What’s “Fun” Got To Do With It?

photo courtesy The Dinosaur Museum

Back in elementary school, there were two kinds of homework that my parents never had to get onto me to complete: writing assignments and dioramas. The first was because I’ve had a passion for writing since I picked up my first Crayola and wrote my name. As for dioramas – who doesn’t love gluing acorns and Popsicle sticks and plastic dinosaurs into a shoe box?

Before we had computers that laid out an entire newspaper page on a screen – photos and all –we ran long columns of text through the glue barrel and pasted them on a light board, and brought photos to life in pans of mysterious liquid in the darkroom. Glue and chemicals – how cool is that?

And admit it – when you go to a festival or expo or networking event, you visit the tables that have the brightly colored giveaway items first, don’t you? I don’t know about you, but I get an endorphin rush from click-pens and those nifty little organizers with a variety of sticky notes inside.

We’re fun-seekers at heart. Whether we enjoy clicking away on the computer in search of gate-openers or clients; visiting networking events filled with display tables, free food and plenty of people with name tags and business cards; or meeting with people one-on-one, we’ll perform more of the activities which we enjoy, and fewer of those that leave us feeling spent.

You’ve probably been to a workshop or website to determine how you can formulate your “UVP” (Unique Value Proposition) – that quality which helps you craft a message that resonates with potential clients by making you stand out from the crowd.

It’s serious business, but what if you made it (gasp!) – FUN?

Sales studies illustrate that people buy from people they know and like. But a third key component in that equation is memorable. How can you buy a product from someone if you don’t remember their name? Let’s face it, after a long day of networking, all of the business cards kind of blend together.

When crafting your one-minute, all work and no play is B-O-R-I-N-G. Infuse some of your personality into the message, say

photo courtesy Whats Cooking America

something that will make them laugh (in a good way!), wear a special pin or scarf/tie when you give a presentation or meet with someone for coffee. (Better yet, find a neat little beignet place or a shop that makes a killer smoothie).

We spend so much of our time networking. It pays in the long run (literally) if you have more fun doing what you do!