Hi, I’m Jerry Brook—I’m The Good Together Guru.”
I am a speaker and author.
I show people how to have better relationships.
I defy conventional wis-dumb and the experts with my pragmatic and new approach to the age-old problem of relationships.
Those are my four sentences. What are yours?
For years, everyone told me to create an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch (sometimes called an elevator speech) is used in the business world to expedite the process of explaining what you’re all about. As you know, it’s vital to make a great first impression, and in the business world, you don’t always have a ton of time to get to the point—hence, creating an elevator speech (a succinct, interesting summary of who you are that can be told quickly, like when you’re changing elevator floors), is necessary.
A lasting and meaningful impression doesn’t just happen by accident—it must be well thought out in advance.
You might be thinking that this might sound a little contradictory—after all, many first meetings and first impressions aren’t planned. Sometimes, they happen spontaneously.
But, how exactly can you plan a first impression? How can you know what to say to a person that you’ve never met before?
Elevator Speeches Aren’t Just for Business Anymore
Introductions happen in every type of relationship.
From a business meeting to new friends to potential partners, to business associates—introductions happen in every type of relationship. For that reason, everyone needs a good intro—in other words, everyone needs a good elevator pitch for themselves.
How Do You Create Your Own, Personal Elevator Pitch
That question daunted me for years. Seriously, the idea of it was so intimidating.
Once I finally was able to craft four sentences—the ones you read at the beginning of this article—I realized just how easy it can be done.
I also realized just how helpful these four sentences are in introducing myself to new people, of every type of relationship.
The First Sentence
This one is the easiest of all—seriously, it’s simple.
With any first meeting, you need a greeting. It’s never just a “hey” or a “what’s up” or a head nod. You need to say the words, “hi,” “hello,” or “nice to meet you,”—the list goes on and on. You can include your name or change the greeting up, but the general idea here is that you need to make your first impression with an actual greeting.
The Second Sentence
Honestly, when you get down to it, this one isn’t any more difficult than the first sentence.
In just a few words, explain what you do. It’s how you identify yourself. Are you a student? A business consultant? A mother? Whatever you are, just say it.
This isn’t as odd as it may seem in non-business situations. Why? Because you’re telling people something about yourself, how you see yourself, and how you would like them to see you, too.
This isn’t limited to the you of today either, it could be about your future, too (I’m an aspiring artist, I’m training for the Olympics, etc.).
You are saying “this is who I am” or “this is who I’m going to be”.
Keep it simple though. No jargon, no acronyms, no industry or field-specific names.
Use words, terms, or phrases that the average person will understand.
And that’s it—that’s your second sentence. We’re already halfway there.
The Third Sentence
The third sentence may be a little slower, but this is about you after all—if you don’t know you, then who does?
Remember how all these sentences start with “I?” There’s a reason for that—it’s all about you.
The third sentence is something that you like to do, or something that you are passionate about.
Maybe you like to cook— What do you like to cook? Maybe you’re a blogger – what do you blog about?
Maybe you volunteer for various charities, or for a youth athletic team or something else entirely.
The important thing here? Don’t fake it. Think about what it is that you enjoy doing and talk about it.
The Fourth Sentence.
The last sentence will likely be the most difficult—I know it was for me.
This sentence is all about your accomplishments—something you’re proud to have achieved. This is what sets you apart from everyone else. And, of course, it’s quite personal.
It can be hard to do this but remember, this isn’t bragging—you’re telling someone new something about yourself.
That’s It!
We keep it to four, simple sentences so as not to overdo it, come off self-centered, or feel self-conscious or conceited.
After all, it’s the beginning of a conversation, and a conversation takes two—it needs a good back and forth.
Having a clear, well thought out introduction should invite the other party to respond about themselves and it helps to set the stage for you to ask questions, engage in conversation, and more.
Think of it like this, “this is me—now, who are you?”
Your introduction is a conversation starter.
Four Sentences Challenge
This week’s challenge for you is to create your four sentences— your introduction, your first impression. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect! This isn’t set in stone. You can change it as you please!
Once you have a good introduction, practice it and get comfortable with it.
You’ll be surprised at how confident you will both feel and appear just by having those four sentences.
And you’ll be amazed at how others will receive you and your new-found confidence.
Good Together: your guide to healthy, happy relationships
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