No matter
what you do, or who you are, at some point you will be given a moment to
‘pitch’ yourself. A ‘pitch’ here is that
description of who you are, or what product you sell, or what you stand for, or
what makes you unique, or sets you apart, etc.
An
‘Elevator Speech’ is simply this pitch made in the time it takes to ride an
elevator. This is the time you have to
make that great first impression, explain to someone your passions, make the
sell, or simply inform someone about you. The pitch is made in about 30 to 60 seconds and should be very precise, concise, and on message.
Considering
the vast number of professionals who don’t know what an elevator speech is,
don’t be alarmed if you don’t have one; most of the time we don’t take the time
to boil ourselves down to a 30 to 60 second message. We can assure you, with great confidence, that
those who have perfected their pitch have given it countless times and reaped tremendous
rewards.
The
elevator speech allows us to demonstrate our passion(s) in a short time
frame. It doesn’t matter if you are a
talker, or a listener, we all need a solid ‘pitch’ about ourselves and/or those
things that matter to us.
A few
years ago I was raising money for a capital campaign. During the elevator ride to my meeting, I was
in the car with a stranger who engaged me in conversation. Although I understood the ins and outs of the
campaign, I fumbled around during this brief time to give a concise explanation
of what I was doing and highlighted what I thought was urgent. Unfortunately, I missed the important talking
points I was so good at delivering with a client in a meeting.
I remember
this story because sometime later on, when I was introduced to the critical
need of having a good ‘Elevator Speech,’ I recalled this example. Knowing that the elevator is simply a
metaphor for the timing of the speech, I set down to being able to articulate
myself in 30 to 60 seconds. After years
of preparing numerous pitches, I’ve condensed, written, re-written, and finally
compiled a methodology for creating an effective ‘pitch.’
Take these
tips below and work with them. Subtract
and add your own points as necessary, after all, it’s your pitch! Remember, no matter what:
Understand Your Product
We cannot underscore this point enough. We’ve heard a number of pitches where the
speaker(s) did not truly understand their product(s). Sure, the energy and desire were there, but
the speakers were not completely confident with their product. (Product, in this case, is the essence of the
‘pitch.’ It doesn’t matter if you are
talking about alligators, zebras, or anything in between, if you don’t
understand the ins and outs of your ‘product’ the listener will see right
through you and you will lose credibility.)
Take some paper and write down what you are preparing to
pitch. As an example: you are raising
money for a library to buy books and extend their offerings to the public.
As mentioned above we need to know what are product
is. Can you tell me what the purpose of
the product might be in the above example?
An idea could be education for children and adults. This purpose is what we are really doing and
trying to convey to the listener in a tightly managed amount of time. Buying the books and creating an avenue for
additional offerings is how the library is going to accomplish this goal.
Writing this and, obviously, more information down on our
paper you can begin to write what you want to say. On the initial drafts it’s not important how
long the speech is; what is important is moving the ideas from your mind to the
page.
Clarify Your Intention
Understand your purpose.
If you are raising money for the library and the purpose is education, you
don’t need to mention the need for more chairs and desks. This is where the work comes in. Good, no great, pitches are written and re-written
numerous times. Take the time to
continually write out the intention until it is perfect.
Every time you write out the intention, you take the
opportunity to tighten up the language, remove unnecessary words, etc. This exercise alone will help you solidify your
purpose in the pitch.
In addition, try to avoid using large, complicated
vocabulary in the pitch. Ensure your
pitch can be understood by everyone who hears it. While it is most important that you pitch
decision makers, treat everyone to the same pitch. Be careful not to dumb-down, or fluff-up your
language because of your perception of the listener. While this may be necessary at a later point,
the elevator speech is geared toward using a limited amount of time to convey a
concise message.
Make Your Speech Memorable
As you want to be remembered for your
speech, also be remembered for your passion on the topic. People, in general, want to be excited with
you. When you make your pitch be excited
and let your passion be both heard and seen.
Following the library example from above, be sure to engage
the name of the library and connect it with your listener so they develop
proper empathy you’re working to achieve.
If you can place anecdotal information about the library and thus brand
the library with the listener, your speech will be that much more meaningful to the listener.
Your nonverbal
communication skill set will be very important here. If you tend to be very reserved, you will
need to learn to animate yourself appropriately. Likewise, if you ‘talk with your hands’ be
careful with allowing your gestures to speak louder than your speech.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Need we say more? Practice is the very essence of success. If you want to be successful at anything you
must be willing to commit the necessary time.
Crafting and reciting the perfect speech will take time and
practice. Consider it this way: you will
get one shot in this 30 to 60 second window.
One shot. Take the time to word
it properly and recite it clearly.
When practicing the speech, say it to yourself while
looking in the mirror. This is what your
listener will see while they hear you.
Please do not skip this step.
Practicing in the mirror will help you build confidence, and having
confidence in your pitch is critical.
Another practical reason to recite your speech in the
mirror is to observe your nonverbal communication skills. This practice time gives you an opportunity
to work on these often overlooked pieces of the communication model.
In the shower, during your commute, during your break, in
your head, out loud, etc.; these are all opportunities to practice your speech. Practice
to make it perfect!
Follow-up Action Item
Start writing today. It will take some
time to create your perfect speech. Don’t
be frustrated if you can’t get it down right away, keep working on it. Keep writing and listening to others and what
they say, you might want to incorporate some of the things others say into your
speech, but you’ll never know unless you get started. Use the list above and/or refine it to your
expertise. Either way, just do it!
Takeaway
There will always be a time when you need to ‘pitch’
yourself and/or a product. Taking the
time to articulate this pitch in 30 to 60 seconds will set you apart from
everyone else. Adding this tool to your communication
toolkit will open more doors for you than it will close.
Delivering Your Best
