Review of “The Mirror Test” by Jeffrey Hayzlett
Alexa Ehrlich | November 28th, 2010
After watching numerous videos and reading several online reviews
, I finally asked Zack if we could interview Jeff Hayzlett for our “5 Quick Questions Segment”. Jeff is the former CMO of Kodak, a cowboy at heart, an avid Twitter user, and the “Chuck Norris of Marketing”. For more information on Jeff check out http://hayzlett.com/. Luckily we recently got the opportunity to interview him; check out our interview with him in our “5 Quick Questions” segment being released on Monday night.
Anyways, before the interview I read his new book, The Mirror Test (buy it here!), which is a small business owners guide to reevaluating who they are and making adjustments as appropriate. And with my parents being the owners of a small business in Illinois, I found the book to be quite interesting.
The most valuable thing I learned from reading the book was the new approach to the old-fashioned elevator pitch, “118 seconds”. Jeff explains this is how someone markets them self and what they do. The average adult has an 8 second attention span and the average elevator ride is 110 seconds. So this is a way to market who you are and why someone should take any additional interest in what you do to make a living.
So, if you are unemployed or looking to move up the employment ladder and do something different this 118-second pitch can work for you too! You have 118 seconds to sell yourself and why someone would want to hire you. Start with being confident and positive about what you have to offer. May seem like a no-brainer but stand up straight, smile, and look the person in the eye. Pick one main thing to “brag” about. Your most recent project or internship, the blog you’re writing for, or what your passionate about. Your pitch needs one main focus.
When I tell people about myself I will definitely lose their interest if I go off on a tangent about all the television stations I’ve interned at. So instead I tell them about this fabulous blog I’m writing for, cough cough! A main focal point I’m proud of, a way I am currently using my degree, a way I am staying on top of my writing, etc. So if you have some time over the holiday’s pick up a copy of Jeff’s book and see if it can inspire you at all to market yourself in a different way.
Now, get out there and market yourself!
Related posts:
- 5 Quick Questions with Jeff Hayzlett former CMO of Kodak
- Review of Brand-Yourself.com
- Finding a job by networking
- Unemployed for Thanksgiving, Have No Fear!
About the Author: Originally from Danville, Illinois, I received my Bachelor’s of Arts in Journalism and Second Concentration in Gender Studies from Indiana University Bloomington in May 2010. I am now an aspiring Broadcast Journalist with great experience in the field, which I have obtained through various internships and with my involvement in IUSTV, the student produced news team at Indiana University.I am excited for new challenges and new learning experiences with each day in this field of work.I enjoy writing, volunteering in my local community, traveling, reading, and working out. I am eager to see where my degree will take me! For now I am so happy to have the opportunity to be contributing to SDZR.
