Judged in 30 seconds

Photo by Daan Stevens on Unsplash

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We have all heard the expression 'first impressions last'. That is why we are a little nervous when we are introducing ourselves to somebody new. In particular when it is an important meeting where you are discussing, selling or influencing. In the first 30 seconds you introduce yourself, tell them what you do and give them confidence that you are the right person to be talking to.

In reality, for most of us, this is not a fluid motion. We are too far down the imposter syndrome road to talk about your achievements. So instead you give off less than a positive vibe. Using words like "I only have...." or only saying your name and job title. In those first 30 seconds, you are being judged. You might be labelled as average or worse. My definition of worse is lower than your real skill level. Since from this point, you need to work harder to establish credibility.

You have enough challenges in your day, to avoid starting conversations with a deficit to your credibility. Your elevator pitch needs to establish credibility and instil confidence in the room. You are positioning yourself in the best light possible. To do this, you need to be clear, confident and concise. If you speak of the cuff each time, you might not hit the points that will resonate with the audience. Over the years, I have observed some fantastic personal introductions and have felt that mine needed improvement. I wanted to share the five key things that I work on to continue to improve my elevator pitch.

One. Pause your imposter. When you are thinking about the elements that you want to highlight. Your imposter needs to be on pause. When you only have 30 seconds, you want to show your best self. There is no room for your doubt. Your statements need to be definitive and not hedging. Consider the things that make you stand out. It could be experience in a niche platform or a large project you have worked on. You might have worked with prominent brands or have received significant accolades.

This isn't an exercise in bragging. Finding the balance and being overselling and underselling yourself can be difficult. You need to be strategic in what you include as you need to be comfortable in saying it out loud.

Two. Know your audience. You will be delivering the pitch to anyone from your interviewer to a potential customer. Each of these people will need to know different things about you. Tailoring your pitch to suit your audience is critical to ensuring a high effectiveness rate.

If you are helping a customer through a critical issue, they are having. It would be suitable to mention your previous experience working through a similar problem with success. Highlighting your experience that matches your audience will give you the credibility you need early in the conversation.

Three. Have an outcome in mind. Now you know your audience you need to decide what your desired result is. Do you want them to respect you before you start whiteboarding? Do you want them to relax and listen? Are you trying to sell them something? Either way, this will determine the content you deliver and bring the conversation onto the right track in the first 30 seconds.

Four. Tell a story. The way to deliver your pitch is to turn it into your story. After all, there is no-one else that is going to share this story. As per any story, there is a structure that it should follow. There are many structures on the internet, but I generally follow 3 steps.

Describe who you are and what you do. This is not your official title, this is a description that would give them an insight in who you are to them. For example "I am an SME in digital platforms on both the technical and business ends. I help customers identify strategic use cases for purchasing and implementing platforms. I take into account their technical ecosystems and set up a strategy to quickly implement and leverage the power from the platform.".

Describe what makes you unique and gives you credibility. This is the paragraph that is your unique value proposition. There is no hedging or doubt, only the highlights that you are proud of. This isn't about sharing credit with your team. Sharing credit has a time and place. In your elevator pitch, you are representing yourself, so make sure you talk about yourself.

An example "I started my career in software engineering and progressed through several roles to give me a deep understanding of integration and architecture over a broad technology stack. I am fueled for innovation, and I am currently filing my second patent. I have worked across industries ranging from pharmaceutical to finance. I enjoy combining industry insights and technology to influence business levers for the most impact. I have helped a large number of customers over the years to achieve their business goals.".

End with an engaging statement. This is the main reason you are talking to this person. This leads to the outcome you are after. For example "I thank you for sharing your time today as I am keen to understand how my experience can help you with your situation.".

Five. It is all in the delivery. Now you have your pitch all planned and written out. You need to practice it over and over. The first step is getting comfortable with the way it sounds and the words you will use. Then you will work on your tone, confidence and body language in delivering it.

The small things matter. Speak with a bright tone and a definite volume. Sit up or stand up straight, so you look confident. Their subconscious is picking up on multiple cues that will form their judgement.

In Summary, Your elevator pitch should be significant enough that you plan and practice. You will continue to adjust and improve it as you pitch it to different people. My current version is focused on a neutral new customer. Where I am being brought in as a digital platform, SME sounds like this.

Hi, my name is Ray Moukaddem, and I am an SME in digital platforms on both the technical and business ends. I currently lead a team across APAC, where we help customers identify strategic digital use cases. I take into account their technological ecosystems and set up a strategy to quickly implement and leverage the power of the platform.

I started my career in software engineering and progressed through several roles to give me a deep understanding of integration and architecture over a broad technology stack. I am fueled for innovation, and I am currently filing my second patent.

I have worked across industries ranging from pharmaceutical to finance. I enjoy combining industry insights and technology to influence business levers for the most impact. I have helped a large number of customers over the years to achieve their business goals.

I thank you for sharing your time today as I am keen to understand how my experience can help take your team to the next level.

Although my pitch still doesn't feel just right. I am happy to keep practising it as opposed to stumbling through introductions.

Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer.