When you attend a networking event you're fully aware that a breakthrough for your business could be just one conversation away. As Lady Gaga famously teaches us, all it takes is connecting with that one person who believes in you, and your business and life could be on a whole new trajectory.

We all know the importance of making a winning first impression. The Association for Psychological Science in a study of first impressions notes that when you begin to speak, both what you say and how you say it significantly impacts your conversation partner's interpretation of you.

That can feel like a heap-load of pressure when you are at a networking event and responding to the million-dollar question, “What do you do?”. Of course, you know what you do. So why when asked about your work do you feel like you've said too much, or not enough.

Like that time you found yourself scrambling for words to capture the power of your work without sounding too simplistic. Or that time you found yourself using excessive business jargon and waxing poetic about your passion only to look up and notice your conversation partner's eyes glazing over.

We've been there so in this issue we want to share 3 ways to introduce yourself in a way that inspires confidence and trust by:

The first step is to pay attention to your internal dialogue and the vibe your thoughts are giving off. Approaching a new connection and wondering "Will this person open doors for me?" or "Will this person hire me?" puts way too much pressure on the exchange. In the energetic field, when you focus on what you will 'get' you are actually sending out invisible 'thought-vibrations' that push people away.

Instead, approach them with the energetics of neutrality, without any expectation of a specific outcome from the conversation. To take it to the next level you can think about how you can brighten their day. What you can learn about them beyond the obvious. How might you show interest in them, make them feel special, or make them smile. Approaching a new connection with a goal to make them feel great - as long as you are being genuine in your intentions -- sends off a pretty cool vibe.

For example, our Founder & CEO, Jill mentioned when walking her dogs she has a goal of getting beyond the usual "What is your dog's name?" or "How old is your dog?" questions, instead challenging herself to learn something fascinating about the other dog walkers! Doing so, she reports, leads to many joyful connections! (Just yesterday she learned there is a Bumble app for dogs!)

For more insights into the role of business energetics, check out our previous issue, 7 Energetic Errors in Self Promotion.

As we alluded to above, when introducing yourself at a networking event and meeting someone for the first time, don't overshare when asked a social courtesy question such as "What do you do?". Instead, get into a neutral frame of mind, answer the question as quickly as you can (probably with your title).

For example, in Jill's case, the answer would be " I am the Founder of an IP marketing and sales agency".

The key is to keep your first answer short, super easy to understand, and leave room for back and forth because they will do one of two things: inquire further or smile and change the conversation.

If they inquire further they are letting you know what you do is relevant to them in some way (Fun!).

If they smile and change the conversation (that's cool too). When you stay unattached to their interest level you come across as a classy and confident communicator.

First meetings with people aren't the time to overwhelm someone with your full story, a deep dive into your target market or niche, your brand promise, or necessarily your vision or values. These are all essential elements of your brand message, but networking convos are not usually the time or place to dive deep into them.

Start with your title and then turn it back to them. If they want to know more, proceed to share your mission statement (coming next). If the relationship is meant to progress, exchange contact info and follow up!

Jill's favorite way to follow up is to send a text or LinkedIn connect message with a personalized message on the spot so she can return to the thread later and pick up the conversation.

Crafting a memorable succinct message is powerful and takes time. In a previous issue on Vision and Mission we shared how to test your message’s simplicity and accuracy: if your grandmother can explain what you do to her friends at bridge, then your message is clear!

Several mission statement formats apply to different specialties. Here is a classic one that you can adjust to suit your industry.

I help (target market: you can list up to 3) with/achieve (benefit + metric) so they can get X (dream/aspiration) without Y (what they think will be required).

Jill's Example - I help individuals, entrepreneurs and organizations implement a marketing strategy they enjoy and earn the sales they want with a service that's like hiring an agency without breaking the bank.

If you'd like a marketing strategy you enjoy with sales you trust you can learn more here.