What NOT to Do

• 00:04 So here's how I would introduce myself if I were introducing myself the way most
• 00:09 people introduce themselves, at networking events and professional associations.
• 00:15 Hi, I'm TJ Walker.
• 00:18 I'm President, Media Training Worldwide.
• 00:21 I founded the company and started training in 1984.
• 00:25 And I provide a whole array of professional training
• 00:28 services including public speaking, media training, crisis communications.
• 00:34 I've written numerous books on this subject.
• 00:36 And I really appreciate being here today, and meeting all of you.
• 00:42 That's how most people introduce themselves.
• 00:44 And you know what, it's awful.
• 00:47 It's boring.
• 00:48 What's wrong with the way I introduced myself there?
• 00:53 Well, I started off, and everything I said is about me and it was boring.
• 00:58 I started off with my name.
• 00:59 Well, nobody at this stage of the relationship cares about my name.
• 01:03 They don't care about your name either.
• 01:05 I gave my title.
• 01:06 No one really cares about title.
• 01:08 I talked about me, me, me, me.
• 01:11 When I started my firm way back,
• 01:13 why in the world do i think anyone would care about that?
• 01:17 It's boring,it's unmemorable.
• 01:20 Now, if i gave an introduction just like that nobody would be thinking,
• 01:25 wow, that guy's awful.
• 01:28 That's horrible, that's boring.
• 01:30 Well, he seemed, I don't think it would generate that sort of reaction.
• 01:37 The reaction it would generate is thinking about what I'm going to say next.
• 01:43 I don't even know what this guy... it would create a response of nothing.
• 01:49 And that's our real danger here folks.
• 01:51 Our danger is not breaking out with flopsweat fainting and
• 01:55 having to be carted out of the room.
• 01:58 The real danger we have when we're coming up with our introduction
• 02:03 speech is that it's just so boring nobody remembers it even two seconds later.
• 02:09 And no one has a reason to come meet you.
• 02:11 So that's what you don't want in a moment.
• 02:14 I'm going to tell you the right way.
• 02:17 I'm going to demonstrate the right way.
• 02:20 But I need you to have a firm mental image of what not to do.
• 02:24 Don't start with your name, your rank, your title,
• 02:29 the history of your company, and an abstract list of services.
• 02:35 That's what most people do.
• 02:38 I can't tell you how many times I've been to a chamber of commerce event or
• 02:40 other networking event.
• 02:42 And some lawyer will stand up, my name is this.
• 02:45 Name of my firm is Cheatem and Dewey and Howe and blah, blah, blah.
• 02:50 We do all the array of services of litigation civil criminal.
• 02:55 And it sounds exactly like every single lawyer
• 02:59 you've ever heard talking about midsize or large firm.
• 03:04 There's absolutely no differentiation there.
• 03:08 Nothing interesting.
• 03:09 It's all generic.
• 03:10 Generic is your enemy when you're introducing yourself.
• 03:14 People don't remember it.
• 03:17 And let's clarify, your goal, again is not to get through the introduction.
• 03:22 Your goal is not to embarrass people, embarrass yourself in the introduction.
• 03:28 Your goal is to have people remember something about you.
• 03:32 Have something to talk about later.
• 03:35 Have a reason to come up to you, give you their card and start a conversation.
• 03:39 That is the goal of a self introduction.
• 03:44 So let's be very clear on that.
• 03:47 So keep in mind what not to do.
• 03:49 I'm going to tell you what to do in just a moment.

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