A good ‘elevator speech’ is a must-have tool that never goes out of style. Yours should be a brief statement about who you are, what your company or organization does, and why it is special. You must get your point across quickly and in a compelling way that leaves the listener wanting more. This is your chance to shine!
You have 30 seconds (at most) to identify a problem and potentially solve it for your prospect. Start strong. Introduce yourself and your company, set up and solve the problem by talking about the BENEFIT that your customers gain from working with you. Focus on benefits (to the customer), not just attributes (what you can do), keep it easy to say and understand … and deliver it with passion and enthusiasm. No one wants to listen to a robo-speech, in an elevator or anywhere. Enthusiasm is contagious. Be excited about what you do and your listener will be too.
Some other elevator speech basics:
- A good elevator speech should be no longer than 30 seconds and 15-20 seconds is ideal. 150 words is about right; longer and you’ll lose them.
- ‘Assume short buildings’, which means keep it short and sweet, always;
- Have some ‘extra’ ready, in case your audiences says ‘tell me more’; don’t offer it unless they do;
- Practice, practice, practice … your speech must roll off your tongue and sound natural. Practice out loud, and change anything that is awkward for you to say easily;
- Always deliver with passion, enthusiasm and energy … but not too much. Shine, like your company and its offering; tell a story, but don’t sell;
- Always leave the prospect ‘wanting more’: get them interested, and offer ‘the rest of the story’ through a followup visit, email, call or mailing. Ask for something, always. Include a Call to Action.
Always end by offering your card, and present it with care and attention, like a gift. It includes important information that your potential new customer will want to read, save and use. … Lori Martinek, Branding Expert & Author, www.edcgrow.com