Pitch Thyself

With all the talk about how to pitch your company, I find that many entrepreneurs have a hard time introducing themselves at meetings. Don't kid yourself - leaving a positive personal impression is just as important as delivering a good company pitch, because people ultimately want to feel comfortable with the people they work with.

I mentioned 15SecondPitch a while back, but thought that it was worth mentioning in detail this time. In her study, Laura Allen, CEO of 15 Second Pitch found that 76% of people surveyed were professionals who said they have trouble explaining what they do, and/or feel uncomfortable pitching themselves.

Laura has created a great 5 step process for developing a personal pitch. They've even written one for Superman, as an example:

My name is Superman and I am a superhero specializing in saving the
world. I fight for truth, justice, and the American Way. I can leap
tall buildings in a single bound, which comes in really handy when
chasing criminals. Unlike some other superheroes I could mention, I
don't wear a funny hat, so people take me more seriously. Call me for a
free consultation - I'm always near a phone booth ready to take your
call!

I think the challenge for most people will be to make their personal pitch sharp, but not full of generic buzzwords; proud, yet humble. And once you've perfected it, don't be afraid to practice your pitch!