How to Introduce Yourself Powerfully

First impressions begin at your introduction.

So, you just landed a new job at a new company. Congratulations! The company sends out an email introducing you with a high-level overview of who you are and what you will be doing in your new role. You are relieved that someone else took charge of doing that because you don’t feel comfortable talking about yourself. You breathe a sigh of relief – Phew!

Until…  You find yourself in a meeting with a client you have never met and one of your colleagues turn to you and say, “Mary, tell John a little about yourself.”

You begin, “Hello my name is Mary…” and suddenly you can’t find the words that follow.  Sound familiar?

At any given time, on any given day, we are met with opportunities to introduce ourselves. Would you be ready?

Do you have clarity on the elements of your professional brand statement that you would share?

The managers that come to me for leadership communication coaching often express they want to know the RIGHT words to say. I remind them that knowing WHAT to say goes beyond the actual words you use.

I guide them to think about the “what” as in, what do you want to convey? What do you want them to know about you? What is most relevant for this client to know given the work you will be doing for them? What would convey credibility?

This is where it becomes more about the client than you. Consider the client’s desires for who they would like to work with as a partner on the initiative. What do you want to deliver in your introduction that can speak to how you advocate for, align with, or augment their work? How can you leverage words that speak to trust and experience and give insight into how you go about your work or what you value?

Professional brand statements can serve as the foundation of who you are and be helpful during introductions.

Have one stored somewhere on your laptop? Before you pull it up and begin to memorize it again, consider where it needs to be tweaked now that you are stepping into this higher-level role, new industry, new vertical, etc.

For instance, is there any area of your longstanding brand statement that needs to be adapted to a work environment and culture that is more agile than your previous corporate role?

A confident, complete introduction – whether delivered to new clients or new colleagues - doesn’t need to be a comprehensive recitation of your resume decade by decade.

As you begin to craft a powerful introduction with the RIGHT words, choose words that add value and illuminate the WHO that you currently are as you deliver in this new role.