Innovative introductions

Anyone who has attended conferences or seminars will be familiar with the stereotypical formulations used when participants are mingling: “What do you do?” is answered with “I’m [job title] at [name of company].” Of course, there is nothing actually wrong with this; however, if you want people to remember you later, it might be worth using a more original response

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An article at ideas.ted.com suggests how this might be done, following the advice of Joanna Bloor, CEO of Amplify Labs.

More than just a name

You need to go beyond the standard statement of name plus job title. The question Bloor poses to her clients is “What would you like to be known for?” This forces them to think more about the purpose of their job and the impact they would like to have. So, for instance, if you write a column for a newspaper, you might say: “I try to help people understand and make sense of what’s happening in the world as I think that’s one of the main roles of a journalist.”

What makes you unique

If you find it hard to identify skills which come to you naturally, ask friends and colleagues to tell you what they consider your strong points. You might also look back to your childhood for any relevant moments which inspired your future career choices. Then incorporate this information into your introduction with such phrases as “I became interested in X because …” and “The most important question for me now is …”

Stick at it

Start by practising your new style of introduction on some people you know, wait a few days, then ask for feedback. This way you will find out how much of what you said people can remember and you might consider changing your approach accordingly. If you are feeling uncertain when it comes to the real thing, you can tell people in advance you are trying a new style of introducing yourself and ask them to give you an honest reaction to it. Above all, don’t be put off too soon if a few individuals fail to appreciate such a non-traditional approach.

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Article source TED.com - TED is a nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading". 
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