30-Second Commercial: How to get THE EDGE

What type of results do you receive when you give your 30-Second Commercial at networking events?  Do people really know what you go for a living after sit down?  Have you clearly relayed who is your ideal client?  What product or service do you offer? and Why would prospects have an interest in your offering?

We are like a room full of 2-year olds, you want to grab the audience attention.  If you start with your name and company, you have not created any interest at all.  Therefore, always start your commercial with a question or a statement about your industry.

3-components to a powerful 30-Second Commercial

The core of being an effective networker is your 30-Second Commercial.  There are 3 components to a powerful Elevator Speech.  They are:

• The WHO – Who are your ideal prospects? Industry, Level of Management, Business/Consumer, Gender, Age, etc.
• The WHAT – What products or services to you offer? Only talk about 1 and no more than 2 during your commercial.  Create at least 2-3 different commercials that you can use periodically.
• The WHY – Why do you have the best or only solution in the marketplace? Add in areas of your expertise or mention a certification that gives you THE EDGE.

After you have mentioned all 3 components, then, last of all is your name, title and company.

Finally, the best way to hone your commercial is to:

• Practice, Practice, Practice
• Time yourself

Edge Consultants train and coach sales teams and sales executives how to get THE EDGE over the competition and grow their business with warm referrals–being effective and focused with their networking activities.  Here is a preview of a few of Peggy’s Pointers on an effective Elevator Speech.

Some of the programs that we offer include:

• 1-1 coaching
• Group classes
• In-House training
• Teleseminars

If you have a sales team that isn’t making quota or is wasting time cold calling, give us a call to see how we can help you grow your business today with warm referrals.

Peggy P. Edge © 2016

How to Get Recognized as an Expert in your Industry

When you see folks in the media being touted as the expert in a particular topic, do you often wonder how they got there?  Or you think, well I know as much as that guy does.  I could have talked about that subject better than he did.

To set the stage to being seen as an expert in your industry, here are a few steps that you can take

1. First,make a list of what you know about that you can talk to someone else for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. What do you know that you can teach another person?  This does not have be what you do for a living.  For example, in addition to being a networking guru and packaging expert, I am also a clothing designer and accomplished seamstress with over 150 hours of clothing construction training.
2. Blog about your expertise.
3. Create a monthly newsletter and write about how you solved problems for your clients or tips about your area of specialization.
4. Get involved with trade associations within your industry. Volunteering results in exposure to key industry connections. Offer to present a break-out seminar for your organization.
5. Write a “how-to” book. Another tips is to take your blog writings and combine them into a book form.
6. Use social media, specifically, LinkedIn to write about your experience.  Use Twitter to write 1-liner industry tips.
7. Develop a webinar, seminar or podcast to offer in the marketplace.
8. Create talking topics of your expertise that are of interest to others.
9. Look for opportunities to speak at networking events, chambers, civic organizations, schools, trade associations, or corporate sales teams.
10. Periodically send a press release to the local media to promote your speaking, writing, seminars, etc.

Finally, always ask for testimonials from your clients and followers.  Use those in your own social media to draw attention to you.

Once you start brainstorming about what you know, you may discover a hidden talent that you can parlay into a new career.

Peggy P. Edge © 2016

Networker of the Year 2015

I was humbled and honored to be the 2015 recipient of the Jo Wagner Networker of the Year Award by my business-to-business networking organization, Team Networking (www.teamnetworking.com)

It has been my pleasure to service this organization in a leadership capacity for 15 of the 17 years that I’ve been a member.  I can’t begin to enumerate all of the people that I have come in contact with during this time that has not helped me in one way or another.

Truly I believe Zig Ziglar’s statment:

“If you help enough other people get what they want, you will get what you want.” 

Some of the things that I have accomplished through my membership in TN has been:

• Edge Packaging Systems – I joined TN at the same time that I was starting my packaging company.
• I have grown my business strictly from “warm referrals” never cold calling.

I never say to a prospect or client who has a need, “I can’t help you.”  It doesn’t matter that it’s ice for Eskimos.  I will find it or make a connection to someone who can help.  

Why?  Because the competition is always willing to do what someone else in unwilling to do.  Plus, my theory is that if Joe Bob needs, Lucy Jane may need it too!  That’s called:  Your Edge over your Competition!

• Leadership skills  – Being a leader or teacher was the furthermost from mind.   I offered to fill-in as  the Member Liaison back in 2000 when we only had 1 chapter.  That led me to 15 years of being involved in some aspect of Team’s corporate leadership.
• Edge Consultants  – After many years of coaching, mentoring and training others in the fine skill-set of networking, several of my advocates said, “Peggy, you need to be paid for your expertise.”  Well, duh! What a concept!
• I simply put a note on Facebook that said:  “I’m looking for opportunities to speak on Effective Business Networking.  Immediately I received 4 inquiries and 2 of those came to fruition within 2 weeks.
  • Creating and developing the leadership training program at Team has parlayed me into training individuals and corporate sales team on the fine skill-set of networking.
• Professional Coach – Last year, after having researching ways to expand my consulting business it seemed the next natural step would be for me to certified  as a coach.  This April I received my sheep-skin as a Certified Professional coach. 
• The most recent venture that I will be undertaking is to help other groups of individuals develop and grow their own networking organizations around the country.

As all of you know, I’m always looking to see how I can Make Connections and Seize Opportunities.  

Thank you Team for all of the opportunities that you have afforded me.  And…I ain’t done yet!

Peg