Give Me Your Elevator Speech Below
Anyone that has ever raised capital knows the value and necessity of a concise and intriguing Elevator Speech. The value of “cut to the chase” but pointed enough to spark interest in the 20 to 30 seconds it takes to ride an elevator is a valuable tool. When you pitch to investors they expect a professional elevator speech just to get to a meeting.
Not “ If “ but “When” you are in the situation that someone important asks you what you do ….. at that moment, if you pause or fumble, you have lost them. The Elevator Speech is an art that should be perfected.
Where does the Elevator Speech make sense to use?
1)Raising Capital
2)Describing your company or product
3)A Salesperson
4)Trying to get an idea or project approved inside an organization
5)A new position or company
… and many other instances.
Before crafting the components of the Elevator Speech the actual Goal must be identified. In raising capital, the goal is to get to the next phase which is a review of the offering. A salesperson is trying to get to the right buyer in the organization.
The Elevator Speech should consist of:
1) you are (or your company) specific product or service you provide and the exact target audience or customer. Who What To.
2)What is the of the product or service.
3)End with a leading question that keeps the conversation going (can’t be answered with a yes or no).
Examples of Elevator Speeches
A bad Elevator Speech
"Umm … well … we make pizza … and deliver it"
A Better Elevator Speech
"At Vinnies’ we make brick oven organic pizza with locally sourced ingredients and market them on Social Media using a custom app for easy ordering. What is your favorite artisan pizza?"
What if this were applied to a potential date scenario which the goal is obvious.
A bad Elevator Speech for dating
"… umm …. Well … I drink wine …. Do you drink wine?"
A better Elevator Speech for dating
"I make wine at home, both reds and whites. It is not as hard as you might think. Would you like to come over for a tasting and I can show you how to make wine?"
The better combination of words greatly enhances the chances of reaching your goal. So practice your Elevator Speech so it rolls off your tongue. If you have employees it is important that they can deliver the right message with the company Elevator Speech.
You can practice right here – what is your Elevator Speech? What do you do?
