Do Something Awesome #1 - Get Your Name Out
By Aaron Fons
There’s nothing I love more than walking into a room full of important people or introducing myself to a high-level executive at a certain corporation, saying “Hi, I’m Aaron Fons” and seeing their eyes light up. Not having to explain who you are can come in extremely handy, and when you walk into a room and everyone knows who you are without the hassle of having to give a tired elevator pitch, it provides an instant shot to your self-confidence.
Unless you’re walking into a room full of psychics, however, chances are people aren’t going to know your name without you putting in a little bit of work at the get-go. No one will know your name if you don’t take the extra effort to put it out in the first place, and no one will care about it if you’re not bringing anything to the table. To get your name out effectively, you need to begin by creating some sort of value ahead of time for whoever you end up meeting with.
The first step is to identify your target. Figure out exactly who you want your name to resonate with by the time it’s all said and done; if you don’t know names, at least figure out the audience that you need to address as specifically as possible. For example, knowing that you want the board of directors at a given corporation to know who you are is better than knowing that you want “some execs” to know who you are. Once you have your general audience down, see if you can figure out their names and their interests; figure out what makes them tick.
Once you know who you’re dealing with and have your target isolated, you can more easily figure out how to address them and what interaction you can create that will make you seem different from everybody else. If you know you have a meeting or conference coming up with them, send out an email or pick up the phone a week or so before the conference to introduce yourself. Come up with something more interesting to say than a simple “I’m excited about the upcoming conference.” Rather, add a specific detail that you’re excited about or address a particular issue or interest that you have and hope will be touched on in more detail later. This way, you don’t come off as someone who is looking to kiss ass, but rather as someone who is proactive and wants to learn more. If necessary, include a resume or letter of reference so that whoever you’re talking to can find out a little more about you before the meeting. With one of these documents as well as a letter expressing interest, you are no longer just a name.
The next step is going further than becoming more than just a face. When you finally are in the same room as your target, walk up coolly and confidently and introduce yourself. Everyone else is going to say “Hi, I’m Joe Nobody. It’s a pleasure to be here.” YOU, on the other hand, get to say “Hi, I’m Joe Baller. We spoke this past week about (whatever you spoke about) and it’s nice to put a face to your name.” Watch and see how different their reaction is upon meeting you for the first time than it is for everyone else. Congratulations, they now know your name, and won’t soon forget it.
But you’re nowhere near done. You must follow up. If you said you were curious to learn more about a certain topic, research it and have questions and conversation ready to go on it, so they know that you were serious. Create conversation that adds value, rather than focusing on the same questions everyone else asks. Once your bit is said and done, don’t forget to write a thank you note, and in it address one or two additional topics you didn’t touch on before. If you’ve done your job right, this person will remember you and tell people about you. The next time you have a similar meeting or conference, this person will likely tell other execs about you and make your job a lot easier, but that shouldn’t stop you from starting the process all over again. By the time it’s over with, your name will ring out loud and clear.
