30 SECONDS

When you introduce yourself to someone, what do you typically say?  I'm sure you might give your first and last name, tell what company you work for, and what your job title is.  That's fine for a perfunctory intro, but what will that leave the person you're metting with?  Not much.  At least not much to remember.

Now, consider telling someone you're meeting for the first time who you are and what you are about.  Consider telling this person what your purpose for being on this earth is.  You can do it, and I suggest you learn to do it in 30 seconds.  That's only one half of a single minute, good people, but that's all the time you need to make a lasting impression.

I got this idea from an iLearning Global speaker and will practice it.  Check out the difference between these introductions:

1.  My name is Michael Howard and I am an English professor who teaches online, as well as in the classroom.  I enjoy teaching, learning, and communicating.  Sharing what I know give me a good feeling.

2.  My name is Michael Howard and I am a communications expert.  My mission is to help others discover and use the best resources and methods  to enable them to have their messages fully understood and acted upon.

From the very start of introduction No. 2, you get a sense that the speaker is a person of power and confidence.  When you add the fact that the person is on a mission, you create even more of a presence.

If you want to be overlooked or forgotten, be passive.  If you want to stand out (in a positive way) be powerful ... and learn to tell what you're all about in 30 seconds or less.