Developing Your Pitch

Your résumé is ready, printed and waiting. You're stocked with business cards. Your clothes, hair, and accessories would make Donna Karan proud. Now you need the live version of you. Your sales pitch is the preparation you need to make the most of any networking opportunity.

You make a great contact at a function, you call a job prospect on the phone, you meet a recruiter at a career fair. You need to get them interested in you—fast. In these situations you have about 30 seconds to sell yourself. If you can't, they'll move on. This little pitch says a whole lot about you. You're giving someone a nutshell version of who you are and what you offer. The goal is to develop a style and substance that will pique their interest enough to inspire further conversation.

Similarly, a poor pathetic pitch—one that's delivered in a boring monotone manner and lacking any clear message—will surely result in a dead end. Not too many people will go the extra mile to draw out information about you if you aren't willing or able to do your part. Think of this as a radio or television commercial all about you. You are the product. What makes you remember a great commercial? It's short, snappy, makes its point and enables you to remember the product name. According to public-speaking authorities, you have 30 seconds to make your point, before your audience loses concentration. No matter how good or how interesting, 30 seconds, that's it. Then the brain moves on to the next task. So sell, sell, sell. Go for it and make it work for you!

The 30-Second Solid Sell

This is an introduction to who you are and what you are looking for. Choose your words carefully—this is no time to wing it. How you represent yourself will determine if you get any further with this contact. Be short and concise, but add a specific instance to grab attention. For example, if you've got a chance to impress a recruiter at a career fair, this is an ideal 30-second opener:

"Hi, my name is Samantha Ward. I'm a computer science major with an art minor, and I'm really excited about combining these two interests. I've developed an interactive educational program to teach children how to draw. I'd love the chance to explore entry-level job opportunities with dynamic, creative software companies in the Houston area."

If you're at a networking event looking to make new connections, you might try something along these lines:

"I'm Lori Jones and I'm an electrical engineer with extensive experience in the aerospace industry. I've worked for Lockheed Martin for almost 15 years, but I'm relocating to New York City to be closer to my family. I'm exploring new arenas in which to apply my vast knowledge and capabilities."

Once you've got an idea of what you want to say, get out a timer or use the second hand on your watch. Tape or record your pitch to make sure you like how it sounds or practice in front of the mirror or a video camera-chin up, bright smile, shoulders back. Dahling, you look mahvelous!

The 3-Minute Sell

Of course the goal of the 30-second spiel is to lead into a longer conversation. You need to be prepared with additional, specific details about your experience and goals to keep the conversation flowing. Keep in mind the principles of the 30-second sales pitch, even in longer conversations: be concise and sell, sell, sell. Remember, this is the live, MTV-Unplugged version of the résumé you've worked so hard to perfect.

For your longer sales pitch, be able to identify three solid accomplishments, regardless of your career stage. Some good examples: an extraordinary college project, a prestigious internship, supporting yourself through college, saving company money, increasing sales, launching a new division, or developing successful strategies for your employer. These are awesome coups that require practice to discuss them with polish and poise.

Remember the Rule of Seven: Sales and marketing executives know that it is rare to close a deal on the first try. The rule of thumb is that the average prospect needs to be exposed to your sales message at least seven times before becoming a motivated buyer. Does this mean that you'll get a job if you call a recruiter seven times? Not exactly. But it does mean that persistence pays. So remember to follow up with all job opportunities because it is likely you will not be offered a position on your first try. Or your second…or your third. But ultimately persistence really does pay off.