So you’ve been out doing your thing. You’ve been out at networking events passing out business cards, shaking hands and test driving your fancy new elevator pitch (on line and in person). A couple days later your phone rings or you see an email from one of your new business associates. They were so moved by all of your energy when they met you that they want to do business with you – like ASAP. You are jumping up and down inside while keeping a professional tone on the phone. Then they ask if you can send them over a few things and thru the excitement and adrenaline rush you say yes, not even realizing what you agreed to send over in the next few minutes. Now you’ve just ended the call, looked at your notes and you are panicking. You don’t have any of these materials ready!
Sound familiar? I know this has happened to me once or twice or three, four, five, six times – who’s counting. LOL. And if this hasn’t happened to you yet – great! Let me save you now. Here are a few things every entrepreneur should have ready to send in 5 minutes or less.
Your Bio. This is especially important if you are a speaker or trainer. If you have just agreed to be a part of a conference or program, the event coordinator will need your bio so they can promote your involvement. You will want to have 2 versions of this. One full length bio and a short one that is 150 words or less.
Headshots. For the same reasons listed above, they are a necessity. I know we can all take some great selfies but let’s put our best foot forwards and invest in quality, professional headshots.
List of Services/Catalog of Products and Prices. This has to be one of the most important things ever. You don’t want to take too long getting potential clients this information. If you do, you risk the chance of ruining the first impression you made when you initially connected with them
Resume. Depending on your field this could be very important. You need to be able to show people why you are the right person to cater to their needs.
Media/Speaker’s Kit. If you are promoting yourself as a trainer, speaker, coach or consultant you need to have a document that explains your area of expertise, the name and summary of the classes you will teach as well as the price of your services.
Now this list isn’t the end all be all because some things are industry specific, but this is just a list of things I constantly see people scrambling to provide. Shoot, I was this person so there is no judgment from me.
If you don’t have these items and not really sure how to get started, outside of calling a photographer to schedule your photo shoot, you can work with a virtual assistant, writer, or a brand coach to help you come up with some (or all) of the missing pieces.
One last Empress Tip: Make sure you save these items “in the cloud” of your choice. Whether that’s Google drive, drop box, box, etc. This with the idea being, you can send these documents quickly from at any time from any location.
Happy Planning!
As Your Next Big Move Catalyst, Twanna has worked as THE Business & Project Strategist for Empress Business Solutions. For more than 5 years, she’s worked exclusively with solopreneurs to start and grow their businesses. For more tips on how to stay more productive and motivated in business, please sign up for our newsletter.
