After travelling with my team, switching between different co-working spaces and attending some events here and there, I got slightly concerned about the way I present myself and Hanno to the people I meet. Especially when we do things a bit differently to your average agency — a distributed team, working remotely and occasionally working abroad together — how do you even begin to describe this to a person you’ve just met.

Most people I’ve met think that travelling and working, at the same time, must be too good to be true — their conclusion is that there must be something shady behind it!

This leaves me confused — shall I say we are ‘digital nomads’? Would this explain the benefits of our travelling idea and why we do this? No — that’s why I have to prepare, and I’d recommend you doing this too.

• The structure and flow of the way you present yourself makes it easier for your listener to follow and listen.
• Well thought points can leave the right impression about you.
• It helps to earn more trust and respect.

How can you help yourself?

• Start from yourself. Briefly, without getting too much into details and depending on the situation you are in, explain who you are. Don’t be a stranger telling about the business you run.
• Figure out your ‘elevator pitch’. Practice how to sum up what you do, in 30 seconds. Don’t get too detailed — this just sets the context for your chat. If it’s a niche, find a way to explain it in a human language. Don’t leave others with ‘something along those lines’ impression about you.
• Show your confidence. Don’t be over-modest — while nobody likes a person who brags about what they do, there’s a danger to being too restrained, and leaving the other person with the impression that you’re not actually very good at what you do.
• Explain your position. If you’re running a startup, explain your input — what you do to make it run. If you are a designer, mention your skills that make you most useful for your agency, or which field of design brings you most clients if you’re a freelancer. This is what makes you special as a person.
• Be memorable. Tell to others what makes you, or your job, different. Figure out what makes you and your project to stand out from the mass. Share your beliefs and explain why this world needs you.
• Tell a story, and say what’s next. Look to educate, inspire, and become an example to others. Share your experience and place yourself in the future — by being open and honest you help others to put their trust in you.
• Be prepared for FAQ. This isn’t a 1-way thing. You’ll definitely get questions, especially if you nail the 4th and 5th points. And you’ll notice you get the same question every time.

You never know when you’ll meet someone interesting, who’s asking you what you do. Sometimes these encounters are brief — just a minute or two in an elevator — others, you’ll bump into someone at an event and have the opportunity to talk for 10 minutes or longer.

Depending on the time you have, these are just a few good starting points. The most important thing here is to communicate the essential things about who you are, and what you do, and have a familiar structure to follow.

It’s easy to get away with being a bit of an introvert in our business, but preparing a little, and coming into these situations with a game plan, can really help you meet some great new people, and give a much better account of yourself.

This post was originally written for Hanno logbook.