The old saying that you never get a second
chance to make a great first impression is very true, and introductions are
critical because they have the power to define one’s relationship with others
forever. The following tips will help you improve your introductions so that
you make a good first impression and start things out on a positive note!
Selling
Your Brand to Others
Regardless of the work that any of us do, we
are all engaged in a type of “selling” when we meet others. When we are
introduced to someone, we typically want them to like us and trust us, so we
are literally pitching them our personal brand.
Similarly, when we introduce our
nonprofit to others, we also want to make a good first impression. We want
others to care about our cause and become willing to help us advance it forward.
We are, in effect, selling our NFP’s brand.
In a great introduction, we display
confidence and make it easy for others to want to connect with us and our
organisation.
Focus
on Impact, Rather than Activities
When introducing ourselves to others, most
of us focus on the activities that we do. We’ll typically greet someone with a
hello, and then state our name, our employer’s name and our job title.
While this is a very common practice, it does little to tell others about what
it is that we really do. It doesn’t convey anything that tells our audience why
our work is important, or why they should trust us and help us.
A better way to introduce ourselves and
our organisation, is to focus on the impact made by our work. When creating
your introduction, think of a way to explain in just a couple of sentences,
what it is that you are doing to help others. This simple technique encourages
greater interest in your cause and connects you with others in a more meaningful
way.
Keep
it Short and Sweet
While you want to help others connect with
your work on a human and emotional level, keep in mind that your introduction is
not the time to go into a full, detail-heavy analysis of what you and your
organisation do for others. It should only be two to three short sentences and
take about half a minute.
Ideally, your introduction should be easy
to remember and say. It should also be interesting and capture your audience’s
attention and make them want to learn more. It should summarise what you have
to offer to others in a clear, concise, succinct way.
Practice
Makes Perfect
Once you’ve distilled the essence of your
work into two to three short, snappy sentences, you should practice saying your
introduction so that it comes naturally to you. Practice helps you to relax during
introductions so that you appear more at ease and confident. This, in turn, will
help others to relax and gain greater trust and confidence in you, and your
nonprofit! Don’t forget to customise your introduction to better fit the
circumstances of specific events and your audience.
