Posts tagged ‘Practice in front of the mirror’
- Most times I explain my projects to ordinary techies, like these elevator passengers.
One sunny day the elevator doors ping open, and inside a stone cold fish like this veteran is waiting…
… and unless my elevator pitch is bullet proof, I will be shot down to Crash and Burn in the bottom of the elevator shaft. So how do I prepare before pitching to sligthly arrogant, well educated super smart technology people? Todays lessons will be drawn from two very different marketers and their very different books. One an independent consultant the other a former Google employee from the sweet early days.
Make sure the right people meet. Don´t follow up.
I have been out mingling on behalf of the company where I work. I have just met a young lady and understood one of her needs. She really likes going to the opera, but has not had the time to go there in several months. Now I am back at the office with an idea of who I want to connect her with.
I have been out mingling. Now I am back at the office writing down everything I can remember about the young lady I just met. I have written notes on the back of her business card, while she was buying drinks in the bar. I the center of the card I have written “opera”, a key word about her most important need. In the four corners of the card I have written:
- Books, russian authors, whiskey
- Bare knuckle fighting
- Fighting
- ?
I am out practicing in the wild again. At a mixer where people are drinking coffee and eating finger food. I have just introduced myself to a young woman and have started to talk about what she does for fun in her spare time. She likes opera, russian authors, illegal gambling and single malt whiskey from Islay. This is the part of the conversation where the two of us get to know each other. I make sure not to rush the conversation along. I keep her talking with the questions I have carefully prepared.
Just a few people gets paid to beat up bad guys.
People should do more of the work they are really good at. Soon you are going to practice in the wild. I will now explain how I practice, but first a little practice at home. I have just introduced myself to a young woman and quickly explained what I do at work. Then I focus on her. She tells me what she really likes about her job. She is making a living as an unlicensed boxer. That is, she does illegal bare knuckle boxing matches, and makes money from the audience doing illegal gambling. She tells me what the work really entails and what the most important skills are. I am listening between the lines for something she is not happy about. In other words her unmet need. I have three questions lined up: Read more
