The way to be able to talk about your business off-hand, spontaneously, and effortlessly is to put in a bunch of effort beforehand.
That’s the secret to anything “impromptu” (which, as Meredith Fineman points out in Brag Better, comes from the Latin for “in readiness”): Previous preparation.
No, I don’t mean scripting out exactly what you’ll say in every situation.
I mean pre-defining what you’ll mean to say in every situation you’re likely to encounter, like networking events, advertising opportunities, or social media posts.
That’s how people who always seem to know what to say do what they do: They’ve thought about it before.
I once had to give a speech representing my clients’ industry, at an international conference in South America, with just 30 minutes’ notice. I know that sounds like a nightmare situation for a lot of people.
But it actually went great.
Not because I’m quick on my feet, but because I’d already prepared for what I’d say in any given situation when representing that client. A speech was just a reformulation of what I already knew.
All I had to do, really, was “tell the truth and make it interesting.”
Which is all any of us have to do when talking about what we do.
Which means putting in the work beforehand, and maybe even getting support from someone who does it every day.
Kelford Inc. is the marketing team that’s never at a loss for words. If you’re struggling with what to say and where to say it to attract ideal clients, we’ll show you the way.