The Elevator Speech
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The Elevator Speech
Your elevator speech is arguably the most important piece of public speaking you’ll ever do.
It’s key, because it’s a short description you could give about your company in the time it takes to ride an elevator. It must be…
- Brief
- Easily understood
- Memorable
The key here is to craft a clear and memorable speech.
The other key is to have it ready, memorable, memorized, clear, and concise.
It takes some decision-making to decide what to leave in and what to take out of your elevator pitch. The biggest mistake is to take too literally the question ” what do you do?”…. then try to answer that question in too much detail.
Your elevator pitch must be short, brief and should touch very briefly on the products and services you sell and what market you serve, as well as your competitive advantage. This USP, or unique selling point, should describe briefly what one unique thing your company does better than anyone else.
So go home and sit down and craft your elevator pitch. That way you’ll be completely prepared the next time someone asks you…” what do you do?”
When a person asks you, “What do you do?” do you know what to say back? Do you have an Elevator Speech prepared for just such an occasion?
An Elevator Speech is a short, concise speech that you can use to answer just such a question. It is called an Elevator Speech because it is a description of your company that takes the same about of time as riding an elevator. It is arguably the most important speech you should have prepared as there will be many times in your day that you will only have a short amount of time to explain to someone what you do or what your company does.
There are three things to remember when crafting your Elevator Speech: make it brief, make it easily understood and make it memorable.
It takes time and good decision making when crafting your Elevator Speech. One of the biggest pit falls is taking the question, “What do you do?” too literally. This eventually makes you add too much detail, which ultimately makes the speech too long and no longer able to be used on an elevator ride!
Being brief is the best thing you can do. Plus, being brief also makes it easier for you to memorize, making the speech come out smoothly and unrehearsed. Think about leaving a flavor in the person’s mouth that will make them come back for more. Touch on the products and services that you sell, what market you serve and your competitive advantage, but don’t give too much away. If you hit a nerve, they’ll come back. End with your Unique Selling Point, or USP, which should describe the one unique thing your company does better than anyone else. And, of course, always have a business card to hand to them just as the elevator doors are opening!
Don’t let another day go by without having your Elevator Speech ready. Write it, review it and practice it on friends or family. That way, you’ll be ready the next time the person next to you asks, “So, what do you do?”
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Posted on May 22nd, 2008 by Scott Hammond
Filed under: Speaking
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