marketing, social media & web design agency in Fort Myers, Florida. His has traveled around the world working for Fortune 100 companies and local businesses.

Follow him on Twitter @BrilliantBryon or connect with him on LinkedIn.

Follow the Be Brilliant!™ Marketing Team on Facebookand Twitter @BeBrilliantSWFL.

Originally published at www.brilliantlens.com.