DEVELOPING YOUR VERBAL LOGO
by Gary Lockwood

The next 30 seconds may determine whether you get your funding, make the sale or establish your point-of-view!

In this faced-paced, mile-a-minute world, where could you use an effective 30 second message about your business? These mini-messages are ideal for investor meetings, networking meetings, trade shows, interviews, sales calls or anytime you need to quickly promote your business.

How do you develop these messages effectively? Think in terms of “sound bites”. Prepare your brief message just like a speech, with an opener, the content and the closing.

The Opening
The purpose of your opening is to grab attention. You need to first get their attention with a question, “grabber” words, humor or an interesting visual. Obviously, any of these openings must be relevant to your message, or they will confuse your listeners.

The Content
Once you have their attention, relate your main message. Since you usually have only three or four sentences, craft this message carefully. The most effective message is the one that states the benefits to be received by using your product or service. Don’t say “I’m a dentist”. Say “I improve the health and well-being of my clients. Healthy teeth help you look good and feel good”.

The bottom line is that your listeners don’t care what you do. They care about what you can do for them.

The Closing
Here is where you ask for action. “When can we meet?” “Call today”. “When you think of shoes, think of Shoemaster”.

The closing may be the only part of your message that your listener will remember. What do you want them to remember?

So, there it is. Your miniature speech takes only 30 seconds. And it has a beginning, a middle and an ending. What can you do to make all this come out sounding and looking smooth, confident and compelling? Prepare and practice. Prepare by writing out your message, thinking through the key elements and deciding exactly what you want your listener to be doing or thinking at the end of your message.

Practice by saying your message aloud. To really be effective, you must act like you mean it, sound like you mean it and look like you mean it.

In our MTV world of excessive sights, sounds and experiences, make your point and get your message across in a well prepared, well rehearsed 30 second commercial. Think of it as a brief speech.

Mix preparation with inspiration and you’ll get a standing ovation.