How to be more charismatic

Standing in the sun around a friend's BBQ the other day, I happened to find myself talking to the Marcoms Manager for a large business. It was, in fact, a business we had been considering pitching to. Now, out of the blue, dished up with my kebab, was my entrée to the business. I casually tripped out my 'elevator pitch'. 'Send me a proposal,' he said, waving his garlic bread in the air in his enthusiasm. 

Summer is the season of outdoor entertaining, and maybe of many such chances to meet potentially useful contacts in a casual setting, contacts you wouldn't normally have access to so easily.

That said, there are parties and networking events throughout the year and you never know when you might meet a potential client! Are you prepared? How will you ensure a brief encounter stays in their memory?

Traditional Greetings

Consider this introduction. 'Hello, I'm Michael Williams and I'm an IFA.' Now Michael may be fascinating but being an IFA is not a fascinating job handle.

In this age of the personality cult, only very famous people can get away with using just their name or their job description in an introduction. And even then, when Julia Roberts modestly says: 'I'm an actress' at the dinner party in the film Notting Hill, she is gently mocking herself. However, she still expected recognition, and the humour turned upon the fact that she'd just met the one person in the world who did not know of her.

For the rest of us, such an introduction is the kiss of death. Eyes glaze over as whoever you are speaking to struggles to find a question that will bridge the gap to create a dialogue. The chances are they won't bother. Worse, they may simply pigeonhole you with the rest of your profession – 'Ah, one of those!'  – and move on to more interesting pastures as soon as decently possible.

How to sound fascinating

So how can you become more charismatic overnight? Well, consider this introduction: 'Hello, I'm Michael Williams. I help businesspeople acquire wealth and pass it on to their children intact.'

Michael has suddenly become a person I want to buttonhole! I want to pick his brains all evening as, I suspect, does everyone in the vicinity.

Now my internal question is not: 'Oh crumbs, what do we talk about?', but 'How do I keep this man beside me long enough to glean some useful nuggets from him?'

I WANT to talk to him. I WANT to hear what he has to say.

Engage the Imagination

So how do you do it for yourself? The answer is remarkably simple. You do whatever it takes to draw the spontaneous reaction: 'How do you do that?'

Junk the job description and start with the phrase: 'I help people...' followed by your best benefit. For example:

• 'I help people improve their marketing results' - a graphic designer;
• 'I help organisations develop their employees so they're motivated to achieve more' - a human resources consultant;
• 'I help people double the value of their data' - a database designer;
• 'I help free people from chronic pain' - a chiropractor;
• 'I'll help you make your business famous' - a PR expert.

Notice how powerful the word 'help' is in highlighting the benefit.

Upgrade the Title

If you are uncomfortable with this, consider using something slightly more creative for your job title to draw a question.

For example: 'I am a guerrilla financial adviser', 'I am an alternative financial strategist', or even: 'I am a Zen financial adviser'. All these wrong-foot assumptions and preconceived notions in the minds of your listener, and provoke the question, 'What's that?' And you're away.

If you are feeling really confident, you can develop this further and preface your title with 'The' – hence, 'I am the Zen financial adviser.'

So if you're fed up with eyes glazing over when you introduce yourself, and if you want to do more than pass the time with small talk, try one of these approaches. It could create the kind of interest that leads to a lot more business!

Elevator Pitch Action Points

• Engage the imagination;
• Aim to provoke the next question;
• Describe your main benefit;
• Consider creative titles;
• Keep it brief - aim for a maximum of 7 seconds.