Are You Progressive or Static?

Have you ever heard someone give the same introduction week in and week out at your networking group meetings? After hearing their speal a couple of times it is pretty easy to tune them out. Unfortunately, when people learn to tune you out during your introduction it is hard to get them back...

Creating a progressive introduction will not only keep them tuned in, but it will also help you educate your audience. Different than static introductions where the content doesn't change as it is delivered to audiences that you’ll see just once, progressive introductions are built to evolve so that with each delivery the audience learns more about you and your business. While it is wonderful to use your well practiced unique introduction all of the time, switching to the progressive form will also help you tap into your passion.

There are two general options when constructing your progressive introduction. You can either start drafting from scratch or begin with the text from your static introduction. In either regard the idea is to have available a variety of topics that you can rotate in on any given day. Be mindful to use topics that will inform and empower your audience as well as stay within the group’s introduction time limits.

Potential topics include:

• Recent client success stories
• Current client resource needs
• Brief case studies
• New products or services
• Seasonal products or services
• New strategic relationships
• New business or personal competencies
• Open positions or vendor needs
• Ask a question

Overtime progressive introductions help you build a more complete picture of yourself. The key to your success is to stay audience centered. Knowing and engaging each audience through your introduction will initiate valuable opportunities for connection.