No matter where you are, or how insignificant the event may seem, you must give every presentation your all. Not 99.9%, you must give 110%. The old adage "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." is true true true. If you're speaking to 5 people when you thought there would be 50, give those 5 everything you've got. If you're attending a meeting as a guest and you're not sure about your future involvement, at the very least you should leave them with a spectacular impression of you and your business. To take the tag line from the New York lotto, "Hey, you never know."

So, how do you make your best first (and lasting) impression? First of all, give every person you meet your undivided attention. Look them in the eye, smile, ask them a question about their line of work. Second, have a GREAT elevator speech ready. (Your elevator speech is your 45 second explanation of your business and its unique benefits.)

It’s a good idea to develop a few different versions of your elevator speech, so that you can use the one most appropriate for your audience. This is not the time to be vague, shy or modest. Your elevator speech needs to be your Crystal-Clear-Gigantic-Technicolor Billboard of you and what you do, which leads us to the structure of your elevator speech.

Make sure your elevator speech explains very clearly what you do for your clients. If you don't know what you do, figure it out - NOW - before you leave your home or office. I can't tell you how many people I meet who "tell" me what their business is and I walk away without a clue in the world what they do. How could I ever recommend them to anyone, let alone use their services myself?

Not only must your elevator speech explain very clearly what you do, it should also tell the listener whom you do these things for or with. If you’re afraid of being too specific and thus limiting their interest, take a deep breath and put that worry aside. First of all, you can’t be all things to all people, much as most of us would like to be. More important, when you add the third part of your elevator speech, the results your clients get from utilizing your services, the “who” will be less important than the very powerful “what”; the benefits you deliver.

Your goal should be for the listener to respond with something like, “You’re just the person I’ve been looking for!” or, “How interesting, tell me more!.” or, “May I have your business card? My brother-in-law is looking for someone just like you.” You get the point.

Tag lines are also a very powerful way to leave a lasting impression. My friend Steve Parmelee of Westport Benefits Group ( a 401K fiduciary expert) has a great tag line for his business; "We help clients get more, pay less, and get the paperwork off their desk." Boom. I know what he does.

My tag line for my company, bespeak™, is "be heard". I am a public speaking /presentation building coach who helps clients "be heard". What are you doing for your clients? How can you help a listener remember what you do long after you've met? Knowing how to present your business or service is probably the most important (and frequent) presentation you'll ever give. Make sure it has lasting positive impact.

Debbie Fay is the founder of bespeak presentation solutions, a presentations coaching company that helps clients build and deliver presentations that get heard and get results. Debbie has helped hundreds of people of all ages and vocations become confident compelling change-making speakers. Go to www.bespeakpresentations.com or email; beheard@bespeakpresentations.com to learn more.