When delivering our elevator speeches, we rely on “all about me” language. The introduction is, after all, 1st Person PR.

Today, however, I attended a short presentation that challenged and inspired the participants. “Amp Up Your Elevator Speech with Hypnotic Language” was presented by Catherine Johns. She and Karen Hand, former media anchors, own the Chicago Hypnosis Center.

Catherine suggested six “all about you” words to use in your elevator speech.

You. It’s the most important word your listener can hear, other than perhaps the person’s own name.

Now. We learned at an early age that when a grown-up said “Now!” we’d better do it because the consequences of not doing it could be severe. All that programming gives “now” tremendous power.

Because. People like to have a reason for what they do. Give them one, even if it’s not entirely logical, and discover how great the results can be.

Discover. “Discover” arouses the desire for knowledge, encourages someone to listen closely to what comes next, which may well be a …

Secret. Everyone wants to be let in on a secret. Imagine how it feels when you’re in the know.

Imagine. When they imagine something, they’re already accepting it on some level. You’ve bypassed the automatic doubts and questions that can arise when you say it more directly.

Wouldn’t you agree that now’s the time to discover the secret and power of hypnotic language?!

Creating a 1st Person campaign – for yourself or your business – can be more challenging than developing one for a client. The issue is objectivity. That’s why it is important that you step aside and look at yourself in the 3rd person…as others will see you.

A campaign (particularly the strategy and tactics) is comparable to setting goals or developing a to-do list, but it’s more than that. A campaign encourages you to take an objective and dynamic world view.

PR or IMC campaigns usually open with the current situation or SWOT analysis based on research. The introduction presents your professional or personal identity, strengths and marketplace opportunities, competition, challenges and problems, current publics including consumers and target publics. This assessment helps you develop messages and establish measurable goals.

Writing your campaign in the 3rd person (e.g., Sally Chapralis), not in the 1st person (I, we), helps you remain as objective as possible.

Your strategies and tactics should follow from your SWOT analysis and goals. Build on your strengths and opportunities. Address your personal or professional challenges. Retain current consumer loyalty while identifying new publics.

When I teach a university course in PR Campaigns, the course project is to develop a PR campaign for an organization or individual. Students can focus on a company, a friend’s start-up, or a family member’s rock band. Sometimes, however, they do the project on themselves: finding their first job after graduation, or making a career change after several years. Group brainstorming proves inspiring as they creatively consider new possibilities and directions.

You are already brainstorming during professional networking and personal focus groups of family and friends. While engaging in self-discovery, you may not always hear what you want to, but enlightening new perspectives are invaluable. Feel free to share your PR campaign experiences with us so we can learn from each other.

Think 3rd person, and a more rewarding 1st person experience could emerge.

I am frequently reminded of a graduate sociology course I took several years into my communications career. The professor explained the difference between psychology (individual) and sociology (group, society, culture). “What is a public?”, she asked. “A group (three or more individuals) of people with something in common.”  While it’s such an obvious concept now and applied in many targeted ways, it wasn’t then.

Your first group experience is your family with its own history, dynamics, rules and regs. Then you step outside into the neighborhood, which offers community values. Before you know it, you belong to several groups (running, dinner, volunteering, or professional association), each with its own “this is how we do it here” etiquette.

Today, stimulated and challenged by social media, personal and online networking, we are discovering our 1^st person PR in a group setting. We seek or bump into a variety of possibilities. What do we have in common, and what are our personal expectations?  

In Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, co-author Brian Solis reminds us that “social media is about sociology and not technology” and that “relationships trump tools.”  It is a great goal, but what is a relationship and how does it evolve from networking?

We usually approach relationships with expectations …realistic or not. We assume a two-way street regarding values, sincerity, respect, trust, honesty, constructive communication, and reciprocity. When we network, our goals are similar but maybe a little less profound. Ideal networking—helping each other—may lead to a deeper relationship. If not, then we’re grateful for mutually supportive connections.

Many centuries ago our ancestors were, of course, the first examples of (no tech) networking and social media.  Whether relationships are transitory, life-long, personal or professional, we have to work on them within their context and reality…a point to remember in today’s high tech social media.

Those of us who work in PR realize it’s an advantage to know a reporter when pitching your newsworthiness. If you don’t have an existing relationship, professional and citizen journalists offer starting points: Do you understand their specific medium, the focus of their beat, their unique perspective, and what they’re looking for in your news or pitch? You want a media placement, and the reporter wants relevancy, credibility, and trust in your sources – a mutually rewarding connection.

Speaking of connections…Valentine’s Day, Chinese Year of the Tiger, and Aquarius (signs of today) can offer reminders of our potential, inidividually and collectively.  Best wishes to all.