Day 8 – 30 Days of Networking: How to network in 140 characters
July 9, 2009 by Suzi Dafnis
Welcome to Day 8 of 30 Days of Networking.
Today we’ll keep it short. Cause, often, we need to be quick, to-the-point and succinct when given the opportunity to introduce ourselves.
You’re lucky if you’ve never been cornered by someone at a networking event who took forever to tell you what they did and even then you really didn’t get it. The ‘elevator spiel’ is a great way to learn to speak about yourself in a succinct way.
Got a 140 character elevator pitch?
At the Australian Businesswomen’s Network we ask our members to encapsulate their key message in a 30-second spiel. (The idea of ‘elevator spiel’ comes from the idea that if you were riding down an elevator with someone that’s the whole time you’d have to explain what you did in a compelling way.)
Much has been writing about the Elevator Spiel (including this great article on our website written by @lauriehayes).
Your Twitter Elevator Spiel
One of the powers of Twitter is that it requires us to be brief. In our 140 characters we need to capture an idea, a thought, a powerful conversation.
It’s a lot like writing a good headline. Some headlines draw the reader to want more, others don’t jolt us into any action at all.
So, how do we introduce ourselves and our business in 140 characters or less?
Give it a go. Tell us what your business does. (TIP: Focus on the end user of your product and how you help them through your products/services.)
Here’s my attempt:
In response to the question: “What does your business do?”I could say:
The ABN provides training, mentoring, resources and networking opportunities that help women to grow their business. #30DNet
That’s 116 characters (plus the #30DNet tag so that we can track everyone’s responses).
TODAY’S TASK
Tweet your ‘elevator spiel’. (Leave room to include the #30DNet tag so that we’ll see it.)
Also add it to this blog post. Are you open to feedback about it? Then tell us so.
Best wishes,
Suzi
The Brain Food Factory is ready 2 exercise the brain cells with my free monthly newsletter, C’mon get happening! http://bit.ly/w9JaX #30DNet
Very open to as much feedback as I can get.
Loving this series Suzi (feeling more feminine everyday ;P)
Adminbandit helps community orgs with the right software for volunteer treasurers – making it easy #30DNet
#30Dnet The SilverOwl loves to advise and coach business owners to make sure they get the most from their energy and efforts.
Open to any feedback – all your brains are going to be better than mine alone !
Thanks Suzi, great idea.
here’s my pitch The accelerate series is a collection of resources to help you accelerate your business, yourself and your networking skills #30DNet
magic stars helps parents and teachers listen to children, to understand their feelings and behaviours… so children can thrive in every aspect of their lives.
Not sure if we’re doing mission another day. In case we aren’t, do you prefer 1. or 2.?:
1. magic stars’ mission is to elevate the emotional well-being of our world’s children.
or
2. magic stars: The world’s leading designer of children’s emotional education and behaviour management products.
Please give feedback.
Julie- love yours, smooth and from the heart.
Nerida- I don’t know if I’ve met a ‘volunteer treasurer’ except at my P&C etc…
Here is my pitch , this is helping me focus on what it is i do as currently too thinly spread- need to work out how to connect all the arms:)
“I help you become a Divine Deliberate Attractor & get more of what you do want in your life & less of what you don’t”
or
“Clarity Coaching helps you become a Divine Deliberate Attractor & get more of what you do want in your life and less of what you
feedback welcome
Frances love yours
here’s mine…
FlapJack provides prof associations and businesses with print and online publishing solutions that engage members and clients
and another…
AssociationWire helps professional associations save time and money on content for their publications and websites #30DNet
wow Suzie a Divine Deliberate Attractor sounds amazing… and makes me want to know more
At Calypso Flowers, we help people express their sentiments through flowers. #30DNet
Feedback welcome !
Gee I’m enjoying 30 Days of Networking….
My twitter elevator pitch is:
Alito works with dynamic and savvy business owners to ignite their personal, team’s and business performance #30DNet
Feedback welcome as always.
Cat
I’ve decided to focus on just one aspect of what I do, as it fits in with the goals I set down at the start of this 30 Days of Networking.
Teak Yew Business Retreats provide you with the time, support and guidance you need to achieve sustainable growth for your business. #30DNet
Feedback welcome.
Thanks,
Monique.
Miss Kish
wants to change / influence / effect
wants the quiet subtleties of design to be heard everywhere. #30DNet
Happy for feedback
@misskish I love this bit best, beautiful, it’s powerful on its own: wants the quiet subtleties of design to be heard everywhere.
@mbeedles I’m not sure why it’s called Teak Yew and I look at your website and see a big tree, I see.
@catmatson sounds great, but the last half isn’t as smooth.
@calyflo oh if only we all had such simplicity.
@freyapurnell great, but not sure about the word “engage.”
@associationwire beautiful and direct.
@suziecheel Abraham-Hicks would say “don’t say what you don’t want” or what you want less of- just say what you want. Keep it positive. I’d cut “& less of what you don’t” and “and less of what you” .
OMG, i’m still catching up, delayed by the flu – what about that:
Reach for the Sky Counselling strives to teach you about resolving and dealing with challenges and turning them into ‘opportunities to grow’
exactly 140 characters. ouch. let’s change something:
Reach for the Sky Counselling teaches you about resolving and dealing with challenges and turning them into ‘opportunities to grow’
Feedback welcome
Crunch Design tailors creative solutions to boutique companies from brand identity to website development, #30DNet
Money-Magnets.net empowers our clients to take back their financial power. Personal finance can be simple & fun! http://is.gd/1xDUz #30DNet
Still catching up but I’ll get there!
Regards,
Karen
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KarenLeslie
RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/Money-MagnetsNetRSS
Website: http://www.money-magnets.net/
I am SOOOO far behind and trying to catch up!
Here’s my “Go Matilda” story:
Go Matilda provides tax, accounting, financial planning and Australian migration advice to a globally mobile client base.#30DNet
Best regards
Susan
Don’t worry Susan I am even further behind. Have only just been reconnected after my move!
Here is one of mine! ” Our Generation Travel, for travellers who wish to create an experience that becomes part of their life journey – remarkable, inspiring and culturally enriching!” #30DNet
Happy travelling
Anne
Twitter: http://twitter.com/anne_bain
RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/OurGenerationTravel
Oops, soory more than 140 but if you put it through ping.fm it shortens into a tiny url and posts to Twitter as well as to many other social networks
Anne