I've been away in London today at a meeting with some potential new clients. They are a global organisation and I had just 4 minutes to get in front of them and pitch what I have to offer. This is a rather daunting prospect. Get myself all the way down there for only 4 minutes of their time. Of course it turned out to be much more than a speed dating session and I think that we both learned a lot about each other.
There is never anything truer than "you never have a second chance to make a frst impression". And given what I do it is essential that I embody everything about that in my "speech". When do you have to make a first impression? Or when do you have only a very limited time to make an impression? What will you do to make that count?
In this case going against all advice and perceived wisdom, I didn't prepare anything. I know my products inside out. It was important to show how what I do and the way that I do it, was directly relevant to the way that the client works and their needs. Therfore I had to listen to what had gone before and tailor what I said. So preparing something in advance would not have worked. And of course one of the best things about what I do is that I am always adapting material to the current needs of the group and that makes it fresh every time. So I was therefore able to stand up and respond appropriately to what I had learned during the afternoon.
What is the best way for you to make a fabulous first impression? Do you need to prepare? What do you need to prepare? How will you do that?
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