For those of us experienced in Internet marketing, concision is not a novel concept. Over the past decade we have grown accustomed to creating ads with attention-grabbing 25-character titles and 70-character body text. By comparison, Twitter’s 140-character limit represents a canvas of possibility. However, most people have not learned how to effectively work within these constraints and feel much more comfortable writing without them. Unfortunately, as we have learned (often the hard way) through an unending cycle of A/B split tests, the battle for attention is quick, nuanced, and unforgiving.

Rethinking Flawed Paradigms

Whether we are selling our services, applying for a new job, or developing our professional network our objective is usually the same. We want to garner the attention of the best potential employers, partners, and clients. The problem is that we can become derailed before we begin because of some fundamental flaws in perception.

Differentiate Yourself from the Competition

A common first mistake is to focus on differentiating ourselves from our competition (other applicants, agencies, etc.). This approach relies on the assumption that we only need to be better than the alternatives to seize a given opportunity. There are some serious flaws with this paradigm.

Being the “best of the bunch” does not mean getting what we are seeking. Even if we far outshine our competitors, there is still a good chance that nobody is chosen and the opportunity simply fades away.

Deciding who is “most qualified” is subjective and often plagued with biases. We know that numerous additional (and often uncontrollable) factors such as sex and attractiveness are quite influential in the decision-making process.

Fortunately, the solution is relatively simple. Acknowledge reality. You do not have competition. More importantly, be clear about why. The truth is that there are really only two options if long-term job security is something you desire.

1. Be the best in the world at what you do.
2. Do something in a way that no one else can.

Life is competitive but your competitors are not “out there.” There is only one person who can push you beyond your limits towards greatness. Take a look in the mirror. Play in your own league and be proud of it.

Practice and Prepare for Anything

Being prepared is important. However, preparation does not mean having all of the answers ahead of time. Effective communication is not something one can “cram” for. In the long-run, our interactions with others respect the same rules governing all natural systems. Stephen R. Covey coined this “The Law of the Harvest” in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. How far would athletes get if they trained for triathlons like most of us prepare for interviews?

Memorizing responses to potential interview questions is a surefire way to guarantee mediocre results. Interviewers are inundated by carefully crafted canned responses rehearsed the night before. Do not fall prey to temptation and hold parts of yourself back. Be original, interesting, and bold. Be a breath of fresh air in a stuffy room. Aim for something between intriguing and outrageous. Most importantly, be true to yourself. Acknowledge your weaknesses and be proud that you are working hard to strengthen them.

So how should you prepare? Rather than getting ready for a specific situation, invest energy now in self-exploration. For those who truly know and trust themselves, the right words always come forth effortlessly. Being prepared means being adaptable and able to perform regardless of situational factors. You cannot always control the situation, but you can always keep the situation from controlling you.

Slow Fast and Steady Wins

The Twitter phenomenon has taught us that both speed and concision are essential to surviving in a Web 2.0 world. Cutting expenses and removing inefficiencies are now the top priorities in many industries. In this environment, waiting is simply not an option. The longer a position goes unfilled the more likely it will be written off as “unnecessary.”

The need for speed hammers home the necessity of maintaining a constant state of readiness. By the time we recognize an opportunity it is often already too late to seize it. It is impractical to waste time waiting and preparing for good things to come your way. Successful people know that the most valuable opportunities are created, not seized. The only practical choice is proactively forge our own life-changing moments.

Who Are You, What Do You Want, & Why Should I Care?

Creating opportunities on the fly requires that we always be ready to answer three important questions in an interesting but succinct blurb.

1. Who Are You?

The most obvious answers: your name, title, recognitions, experience, etc. are quite often the least important in the crucial early stages of attention-seeking. As we have learned through years of optimizing PPC ad text;

Using your company name or website domain in the first line of ad text does not typically attract more clicks unless you are advertising an established company with a compelling brand that can distinguish your ad from others.

In most cases, your credentials will not open doors for you. They are far more useful when it comes to closing a sale.

The only way to effectively answer this question is through truly knowing yourself. Drop the labels, titles, and keywords and what remains are your passions. Passion drives attention. Focusing on things that you do not care about is drudgery. When asked “Who are you?” you should answer as if asked “What is most important to you?” If you clearly understand your passions, just talking about them is enough to instantly raise the level of energy in a room. Doing so draws others to you like a magnet and sets the tone for an engaging dialogue.

2. What Do You Want?

The direct answer is usually some variation of “To work with/for you.” While logical, it is also the psychological equivalent of driving full-speed into a brick wall. One of the most common mistakes in search engine marketing is to exclusively focus on targeting keywords. The best in the SEM industry will attest that keywords are useless without understanding the intent behind them. In this context, intention can be thought of as the intersection of:

• A keyword (ie. employee)
• A modifying behavior (ie. hire)
• An underlying motivation (ie. I am overworked)

This second question becomes far easier to answer after effectively addressing the first. If you have transparently conveyed your passions, “what you want” is already fairly obvious. What you are really being asked is “what is your intention?” Fortunately, this is a quick and seamless transition from the question one. Begin by clearly connecting your motivation to your passions thus bridging your enthusiasm to the current situation. Then, state the very next action (behavior) you will take to meet their need for the object (keyword) of the discussion. Within 140 characters, this looks something like:

Marketing fascinates me. I will create a proposal for moving your campaigns online and estimate how much money it will save you. (128 characters)

3. Why Should I Care?

“Why” is by far the hardest question to answer in any situation. Determining the best answer is both an art and a science. Masters of “why” make the world’s greatest leaders and salesmen; able to instantly influence those around them. The challenge in a Web 2.0 world is that we often do not have enough information to know “why,” nor enough time to find out.

Fortunately, if you can excel at answering questions one and two, most of the time you will not have to immediately respond to the third. The reason for this approach is to get your “foot in the door” as quickly as possible. Once it is open, do not just barge in! The purpose of quickly building interest is to give yourself the opportunity to learn more. Do not feel rushed and go out on a limb by postulating. The best answer to “why” will always close the sale. Ask powerful questions and build the relationship. Take your time.

Going slow does not mean that brevity can go out the window. Eventually you need to be able to answer this question just as quickly as the other two. The only difference is the time that needs to be invested in preparation. Time is valuable! Use it wisely.

8 Key Concepts to Take Away

1. Use technology to speed up slow practices.
2. Your only real competitor is yourself.
3. Life is not something you can “cram” for.
4. You are interesting. Prove it.
5. Do not wait for opportunities. Create them.
6. Tie yourself to your passions.
7. Your intentions bridge motivation to behavior.
8. Learning “why” will seal the deal.

Feedback

What else comes up for you in these situations? How can they be overcome?

Notes

Photos curteosy of Flickr and:

• 1Happysnapper / CC BY 2.0
• royblumenthal / CC BY SA 2.0
• Mykl Roventine / CC BY 2.0

Related Posts:

• A New Study on Stephen R. Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
• Twitter’s “Link Click Count” Provides Analytics, Revenue, & 503 Errors
• Social Media for Small Business – Yoono Models Best Practices

Sell Yourself Short – Your Resume in 140 Characters

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