Reason #1: People’s brains are busy trying to remember and organize billions of bits of information. Giving them 3 things means they’ll at least have a fighting chance at remembering one or two of them.  Don’t try to tell them EVERYTHING about yourself.  Just give them 3 points that actually matter.

Reason #2:  Saying “I’m so great blah blah blah” is generally frowned upon in polite society.  Saying “This is what people seem to like/appreciate/love about me” is different.  It’s giving the person you’re talking to insight into the opinion and approval of others.  It’s still about you being awesome, but the delivery isn’t snooty (Snooty, oh yeah, it’s a word.)

Reason #3:  When done correctly, this phrase will seem like magic because it’s a STRATEGIC MESSAGE, designed to highlight qualities MOST DESIRED by the type of people MOST LIKELY TO BECOME YOUR CLIENTS. That means it’s not a general, vague bunch of crap designed to appeal to everyone.  It’s a specific, strategic combination of information highlighting stuff about you that YOUR ideal clients care about. 

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE:  The real estate agent I met with today wanted to make her listing presentation more effective.  Her new presentation includes the following (shortened for convenience.) “There are 3 basic reasons people love having me list their house. 1.  I’ve SOLD 100% of the homes I’ve listed since 2005.  I will get your home SOLD. 2.  I get it and I’m easy to work with.  Most of the people I’ve worked with in your neighborhood weren’t necessarily selling because they WANTED to.  A lot of them had a death, divorce or new marriage.  I return calls right away and generally just make it as easy as it can be.  I know you’ve got other stuff going on. 3.  I may seem pretty laid back, but I’m a very strong negotiator.  Nobody messes with my kids or my clients.  Period.” In each of the examples, she is SHOWING her potential clients an important piece of her brand.  She doesn’t TELL them she’s compassionate, she SHOWS it by talking about having more important things going on and using examples of people in unfortunate situations.  When she talks about being a negotiator, she needs to SHOW that she’s strong, let herself get AND LOOK a little fierce. If you’re in a sales conversation, talking about yourself can sometimes feel a bit awkward.  Use this method to make it more natural, more memorable and more effective.

Need some extra help getting more clients?  One of the things people LOVE ABOUT ME is the SCREAMIN’ DEAL I run each month.  This month (March 2009), you can get your FIRST HOUR for $50 (a $200 savings).  (We don’t call it the SCREAMIN’ DEAL for no reason.)  So if you need some help with your strategies, figuring out what to say to YOUR potential clients or where to find them, get in touch.  alecia@maverickandcompany.com (Supplies are limited and restrictions apply–mainly, we don’t work with people who suck.)