NANYANG MBA

How to Create Your 140 Character Elevator Pitch

There’s a lot happening every hour whether it is in your industry or in the economy or even the daily news. Time is money. Prospective employers need to know what you can offer them as soon as they meet you. That’s why you need an elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is where you sell yourself without making it seem like a memorised speech where you end up gulping for air. A good one combines elements that enable further conversation. With creative Twitter bios being a topic of interest lately, a 140-character elevator speech sounds like a good thing to have.

Here’s how you can craft it:

• Identify Your Niche

When you meet somebody at a networking event, what is the first thing that you’d want them to know about you? “Hi, I’m a marketing executive.” That sounds boring and doesn’t give enough details. Choose words that tell them how you stand out in the crowd. Remember that it is a conversation – not a speech. Figure out what your niche is. Ask yourself what value you can bring to them and what value you have been bringing to your current clients. Your pitch needs to make them ask for more details, so it better be interesting. For example, you could say that you are a marketing executive who has spearheaded XYZ campaigns that changed the lives of heart patients in China. Focus on what you have done as an individual to deliver results.

• Summarise Your Experience in a Nutshell

Your concise pitch must give prospective employers a picture of what you have done so far in your career. You won’t have time to list off all of your companies or roles. Instead, you need to summarise your experience. Highlight what has been significant. This applies to the process of updating our résumés too; you can’t give somebody a six-page document, so you have to edit and prioritise while never letting your accomplishments be ignored. Ask yourself: What is my main ability? Maybe it is to design award-winning advertisements. Or maybe you have a knack for solving marketing issues. Put it together in a few words. Do not be too technical. For instance, you could have been a part of the world’s most popular cat food’s launch team. That’s big. But you cannot just say that you did that one thing. You need to add the other great things from your achievements and make it crisp.

• Communicate Your Reasons

Why are you delivering this pitch to this particular person? They need to know. You could be interested in being an investor in their company. Or you may be raising money and have equity to give. Your quick lines need to communicate your expectations clearly. Imagine ending your carefully practiced elevator pitch leaving the listener wondering, “Why did he just tell me all that?”

• Request a Follow Up

Confidence is a vital component of success. Nobody is telling you to talk big to the point that the person in the elevator thinks you are a show-off. Still, you need to let people know that you expect to meet them again to discuss things further. That involves ending your quick pitch with the exchange of business cards and expressing your desire to talk more. The elevator spiel is all about creating interest in you as a candidate. It is the first step that can make or break your relationship with this prospect.

The perfect pitch is one that will make the person listening to you think. It should push his mind into action as he tries to place you in a role in his company. A boring pitch will prove that you have nothing special to offer. And a highly technical one will make you seem like that’s the only skill you have. Let the few words convince them that you are versatile. Don’t forget: First impressions matter.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

The Marketing Professional:
Hi. I’m (NAME). I’m a marketing wiz at X. I had some thoughts on your recent (PRODUCT) launch. Could we set up a time to discuss it?

Hi. I’m (NAME). I’m the marketing guy who set up (COMPANY). I had some thoughts on your (CAMPAIGN). Could we set up a time to talk about it?

The Sales Professional:
Hi. I’m (NAME), Sales Brain at X. Singapore is my third stop in Asia and I’m glad we finally met. How about I stop by your office next week?

The Writing Professional:
Hi. I’m (NAME) and I run writersden.com. You’ve probably seen my latest book on the shelves. I help writers make money. Could we talk?

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

Go Global with the One-Week Overseas Business Study Mission

When you choose the Nanyang Fellows MBA programme, you are in for a memorable journey that will take you to new places metaphorically and literally. While your professors and classmates teach you things that will help you succeed in the business world, the curriculum goes a step further with its one week long overseas business study mission component. This carefully planned programme aims to enrich your knowledge of global developments while you work on your dissertation. Instead of sitting in your classroom in Singapore and just reading or hearing about how things run abroad, you get to experience it yourself.

Locations

In the past, candidates have attended business study missions in the Silicon Valley, San Francisco, New York City, London, Toronto, Shenzhen, Tokyo, Athens, Brussels, Cambridge, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Sydney, Berlin, Bangalore, Dublin, Munich and Copenhagen. Every location has unique characteristics that can contribute to your research and lead to an in-depth dissertation based on life changing experiences. You’ll end up choosing the location that matches your selected topic best.

The Project

The business study mission gives you the opportunity to conduct a detailed case study in a country that will probably be completely new to you. Once you reach your destination, you will be studying a specific geographical area to recognise the nature of its business environment. You will also be studying a particular industry and organisation. Although independent research will be your primary activity, you will not have to worry about finding the right connections thanks to NBS’s extensive network with B-schools and companies across the globe. Combined with your own effort and the network’s resources, you’ll find yourself talking a lot with consumers/suppliers and managers. At the end of your one week, you present a final report to the company that gave you so much time and attention so that you could know so much more.

The Benefits

One week could seem too short to some of you, but the length of the programme has usually encouraged students to cram in as much as possible into those precious days. So be prepared to learn about the business and industry of whichever segment you are researching, in another country. You’ll develop better critical thinking skills as you’re thrown into a new space outside the safety of a classroom. You will also be exposed to a new culture and learn about how people behave, talk and work in it. For instance, a student in the past learned that even though Aussies were laidback people who enjoyed their lunch break and rugby games, they didn’t waste a minute during office hours and therefore never had to whine about working overtime. Insights like this supplement your business knowledge, adding to your overall growth as a future leader.

So the overseas business study mission is not just about spending time in an office. It is about immersing yourself in cultural, social, political and business dynamics that are a part of the larger regional or international stage for different players in the marketplace.

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

Gear Up for a Role in International Business

In today’s world economy, almost every business career is an international business career. And you are an ambitious, tech savvy person who is ready to be a part of this diverse scenario. There’s a lot of cultural exchange and business know how involved in every business interaction these days. Do you have the drive to succeed in this challenging environment? If you answered in the affirmative: Does your skill set include what it takes? Here’s your checklist.

• Be culturally sensitive

If you want to succeed in international business, staying stuck in your local cohort will not get you very far. You don’t have to travel to Spain to know that a business dinner could go well into the wee hours of the morning because the mealtime commences so late. You also don’t have to spend time in Japan to find out that the Japanese don’t think twice about asking people what they earn. Taking out the time and interest to talk to international students on your campus is good enough to teach you a long list of things like this. Extensive reading helps too. Or you could end up offending an elderly Japanese individual by offering to shake his hand. Some cultural customs may even irk you, but the more you know, the better for your growth.

• Work on your language skills

Simply reading books often is one way to improve your language skills. Getting As in English classes throughout school and college doesn’t say anything about your conversational skills. Work on your communication. Push yourself to talk to more people and to develop good conversational skills so that you can build lasting relationships. Plus, knowing multiple languages is essential. Chinese languages have become popular for B-school students since the country has a booming international business environment. The truth is that people are comfortable talking in their local language, so remove that barrier.

• Stay abreast of world affairs

There is a reason that there are so many newspapers and magazines in the market; you need to stay in touch with what is happening around you and elsewhere. When you are working in an industry, staying in a vacuum is just not and option. You need to read the news, watch the news, sign up for online alerts and know what is happening across the globe. Daily events affect stock prices and the prices of raw materials. Rapid changes like a terrorist attack in a safe city result in changed business processes and demand and supply. For example, somebody working in the hotel/tourism industry would need to know about the 2015 Bangkok temple blast because it obviously affected business. Knowing what is happening enables you to change and adapt your strategy accordingly.

• Learn about governments/political relations

In the current business space, organisations work with colleagues and clients in various countries. Develop your knowledge of international politics and economics of the nations and cities that you work with. Find out about the chief minister/president and the ruling party. Then do your research and understand where things stand between the government of your country and that of those places. Also understand the relationship between the ruling party and its opposition. That could help you avert trouble if you are offering goods or a service in their location. For instance, a multinational company that runs cab services globally will study each location, learn about its trade unions and understand how supportive or unsupportive political parties are when it comes to welcoming foreign business.

The Nanyang Fellows MBA programme

The Nanyang Fellows MBA programme nurtures candidates who go on to succeed in the international business world. From top experts teaching you to time carved out for a visit to a top US B-school, there are multiple elements to bring you closer to your career goals. Whether you want to start your own entrepreneurial venture after years in the workforce or join the coveted C-suite, the entire experience will help you build the skills and mind-set needed.

As a representative for your company in the global arena, you’ll enjoy new experiences each day. Even if you aren’t always on a plane, you’ll be going places as you continue to excel as an international communicator.

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

Time Management: How to Improve Your Productivity

Some people are running against the clock. But too much running can be crazy. You have to know how to pace your days to get the best out of yourself. And with changing responsibilities and new priorities, how you use your precious time is going to change. In fact, drastically. Not only will you have more to do, but every action of yours will also affect the company in big ways. Extraordinary leadership skills will come into play. You’ll also be juggling several projects with customer, employee and shareholder expectations. Sometimes you’ll need to change things to get the results that you desire. Time management is the key.

Here are some things that you should remember in order to achieve optimal productivity levels at work, always.

Live Life Beyond Work

Some people think that clocking long hours makes them extra productive. The truth is you don’t have to kill yourself to show how dedicated you are. Focus on what’s important to achieve your goals. Get it done. Go home. Interestingly, lots of studies have shown that working too many hours can be counterproductive. That means that your productivity will decrease. Imagine yourself struggling to keep your eyes open and your head straight after a long day of meetings and whatnot, with work that can be done tomorrow. Physical and mental strain can actually make you sick. And if you feel terrible in general, you will end up accomplishing little. So don’t forget to unwind, eat, exercise and spend time with your loved ones.

Have a No Interruptions Policy

You need to be selfish. If you aren’t getting work done because people keep on coming into your office or the phone keeps on ringing, you need to be more disciplined about your hours. There’s no excuse to stay stuck in the office at the end of the day, exhausted but still facing big responsibilities that should have been addressed during the day. Are you making yourself too available? Don’t be rude but have a screening system in place like keeping a specific block of time to take calls and answer emails. Keep things brief and to the point. And silence the endlessly chatty colleagues with a simple: What can I do for you?

Rank Your Priorities

Make a list of priorities and stick to it. Reflect on your daily activities, your personal goals and your organisation’s goals. Long-term goals should be on the list because each day is supposed to bring you closer to them. Focus on the important things first and push the less important items on your agenda to the bottom. You’ll feel stress free and accomplished as you tick off each item as it’s done. Use online software and apps to build and track your daily schedule.

Paying attention to time management will help you avoid last-minute leaps to finish projects, meaningless meetings and calls, and unproductive days at work. Bonus: The team you lead will benefit from your high productivity. They’ll know that you mean business and will try to follow your example. Don’t forget that we all have the same 24 hours!

Have a specific tip on time management and improving productivity that you’d like to share? Don’t forget to mention it in the comments below.

NANYANG FELLOWS MBA

Get the Edge with the Nanyang Fellows MBA Programme

When you’re a seasoned professional looking for the right MBA programme for yourself, you also seek new skills and techniques that will let you handle more responsibilities and critical analysis at work. You aim for even better communication skills and a growth in strategic thinking. Are you focusing on leading more people with your vision? Or are you an entrepreneur looking for some nurturing? No matter the results you want, the Nanyang Fellows MBA Programme will enable you to get there.

Here’s why:

The Sum of Experience

When you are in an MBA programme where the minimum years of experience of candidates is 8 years, you know that you’ll be bombarded with fresh insights, knowledge and concepts from all over the business globe. Being surrounded by peers from a wide range of career backgrounds is always a plus because you never know what you’ll end up learning. Since you’ll have similar goals, your combined experience can bring a lot to the table. Maybe you’ve never had a long conversation with somebody from the American biomedical engineering industry? Or maybe you had no idea how people in India react to condom ads? Get ready to know a lot more.

International Exposure

The Nanyang Business School is known for its world-class faculty members. The Fellows start their journey in Singapore and progress to the United States to attend courses at top B-schools like Wharton, Georgetown University and University of California at Berkeley. Take this opportunity to soak in practical knowledge and a conceptual foundation of business models that make the best of East and West industry practices. Immerse yourself and understand how business is conducted in a global setting. At the end, you also get a certificate from the American university that you attend.

New Leadership Skills

A good leader needs to be good with people. In order to do that, you need to know what drives people as individuals, as a society and in the environment in question. The Nanyang Fellows MBA Programme makes sure that you learn or improve every hard skill and soft skill required to succeed. That’s accomplished by the hands on, expert faculty at NBS along with the other emerging leaders whom you’ll be sharing your education space with. For example, if you lacked an organisational skill that affected your work in the past, you’ll certainly deal with it here.

An Evolving Thought Process

Fellows from the past years have credited the programme for helping them develop a broader analytical framework and critical thinking that lead them to solve fundamental issues that had been lying untouched. Learning and reflection are priority here. Your curriculum will be supplemented with lots of research, thanks to the school’s reputed research centres. That means that you’ll have access to cutting edge information that can contribute towards your knowledge bank.

In fact, major international publications including The Economist and the Financial Times continue to highly rate the B-school’s academic quality. With networking being the need of the hour, this is one place where you can invest and gain. The eclectic mix of Nanyang Fellows MBA will stand by you whether you need life-long friends, business partners, mentors or powerful role models.

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