Summery: Learn the do's and don'ts of
creating a compelling and effective elevator speech from small business mentor Leah Grant.
Your elevator speech is a verbal business card or
billboard. In order for it to be effective it must be compelling. You want it to draw in
the prospect yet leave them wanting to know more.
It is one sentence, two at the most, and serves as your
benefit statement. Your elevator speech needs to be just what its name implies, short
enough to share on an elevator ride.
It should provide clear, jargon-free information about who
you are, what you do and what's in it for the prospect.
Craft your elevator speech when you have a crystal clear
picture of your business. Simply stating your industry and title is too vague. You must be
able to articulate the main problem your specific type or business focus solves for your
target market.
You must also know your target market and what motivates
them. For example, when I was networking with financial planners, I tested a few elevator
speeches to see which got the best response.
The one that worked well was "I partner with new
financial planners who want to blow their numbers out of the water."
The one that flopped was "I coach financial planners
so that they can effectively market themselves."
The latter describes what I actually do with them, but that
language is not as appealing to them as the other statement because they tend to be
competitive and driven to win.
What to Include in Your Elevator Speech
1) Your name Oddly, some people forget to put their name in
their elevator speech. You are promoting yourself, so be sure to state your full name
clearly.
2) Who you work with or who your product is for Identify
your target market. Being this specific won't eliminate buyers, it will make it easier for
people to refer you business.
3) What's the benefit they get if they buy what you're
offering You can state either the end result or share the problem that you solve.
4) What is your product or service Most elevator speeches
work well without mentioning the actual product or service, because most of the time
people buy the benefit. Sometimes it is necessary to include. If it is, do so without
going into detail or listing the features of what you offer. Come up with a succinct and
attractive way to state what you sell.
What Not to Include in Your Elevator Speech
1) Your title In most cases your title doesn't tell people
much about what you do. It wastes words and time. If they are interested, they can see it
on your business card.
2) Pricing Never include what you charge in your elevator
speech, but do be prepared to discuss your fees if asked.
3) Features Features are not benefits, but many
professionals confuse the two. Features are things the product or service has, such as a
new car's features might include anti-lock brakes, a lighted mirror on the sun visor and
six cup holders. The features may provide benefits, such as safety or comfort. In your
elevator speech, focus on the benefits.
4) Packaging Unless your packaging is what makes your
product or service unique, such as video conferencing, then leave it out of your short
description.
Formula for Composing a Great Elevator Speech
Your Name + Target Market + Benefits or Your Name +
Product/Service + Target Market + Benefits
Example 1: I'm Tracy Manning. I facilitate virtual teams to
maximize their productivity.
Example 2: I'm Jonathan Smith. I guide at-risk teens to
develop their sense of self-esteem and stay in school.
Example 3: I'm Jane Doe. As a room designer, I partner with
new homeowners who want to their new home to feel like a summer cottage in England.
Example 4: I'm Jason Horn. Carpet Layers International
specializes in quality installations for property owners with round staircases.
Take note of the strong verb used in each of the examples.
You will want to choose an equally impactfull verb for your elevator speech.
I suggest using the formula to create a basic elevator
speech and then spice up the language.
Once you've crafted a couple of elevator speeches you'll
want to test them out to see which gets the best response.
After you've identified the winner, the key to using it
effectively is to practice, practice, practice. Say it out loud in front of a mirror until
it flows comfortably off your tongue.
Your elevator speech describes who you are and what you do
professionally. Take pride in it.
(c) 2009 Leah Grant Enterprises LLC. |
