Do You Have a Great One-Liner?

By PChip | Category: Business Management |

It’s the 23rd day of our Mentoring Challenge and here’s what I have to share with you:

We all know that when you meet someone new for the first time, you only have a few minutes to grab their attention and make a good impression.  Sometimes that’s accomplished with charm or a decent introduction.  Many times people get their first impression of you by the way you answer their questions about what you do…. as in what type of work do you do?

Oh how I cringe when people ask me that before getting too far into a conversation.  It always leaves me with a sour taste in my mouth.  Why?  Because I’ve been around people that judge others based on their military rank, based on their pay, based on the type of job they do, or even the neighborhood they live in - and to me that’s just wrong.

Nevertheless it’s still a question that people ask all the time and it should be answered without pause.

Business Tip:  One of the best ways to make a good impression is to answer this question with a strong ”one-liner” that explains what you do and how you could be valuable to the individual you are talking to.  Fumbling around for the right words, or taking 5 minutes to describe what your business is all about gives a weak impression.  So be prepared by having a few good one-liners tucked away for those “First Impression” moments you’re bound to run into.

If you’ve taken the time to develop a brand for your company and/or for yourself - you’re already on the right track.  If you followed my suggestions in the article I wrote called How to Avoid the Biggest Business Branding Mistakes, then you’ve got a handy list started already to help you generate a few strong one-liners.  You may even use the tagline you created for your business to come up with a one-liner.  Consider also how your business philosophy might work itself into a one-liner.

Things to Avoid When Working with One-Liners

  • Don’t come off as sounding arrogant.  Sounding confident is great.  Bragging isn’t so great.
  • If you want to inject your one-liner into a conversation, let the other individual talk a bit before you start bring up the one-liner. This way you can tailor your verbiage around the conversation.
  • Be honest and don’t just tell people what they want to hear.
  • Keep a consistent message no matter who you are talking to. You can tell people different one-liners, but if you are a digital scrapbook artist in any sense of the words - then at the end of the day your one-liner should be related to digi-scrapping.

First Impressions Are the Most Important

The overall purpose of using one-liners is so that people can get a better understanding of what you are an expert in as well as how you can provide value to them right away. Offering this right up front in a positive manner can really get the conversation going along the right path.

One-liners are another way for branding yourself and leaving people with an impression that will have them remembering who you are.

So I guess you already know what your Mini-Tasker is for our challenge today:  Sit down and come up with 3 or more one-liners.  The next time someone asks you what you do — you’ll be ready to make a great impression!

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3 comments
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  1. David September 24th, 2007 7:00 pm :

    Tip for Day 24: In the UK, it is common in certain circles to be asked “What does your father do?”. Because of the still prevalent (though fading) class system, it is assumed by some that your breeding and background limits the possibilities for you.

    By studying accent, shoes and general bearing, many presumptions are made about you!

    So today’s brief tip is to be thankful that here in the States you can be who you want to be, even if you do get asked about it!

    And yes, brush up that “Elevator Pitch” too - the few sentences that describe what you do in the time it takes to ride an elevator with someone - Something you may need when “moving up” in the world…

  2. PChip September 25th, 2007 7:55 am :

    Yep, David - The One-Liner and the Elevator Pitch are pretty much the same thing. :) Thanks for reminding me of that common term too.

  3. DSD-Pro Business Reports » Digi-Scrap Business Report Issue #0004 April 12th, 2008 1:51 pm :

    […] marketing is the presentation you make in a networking situation. It includes the way you make your first impression. It also includes how you look, the message you are delivering, and how you handle yourself in a […]

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