Get ready for chance encounters

By Linda Julian

Great business developers always seem to have the happy knack of making the most of chance encounters.

You can improve your confidence and success by having a few well-thought through opening lines at the ready.  Think of these opening lines as "personal professional positioning statements"  -  the way you'd like to be thought of. 

Always frame personal positioning statements in terms of benefits to clients.
Here are some examples to help you think about your personal positioning opening line:

• "I help advertisers navigate legal obstacles ... "
• "I'm a lawyer who works with the advertising industry to run problem-free promotions ... "
• "I work with the mining industry to meet their legal challenges ... "
• "I help small and medium businesses to deal with their legal and compliance risks ..."

Spend five clear-headed minutes developing your unique professional positioning statement, or introduction.  You never know what that chance encounter might bring !