I Whiffed My Elevator Pitch To Barack Obama... Here's What That Taught Me About Intros

Let me take you back. Imagine: you work for The Colbert Report and somehow are lucky enough to be chosen of all other producers, some more senior than you, to produce a segment with then-President Barack Obama.

You've worked in TV a few years, know the ropes well enough, so concentrate on the nuts and bolts of the shoot. That's the one thing you don't want to screw up.

You don't, however, consider the moment you'll shake the Leader of the Free World's hand and introduce yourself.

"Hi my name is... " you stammer. " I... made this happen. Before you came. The cameras..." you trail off. "It's good to meet you," you conclude in confusion & embarrassment.

Did I even know what I did for a living? Because after my description, no one in that room did either.

If luck is preparation meeting opportunity, by not preparing my intro, I kicked Lady Luck in the shin then ran in the opposite direction.

Things I didn't realize then, that as a career coach I now teach:

1) Your intro can serve as others’ key takeaway about you

2) By conveying the right information, doors open

3) The right information can include WHAT you do, WHO you do it for, WHAT RESULT you get the people who benefit

4) Practicing your intro is a critical part of preparing for opportunity

Repeating out loud what you do and iterating based on others' reactions is part of the work needed to, when you meet leaders in your industry, amplify yours.

Curious about a career transition or how to level up your executive presence? Here's a few ways I may be able to help with that.