How do you introduce yourself? As a licensed acupuncturist? Herbalist? Integrative medicine practitioner? A holistic health provider who does acupuncture, herbs, cupping, moxa and nutrition? One of the most common things I hear from practitioners who are looking to grow their business and network is that explaining all we can do in one or two sentences whenever you meet someone is a challenge.
One thing I can tell you with confidence is this: Who we are is never going to be more important to anyone else than it is to us. When we meet someone, the inclination is to dive into what our title is, our degrees or experience, or maybe even get into the weeds about how we treat or what modalities we use.
I promise you, even if someone finds it interesting in the moment, this approach does not have a lasting effect. And for goals like growing our patient base, increasing brand awareness or creating a sustainable livelihood for ourselves, this lasting effect is extremely important.
The Ideal Introduction
Here are three key elements that must be included in your short (think 1-2 sentences) introduction:
Who you are: This is the one part of this introduction in which we get to fill that burning desire to talk about ourselves. Wait – only one of the three parts is about me? That's correct. Keep this short, simple and to the point.
Who you help: Be specific and targeted. This should make someone who is listening feel like you are speaking directly to them.
What's the outcome of working with you: Do not fall into the trap of using this to explain all the things you use to help them. It needs to tell them how they will feel or what they will gain from working with you.
Think of this format as you practice: I am X (who you are), I help Y (who you help) get back to Z (outcome of working with you).
Practical Application
Good news: You can do many different versions of your introduction to really speak to your audience in that moment. Some real examples I utilize on a regular basis:
If I'm speaking with a surgeon: "Hi, I'm Dr. Nell, I specialize in post-surgical recovery and I help surgeons curate a better recovery experience for their patients, especially when it comes to anesthesia toxicity, scar-tissue reduction, pain / inflammation, and expediting the entire recovery process. This allows you to focus on what you do well, knowing your patient has an additional resource to address their recovery."
If I'm speaking at the Beverly Hills Chamber for a men's health talk: "Hi, I'm Dr, Nell, the founder of PIQUE Health. We help men experiencing the all too common symptoms of andropause, like weight gain, muscle soreness, poor sleep, hair loss and mental fatigue, by addressing the root cause of these symptoms so they can feel like themselves again."
The point is, it's about how you bring value to the person you are speaking to in that very moment. The value proposition will be different if you are speaking to a practitioner vs. a patient, or a 21-year-old woman with PCOS vs. a man in his 50s with prostate issues. You are the common denominator, so that initial piece of who you are is always there, but the success of a lasting introduction is dependent on how well you speak to the needs of the person in front of you.
Your introduction must articulate how you can help them. And not to worry, the goal is not to fit everything into that initial introduction, but rather to get them interested and wanting to hear more from you.
Next Steps?
So, now that you've got someone interested, how do you build on this introductory messaging and tell a compelling story? We'll dive deeper in the next article.
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