An Elevator Speech on Elevator Speeches

When a potential client asks you a standard question such as “Tell me what you do,” you need a ready, engaging response so you don’t babble on. You need an elevator speech—a brief spiel that tells the listener who you are and what you do.

Sadly, most elevator speeches are confusing, boring, or worse—they make the listener want to run the other direction. The main problem with most such spiels is that they focus on the speaker, not the listener. And that can be an express trip to oblivion for a consultant hoping to shine in a personal marketing moment.

This month’s article in the Guerrilla Consultant points out why you may not get past the lobby with a standard elevator speech, and gives you some ideas on how to put together and deliver your introduction so it moves a client conversation in the right direction.

Read the article.

Comments

[Nancy Sagar]

Terrific article - thanks for addressing it so well. A great elevator pitch creates interest and dialog - and if people don't respond with enthusiasm, the pitch needs work!