60-Second Commercial Examples for Networking Meetings

Your 60-second commercial is the short introduction you give at every meeting of a referral group. It has one job: to help the room recognize a referral for you this week. The members who get the most referrals are rarely the best speakers. They are the ones who ask for one specific thing.

The formula

Sixty seconds is about 130 to 150 spoken words. Use them in four parts.

1. Who you are (5 seconds). Your name and what you do, in plain words.
2. One story or one service (30 seconds). A single thing, not your whole menu.
3. One specific ask (20 seconds). "A good referral for me this week is..." followed by a person the room can picture.
4. Your name again (5 seconds), with a line people will remember.

The ask is what matters. "Anyone who needs insurance" describes nobody. "Someone whose teenager just got a driver's license" describes a person every member knows.

Examples by profession

Adapt these. Change the details to a job you did this month.

Real estate agent

"I'm Dana, and I help families buy and sell homes in this county. Last month I worked with a couple who thought they had to sell before they could buy. We found a way to do both in the same week, and they moved once, not twice. A good referral for me this week is someone who says, 'We've outgrown this house, but moving feels like too much.' That is the moment to introduce me. Dana, real estate. I make moving one move."

Mortgage lender

"I'm Chris, a mortgage lender. Most people think they need 20 percent down to buy a home, and many of them don't. This month I helped a first-time buyer who had been renting for nine years because of that belief. A good referral for me is anyone who says, 'I'd love to buy, but I could never save enough.' Have them talk to me before they give up. Chris, mortgages. Ask before you assume."

Insurance agent

"I'm Maria, and I insure homes, cars and small businesses. A client called me this week because her son just got his license. We reviewed everything and found she had been paying for coverage on a car she sold two years ago. A good referral for me this week is a parent with a new teenage driver. Their policy needs a look, and nobody enjoys making that call. Maria, insurance. I read the policy so you don't have to."

Accountant

"I'm Sam, and I keep the books and do the taxes for small businesses. I met an owner this month who had been filing his own return and missed deductions for three years. A good referral for me is a business owner who says, 'I do my own books on weekends.' They are losing weekends and probably money. Sam, accounting. Get your weekends back."

Financial planner

"I'm Priya, a financial planner. I work with people in the five years before they retire. The question I hear most is, 'Do we have enough?' Most couples have never sat down and worked out the answer. A good referral for me this week is someone who has just mentioned a retirement date for the first time. Priya, financial planning. Know your number."

Heating and air conditioning

"I'm Tony, and I fix and replace furnaces and air conditioners. Last week a family called us on the first cold night with no heat. The furnace was 22 years old and had been making noise for a month. A good referral for me is anyone who says, 'Our furnace is making a strange sound.' Have them call me before it stops. Tony, heating and air. Call when it's noisy, not when it's cold."

General contractor

"I'm Rob, a general contractor. We do kitchens, additions and repairs. A homeowner told me this month that she had three quotes and still didn't know who to trust. We walked through the project line by line. A good referral for me is someone who says, 'We want to redo the kitchen, but we don't know where to start.' Rob, contracting. Start with a conversation."

Estate planning attorney

"I'm Linda, an attorney. I write wills and estate plans. Most parents of young children don't have a will, and most of them know they should. A good referral for me this week is a couple who has just had a baby, or a friend who says, 'We keep meaning to do our wills.' An introduction is all I need. Linda, estate planning. The thing you keep meaning to do."

IT services

"I'm Marcus, and my company looks after computers and networks for small offices. A dental office called this month after losing two days of work to a failed backup they thought was running. A good referral for me is an office manager who says, 'Our computer person is my nephew.' Marcus, IT services. Before something breaks."

Chiropractor

"I'm Elena, a chiropractor. I see a lot of people who work at a desk and have had the same neck pain for months. They think it is normal. A good referral for me this week is someone you see rubbing their neck in a meeting, or anyone who says, 'I must have slept on it wrong' for the third time. Elena, chiropractic. It isn't your pillow."

Five common mistakes

1. Listing everything you do. The room remembers one thing.
2. Asking for "anyone." Name a person, a moment or a phrase.
3. Saying the same thing every week. After a month, nobody hears it.
4. Running over. It takes time from everyone after you.
5. Reading it. Know your ask well enough to say it to someone's face.

Twelve weeks of topics

Rotate through these and you will go a quarter without repeating yourself.

1. Your favorite client this month
2. A problem you solved
3. A myth about your industry
4. One service people don't know you offer
5. What customers say right before they call you
6. A seasonal need
7. The other professionals you work with most
8. A mistake you help people avoid
9. Who you can't help, and who you send them to
10. A thank-you to a member for a referral, and what came of it
11. One specific person or company you would like to meet
12. Why you do this work

Make it last longer than the meeting

Members forget an ask by Thursday. Put the same words on your member profile, so someone who meets your ideal client next week can look up what you said. On Ecoferral each member lists their ideal referrals, and the portal uses them to suggest who to refer next.

For what makes a referral worth passing, see what is a qualified referral. For where the introductions fit in the meeting, see how to run a weekly networking meeting.