What is an Elevator Speech?
An elevator speech is a term that used in business or sales to describe what you will tell someone you don’t know when they ask you “What do you do?” For example, if you were in an elevator and someone asked you what you do, what would you say during the elevator ride?
We are often asked in our daily lives “What do you do?”. This question arises at lunch meetings, at chance encounters at coffee shops or in the airport, at networking meetings, and Chamber of Commerce meetings to name a few examples. I’m sure you’ve had someone ask you what you do!
If you own a business or are in sales, it is very important to be able to answer this question in such a way as to generate interest and make people want to find out more and consider doing business with you.
Tips for a great elevator speech:
- Be brief – keep it to 20-45 seconds.
- Smile and make good eye contact
- Stay away from industry slang or jargon
- Try to answer the question your prospect is THINKING, which is “How can this person help me?”
- Make your speech more about how you help businesses or people
- Make it less about your product or service
- Pro tip: If you can tell a quick story that demonstrates what you do this is a very powerful strategy
- Practice your elevator speech. Don’t “wing” it.
Sometimes, the product or service we think we are providing is not the perception of our clients. For example, I once heard a business owner speak at a local networking meeting and tell everyone that his business was in the vehicle repair business. A customer stood up after the presentation and told a great story of how this business owner went above and beyond in their customer service by offering a free loaner and going out of their way to help her make the process as inconvenient as possible. This is why she continues to do business with them and refers her friends and family to this business. The business owner then said “well, I guess we’re really in the people business”.
Therefore, ask your clients what they love about your business and incorporate that into your elevator pitch as well.
What elevator pitch strategies do you practice?
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