My 3-Step Formula for Introductions That Sell | Clay Hebert
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Clay Hebert's masterclass on crafting introductions that create genuine connections and drive business results.
1. Kill the elevator pitch and embrace human connection
The traditional elevator pitch is fundamentally flawed because nobody wants to be pitched, especially in a confined space they can't escape. The concept assumes you'll meet an important person in an elevator and close a deal by the time you reach the 68th floor, which simply doesn't happen in reality. Instead of pitching, the goal should be creating genuine human connection.
Real human connection must happen before any meaningful business interaction can occur. Whether you want to get someone's phone number, close a sale, or meet your soulmate, you first need to establish a connection. The perfect introduction is designed specifically to create this connection rather than present credentials in a resume format.
2. Focus on who you help, not what you do
The biggest mistake people make in introductions is making them about themselves rather than about who they serve. This mirrors the principle that the best marketing copy talks about customers' pain and problems, not about the company. When you shift the focus to who you help, you immediately make the conversation more relatable and interesting.
This approach works because people naturally connect with stories about other people like themselves. If someone hears about how you help creators grow their audience, and they happen to be a creator, they'll immediately see the relevance. The connection becomes instant and meaningful.
3. Prioritize intrigue over completeness
Most people try to make their introductions 100% complete, which leads to information overload and boring delivery. They include their entire life story, credentials, and every service they offer. This approach actually hurts rather than helps because people zone out when presented with too much information at once.
Great introductions are intentionally incomplete to create curiosity. Think about your favorite movies - they don't start with a complete explanation of everything that will happen. They open with something intriguing that makes you want to keep watching. The same principle applies to introductions.
4. Use the "verb their noun" formula for clarity
The base formula for perfect introductions is "I help [people] [verb] their [noun]." The magic happens when you identify what noun your customer wants verbed. For example, entrepreneurs have dreams they want funded, creators have audiences they want grown, or people have productivity they want improved.
This formula becomes even more powerful when you change "their" to "your" for marketing purposes. "Fund their dream" becomes "Fund your dream" - perfect for a course title, website headline, or landing page. The transformation from introduction to marketing copy happens seamlessly.
5. Eliminate buzzwords and industry jargon completely
Buzzwords kill introductions because they create barriers to understanding rather than bridges to connection. If you can't explain what you do to a six-year-old, you probably don't understand it well enough yourself. People insert buzzwords trying to sound smart, but they actually make communication less clear and memorable.
The most successful ideas that spread through culture use simple language. "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it" contains mostly one-syllable words. "We don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems" uses simple terms everyone understands. This simplicity makes ideas portable and referable.
6. Master the art of being referable
One of the most important benefits of a perfect introduction is becoming easily referable. If people close to you can't clearly explain what you do, they can't send you business. Most people have 500+ contacts in their phone - if all those people understood your work as clearly as "personal trainer for productivity," you'd probably have more business than you could handle.
Being referable means crafting introductions that others can repeat effortlessly. When someone hears "I'm a personal trainer for productivity," they can immediately share that concept with others. The simplicity and clarity make it stick in memory and flow naturally in conversation.
7. Create portable stories that spread your message
After delivering your intriguing introduction, you need a compelling story ready when people ask "What do you mean?" or "How do you do that?" The magic question to ask in response is "Can I tell you a story?" Nobody ever refuses this offer because humans are wired to love stories.
Your case story should follow a specific structure: highlight how amazing your client was before working with you (99% awesome), identify the single problem blocking their success (1% issue), briefly describe your solution (minimal focus), then showcase their current success. This format makes the listener fall in love with your client while positioning you as the helpful guide who removed a key obstacle.
8. Experiment with creative analogies and transformations
Beyond the basic formula, you can use analogies like "I'm X for Y" where both elements are familiar but not typically paired together. "Personal trainer for productivity" instantly communicates the service because everyone understands personal trainers and everyone struggles with productivity. The combination creates immediate clarity and interest.
The transformation formula "We turn X into Y" works equally well. "We turn ideas into books" clearly explains a publishing service. "I turn athletes into Olympians" perfectly captures an elite performance coach's value proposition. These formats are memorable, ownable, and easy to repeat.
9. Build confidence through practice and preparation
Confidence in delivery comes from preparation and repetition, just like actors who memorize lines until they're natural. You should craft your introduction in advance, practice it extensively, and test different versions in real conversations. Great actors aren't naturally confident - they become confident through preparation and practice.
The goal is to make your introduction feel effortless and natural. When you know your introduction inside and out, you can focus on being present in the conversation rather than worrying about what to say. This confidence translates into better connection and more engaging interactions.
10. Deploy your introduction across all touchpoints
Your perfect introduction shouldn't exist only in verbal conversations. The "verb your noun" formula translates directly into website headlines, social media bios, email signatures, and even business cards. This consistency reinforces your message and creates multiple opportunities for connection.
Consider innovative applications like business cards with different client stories on the back, or email signatures linking to specific case stories. When 90 team members each have their favorite client story, you create 90,000 annual opportunities to share compelling narratives about your work. Every touchpoint becomes a chance to demonstrate value through transformation stories rather than generic company information.