When selling yourself, be quick, direct, and get your point across in less than half a minute. We're always on a hyper deadline. No time for small talk. Tell me what you have and let's go. 10-second sound bites, three word emails, short hand text messages—speed of communication is king. You can either resist this fast pace and lose out, or make it work for you and watch it pay off nicely.

Small business owners: get to the point fast and then get faster. Give your unique selling proposition without fluff. If you have a janitorial supply company, skip the long description. Try this instead: "You know how sometimes there are bad smells coming from restaurant kitchens or smoky bars?—we fix those problems. We have fun finding cleaning solutions.” It's quick, unique and memorable. And you haven't wa

sted your prospects' time. He is impressed you know your business that well and can convey a meaninful message that quickly.

Get noticed. Impress potential customers by knowing who you are and what you do. This isn't your whole pitch, just the first one. Get it right now and you'll have all the time in the world to build a profitable relationship with your new customer in the days and years to come

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