Hello I’m…….erm…..
Do you ever experience that slightly awkward pause when you’re asked, so “what do you do?” I’m sure you’ve heard of the elevator pitch or the 60 second pitch. Heck, you’ve probably been on the end of some well rehearsed versions that squeeze in a heap of work, life and academic experiences plus the benefits delivered to the world – usually in one hell of a deep breath!
I know I really struggled with this one: just how do you combine your passions in multiple areas and not come across as some right weirdo, who doesn’t know what she’s about! The key to solve this wasn’t to think about the pitch, what needs to be in it, how long is it, does every word add value and so on.
It was this. I handpicked 20 people who knew me for different things, were supportive of me and asked them to sum me up in 3 words or short phrases. Some responded within in minutes, some took their time but all, yes all, came back with something that made me think hard about how my talents, my passions and my personality are seen by others.
Summarising them together produced a list of 10 or 11 things that when combined are my unique way of doing and being and better still in the language that resonates with my peers, friends and family to describe me.
Why not try it yourself? Send out a short email to your top peeps or if you’d like to include a wider audience, try a free Survey Monkey questionnaire or create a typeform to make responses anonymous. Share your 3 words in the comments.
If you want to work your words into an intro pitch for networking, interviews or your online profile summary, give me a shout and together we can make it shine!
PS my 3 words/phrases were: 1st genuine empathy, 2nd energy and tied 3rd place for confident, creative and tenacity. Can you spot them flavouring my site?
